How can you learn more about your ancestors who fought in World War II?
Attend a full day of online talks about aspects of the military during the Second World War including the RAF, Royal Navy, Home Guard and the missing of WW2.
Plus, we will explore the resources of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust's Database of the Few and the International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive.
Get your WWII questions answered by the experts at the end of the day, who will be on hand for a Q&A.
Programme details
| Let ‘em All Come!”… British Home Defence: The Home Guard as a people's militia and its role in WW2 and after | Online | 17/05/2025 | 10:35 - 1130 | |
| ‘Hunting the Mole’: Finding the missing of WW2 | Online | 17/05/2025 | 11:30 - 12:30 | |
| Wartime Wings: Researching Your WW2 Air Force Ancestors | Online | 17/05/2025 | 13:30 - 14:15 | |
| Anchors Away!! Set Sail on Your WW2 Naval Records | Online | 17/05/2025 | 14:15 - 15:00 | |
| Database of the Few | Online | 17/05/2025 | 15:15 - 15:45 | |
| International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive | Online | 17/05/2025 | 15:45 - 16:10 | |
| An Introduction to the Arctic Convoys & the Brave Journey East | Online | 17/05/2025 | 16:10 - 16:30 | |
| Final Q&A | Online | 17/05/2025 | 16:30 - 17:00 |
About the Speaker
Mrs Julie Dawn Goucher
Julie Goucher has been actively researching her own ancestry since the late 1980s and that of her husband since 1993; inspired by visits to and information from her Great Aunts and Uncles. Her own maternal ancestry is very much focused on the UK Counties of Surrey, Sussex, and Hampshire with a degree of migration and links to India, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Her paternal ancestry is from Sicily. Julie has been the project administrator for the Orlando DNA Project hosted at FamilyTreeDNA since 2007. Julie spends her time writing for a variety of genealogical magazines and books both relevant to genealogy, pharmacy, or education & learning. Julie has also presented & lectured at Who Do You Think You Are? Live, the Society of Genealogists and globally either in person or electronically. Julie is also a tutor for Pharos Tutors teaching three surname & One-Name Studies courses and one of European Research. Julie has been a Trustee for the Guild of One-Name Studies since 2015 and is currently Chairman.
About the Speaker
Dan Ellin
Dr Dan Ellin is the Archivist for the International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive hosted by the University of Lincoln. Since 2015, the IBCC Digital Archive has recorded over 1,200 oral histories with veterans and survivors of the bombing war and published over 2,000 individual collections of items including letters, diaries, logbooks and photographs. Many of these collections tell stories previously unheard by anyone outside their families.
About the Speaker
Geoff Simpson
Geoff’s interest in the Second World War started as he grew up in south east London in the aftermath with clues to what had happened all around. The interest developed as he tried (unsuccessfully until much later) to persuade his father to describe his wartime service in the Royal Artillery. Geoff now knows that that service included two and a half days on the Dunkirk beaches, 1st and 2nd Alamein and the landings at Salerno and Anzio. Over the last 40 years Geoff has carried out extensive research on the Battle of Britain. In the process he was lucky enough to meet, interview or correspond with several hundred of the Allied aircrew who earned the “immediate” award of the 1939-1945 Star with Battle of Britain Clasp. Geoff’s books include A History of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association: Commemorating The Few (2015) and Guy Gibson: Dam Buster (2013). He has written many articles, delivered lectures and broadcast on the RAF in the Second World War. He is a contributor to the Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Between 2000 and 2015 he was a trustee of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, custodian of the National Memorial to the Few at Capel-le-Ferne, Kent. He is consulting editor for the Trust’s Database of the Few and has written over a thousand updated and expanded entries for individuals in the Database. In 2022 Geoff was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, particularly in recognition of his research into the Few.
About the Speaker
Jade Nunn
Jade Nunn’s naval interest evolved at the start of her genealogy journey, learning she had ancestors in the merchant navy and many more with roots in Portsmouth, working in the dockyard. Her expertise lies in the research and preservation of military records from both World Wars. As a recent graduate from Strathclyde University, her dissertation explored the lives of soldiers who were "Shot at Dawn" during WWI, approached from a genealogical perspective. Prior to this, she completed my diploma dissertation, on the (RND) Royal Naval Division, focusing on the group interned in neutral Holland following their unsuccessful attempt to seize Antwerp. This work centred on the "Timbertown Follies," a group of internees who formed a troupe and performed within the camp and beyond. Her personal connection is her 2 x great-grandfather Cecil Gunther, was interned at ‘Het Engels Kamp’ in Groningen for four years. Although he didn’t perform with the Follies, he did however craft exquisite carpentry pieces that are now treasured items within Jade’s family archive. As well as military records, her other interests are DNA analysis and helping adoptees find their birth parents, siblings or other relatives. Finding her own Father in 2008 and later, his passing in 2015, spurred on her interest in this topic.
About the Speaker
Clare Wilson
Clare Wilson is a professional genealogist based in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Following her studies at Strathclyde University, she set up her company Treehouse Genealogy, where she assists clients worldwide to find out more about their own Scottish families. A specialist in Commonwealth Air Force research, she also runs the Allied Air Force Research website and Facebook group. In her spare time, she runs two one place studies, one for her local parish of New Monkland and the other relating to the war graves at a churchyard in Yorkshire.
About the Speaker
Mr Simon Simon Fowler
Simon Fowler is an experienced family history teacher, writer and researcher. He worked for The National Archives on and off for over thirty years. Today he is a professional researcher mainly on family history and military topics. He has written regularly for genealogy magazines and has authored over two dozen books. Simon teaches at Dundee University, Pharos Tutors and regularly lectures for the Society of Genealogists. He is the author of Tracing Your Army Ancestors and Tracing Your First World War Ancestors, published by Pen & Sword.
About the Speaker
Graham Bandy
Graham Bandy has spent most of his life either in the army, in nursing, or doing both. He runs Living Military History and specialises in military history research and the identification of military photographs, uniforms and cap badges. He is the military expert at Family Tree magazine, the expert here at the SoG Armed Forces Advice Hour and a much sought after speaker at family history events. Graham is the author of two books: Identifying Cap Badges and Nursing at the Frontline: A WW2 Diary from North Africa and Italy. He is feverishly working away at four more books which are all due by the end of the year. His next one is due with his editor imminently…!
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17/05/2025
10:30 - 17:00
Online
Full day course on Zoom with with Graham Bandy, Simon Fowler, Clare Wilson, Jade Nunn and other experts.
Location
Online
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