Help with a mystery .....

Isadora · Post by **Isadora** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 4:22 pm

I am looking for any suggestions as to how I might search for an
ARTHUR REVERS born in USA or Canada circa 1919 (white).

He was a WW2 GI but no enlistment record exists for anyone with this name.

There is an A A REVERS but this is an Alphonse REVERS and not the right person.

I did find someone on a USA census with this name from Licking, Ohio (?) but this turned out to be a red herring.

Am I correct in thinking there was no Arthur REVERS (white) born in the USA in the period 1912-25?

If anyone can find one I will turn cartwheels with happiness! He is my mother's father and between us we have been looking for more than 10 years to no avail.

We have been in touch with the National Personnel Record Center in Missouri plus and had no luck. We have turned over most stones.

His name appears in a letter my mother has but it is just possible his surname is spelt incorrectly.

My thoughts have always been that this IS the right name for him but we just haven't been lucky enought to find him to date.

Cathy · Post by **Cathy** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 8:37 pm

Hello Isadora,
I think you will have to try juggling the spelling of his name.
Have you tried Rivers / Reeves?

Isadora · Post by **Isadora** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 9:10 pm

Yes, I have tried other possibilities. The thing is there are many, Arthur Rivas, Evers, Rebers, Ribas, Riba, etc. There are literally hundreds of Arthur Reeves. Interesting you obviously thought that was a strong possibility.

It depends if it was a spelling mistake or the name sounded like Arthur Revers, if that makes sense.

There was a fire at the National Personnel Record Center in Missouri which means their records are incomplete. I have a long list of men called Arthur Reeves for example but even that will be incomplete. Even then the NPRC can't tell me if the man was ever in England, only if he had European service. Nothing to narrow down.

There was an Arthur Severs who appears to have been in Devon (the right area) at the right time in 1945, but is this similar enough?

I keep coming back to the fact I don't feel I have exhausted Arthur Revers. My grandmother wrote in the summer of 1945 'His name was Arthur Revers, he was about 26 years old and he was very fair, if anything on the sandy side'. That's it, she's dead and it's all we have to go on.

There are some Arthur Revers who appear on various USA censuses but they don't seem to follow through. Hope this makes sense and thanks so much for your interest and reply.

Post by **joette** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 1:04 pm

I have been trying to rack my brains as i am sure that some sort of organisation exists to try & help the offspring of GI's track down their Fathers.
I just can't think what it is anybody else know or know where to look.
All that trash reading of Women's mags must count for something!!

garibaldired · Post by **garibaldired** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 2:20 pm

I have an idea it's known as "War Babes" contactable at

War Babes"
Shirley McGlade
15, Plough Avenue
South Woodgate,
Birmingham, B32 3TQ, England

and there is also the following website:
www.gitrace.org

Hope that is of some help.
Meg

<duplicate post removed - AndrewP>

Post by **joette** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 3:43 pm

Thanks for that Meg.I knew the info was out there somewhere but I just couldn't think of it.
I know of somebody who was able to track down a Grandfather via this.
A complicated tale but basically a shock to a Caucasian couple when they gave birth to a child of mixed origin.
A family secret eventually was revealed when the Grandmother admitted that her offspring had been fathered by an extra-marital affair with a Black GI.When the child was born looking Caucasian she thought she had escaped detection.
It caused such an upheaval in the family but eventually a happy reunion took place between the three generations.

Isadora · Post by **Isadora** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 7:11 pm

Jodette, lots of stories like that. Glad that one ended so happily.

Meg, I know of these organisations and have been a member of GITRACE and TRACE for many years.

It would be good if someone could kindly check Arthur REVERS on the appropriate USA census so I can completely eliminate this spelling for once and for all. I am still not 100% certain there isn't a fit.

Thank you.