MISSING . . . and FOUND!
THE DAILY MAIL offers readers a unique opportunity to re-establish contact with long-lost relatives and friends. Each week, MONICA PORTER features the story of someone trying to find a missing loved one, as well as a tale of people reunited. This column is produced in conjunction with the voluntary tracing service Searching For A Memory, run by Gill and John Whitley. Jo Horton writes: ‘My father, Douglas Harold Beresford, was with Bomber Command Pathfinders and was killed on a bombing raid in 1944. Mum was pregnant with me when he died.
‘I’ve tried several ways to find anyone who knew him. I have information from his squadron website and a photo of his wedding to my mum.
‘I had regular contact with my paternal grandparents in Sheffield when I was growing up, but it would be good to get in touch with someone who knew him who isn’t family. He’d be in his 90s if he was alive today.
‘I’d have had more chance a few years ago, but my mum remarried when I was 11 and my stepfather was a lovely man — it might have hurt him if I’d chased things up.
‘I was born in a village near Grantham, Lincs. now 72, I’m retired after a career in the Civil Service and live in newport, Shropshire.
‘Mum died five years ago. She told me where my father came from, that his name is on a war memorial in Sheffield and on the runnymede Memorial, though I’ve not seen them. I believe he was an electrician in the Sheffield coal mines.
‘He had two sisters, one emigrated to South Africa and we lost touch. the other emigrated to Australia and I was in touch with her until she passed away.
‘Are any of his wartime comrades reading this?’
A COUPLE of months ago we ran a story from Kerry Charters-Byrne: ‘I’m trying to find an old friend of my wife’s, with whom she lost touch long ago.
‘My wife is Dena Charters, 59. the friend is Yvonne Duffy, who was born in Dublin and would now be in her mid-60s.
‘they worked together at t. Lyons printers in Liverpool and from there the friendship grew. they went to discos and would meet on Saturdays to go shopping, and Yvonne attended many of Dena’s family get-togethers.
‘When Yvonne left the printers, she and Dena would meet every Wednesday evening and cook dinner together while catching up on the week’s news.
‘In 1978, Yvonne married Eric Woolley, from Liverpool. the wedding was in Dublin. By then, Dena had joined the military and was forbidden to travel to the republic of Ireland, so couldn’t go.
‘the wedding photo the couple sent to Dena was the last she heard of Yvonne before contact was lost.’ Yvonne (now Yvonne Clayton) saw the story and emailed: ‘It will be 43 years since Dena and I last saw one another. What a get-together that will be!’
And from Kerry: ‘oMG! thanks so much, my wife is speechless!’
It’s a power she soon regained, as Kerry later emailed again: ‘Dena and Yvonne have spent hours on the phone so far and are trying to plan a reunion.’
IF there is someone you would like to trace, write to Gill Whitley, 1 Newbrook house, New hall Lane, Preston, Pr1 5Pe, enclosing an SAe, or send an email to monica.porter@dailymail. co.uk — including a contact phone number. All communications will be answered as soon as possible. this column is researched with the aid of Peopletracer (www.peopletracer.co.uk). A small donation will be requested for employing Gill Whitley’s services.