Trying to find Edward Harper

Dear Sirs, my name is Doris Betty Harper and I'm looking for any kind of information about my father Edward Harper. I'm sorry to say that I have very little information to offer.
He met my mother, Anneliese Harper, nee Hobold, when he was stationed in Hamburg ( probably in Blankenese, Adams Barracks or Uxbridge Barracks?) in 1949,1950 or 1951. Whether they were married in Hamburg or England, I don't know. But I was born in Dorchester in 1952 while my father was stationed in Blandford Camp ( I tried to gather information there last year but wasn't admitted because it's a working camp, as the officer told me). My birth certificate states that he was Staff Sergeant in the ACC at that time - with an added number: 4342992.
In 1954 or so we moved to Folkestone, but I don't know if we lived in a camp there.
A year or so later he must have left the Army because we moved to Hamburg, where he was manager of the British Sailors Soceity. My parents were divorced shortly afterwards and my father went back to England. As the divorce seems to have been very hateful I could never talk to my mother about my father. I have never heard of him since then, except that friends of my parents told my mother that they had seen him in the Bournemouth-Southampton-Portsmouth area.
My father is from Yorkshire and had a sister called Violet Stead (or Stedd). His mates called him Eddie whereas my mother preferred the name Ted.
Somehow I have the feeleing that there is a 'little' brother out there somewhere and I would like to find out whether there is any family of mine.
Please help me to get information of any kind about Edward Harper to make my life more complete.
Yours, sincerely
Doris Betty Harper

Hi Doris and welcome to the Site, the Veterans Agency may be able to help you. Click on the link below and follow the instructions. Good luck.

http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/service_records.html

Hi Shelldrake, WOW!!! That was quick!
Thanks for the reply. I'll give that link a try right now.

You could also try here Doris

http://www.army.mod.uk/rlc/history/17693.aspx

Shelldrake, they haven't listed my father's name, but at least I'm member now an I'll post my request on their newsboard.

Thank you Gordon, I followed the link and I understand that I'll have to write an email to them with my request.

478 visitors to this thread. I assume that at least for a few of them the name Edward Harper rang a bell somehow. Please contact me with any kind of information about my father.

Hi Doris,

I thought perhaps I'd have a little go at trying to unravel a bit about your father. It might be helpful and sheds a new angle in tracing military personnel.
From your message you state that your Father's Regimental Number was 4342992. All soldiers given a number when they join which they normally retain throughout their service. They may transfer to another Regiment or Corps but keep their number. Your Father's number indicates that it was issued by the former East Yorkshire Regiment, now amalgamated into todays Yorkshire Regiment. The contact for their Association is yorksassociation@btconnect.com Perhaps a short request message to them might point you in the direction of their records and what Regiment(s) your Father went on to serve after perhaps he left them.

I have also been looking up the locations where this Regiment (1st Battalion) served after the war as follows :

1945   Austria
         14Sep 1948 - Amalgamated with 2nd Battalion


1951   Germany - Spey Barracks, Buxtehude.
                          Oct - Berlin - Montgomery barracks.
1952   UK             Nov
1953   Malaya       Apr

Hope this may be of some help to you. Good Luck.

Jimsigs

Doris,

One more piece of info to clarify. Buxtehude is a district of Hamburg in Germany

Jimsigs