Alfred Dunn

The first of the Watch This Space stories from Bill.

 

Sometimes, as Glyn will avow, we get lucky.

Vanessa, the great niece of 1029 Private Alfred Dunn, had only posted her family data online two days before the team from Yuki went looking and found it.

I am always asked how do you know you know you have the right family? Well in this case DNA. Yes it has slowly crept into Family research.

However, the best part of the search, which concluded last night was when I returned Alfred’s British War Medal to his niece Virginia, was the story that Vanessa told me that I think links this family indelibly.

'Mum’s great uncle Alfred Dunn died in 1939 of peritonitis, after appendicitis. Mum has a special connection to Alfred. After he died each of his siblings received a few pounds from his estate and my grandfather used his share to pay the doctor to deliver my mother (his first child). She was born a few weeks after Alfred passed away. Mum has attended many Anzac dawn services over the years to commemorate Alfred and her other relatives who served in WWI.

I have attached a small photo that Mum has of Alfred Dunn.

I’ve spoken to Mum and she said she would be very honoured and proud to care for Alfred’s medal. Mum believes she is now the oldest surviving Dunn left from her generation.'

The returned medal tally is now 2040.