Who is my French sister, born c1941, daughter of English army ambulance driver Charles Maurice Moon (son of Sarah Moon)?

Question

When I was sixteen my father confided in me that he had a daughter living in France. He served as an army ambulance driver there - between Rouen and Paris I believe.  I used to think this was nonsense. However, after he died I discovered a number of silk embroidered post cards that he  sent to his mother, my grandmother, Sarah Moon.  The comments were so affectionate that they seemed out of character for my father - obviously he came under some sensitive influence. Since I have been researching my genealogy this has become more of a mystery - so much so that I even fantasised that my sister was the amazing photographer Sarah Moon (this being her professional name) - "Why?" I asked myself would she use my grandmother's name as her ID).

If anyone has any information of a girl being born of and English Father at this time in Northern France I should love to know and, just maybe, she could be my sister - What a dream. 

Comments

According to various online sources, Sarah Moon's (the photographer) real name is Marielle Warin. There are two variants for her birth date, 17 Nov 1941 or 17 Nov 1939, and two for her birth place, Vernon or Vichy. It is said that her mother was French and her father English, but Warin does not sound very English to me. So if the date is 1941, the place Vernon (half way between Rouen and Paris), and Warin her mother's name, it would fit. Of course records so recent are not publicly available, but why don't you write to her? She lives in Paris, her address is in the French phone directory (under the name Moon-Delpire - she was married to Robert Delpire).

Answer 1

Have you taken a DNA test? If not, you should -- or take multiple tests from different testing services. DNA testing has been a powerful tool for people seeking unknown family. Autosomal DNA tests, such as those offered by AncestryDNA, 23andMe, Living DNA, FTDNA FamilyFinder, and MyHeritage, can help people discover half-siblings, nieces and nephews, etc. -- if those biological relatives are living and have also taken tests.

I tagged your post for "adoption angels" on the thought that WikiTreers who work with adoptees might have some additional advice for you.

Comments

Big problem is that commercial DNA testing  is not nearly so common in France as elsewhere. It is (or at least was at the end of last year)  technically illegal and though a growing number of  people circumvent the laws in various ways, from my own experience it is difficult. https://www.thelocal.fr/20181220/french-ban-on-dna-testing-cant-stop-the-craze

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And if you do consider the DNA testing route, are there any other descendants of your Grandmother who could help you pinpoint the connection with DNA matches?

Answer 2

Bonjour,

Vous trouverez plus de Français sur Myheritage, en particulier des jeunes.

Pouvez-vous commander le dossier militaire de votre père ?

D'où sont expédiées les cartes postales que vous évoquez ? Quelle est la date sur le tampon ?

A priori, il a dû quitter la France en juin 1940 au plus tard. S'il est après cette date dans le Nord de la France, qui est en zone occupée, il devait être prisonnier.

En supposant qu'il a quitté la France à la fin mai 1940 et que son amie était déjà enceinte, l'enfant est né à la fin de 1940 ou au début de l'année 1941.

Il a logiquement été déclaré sous le nom de famille de sa mère. Cette mère a pu se marier plus tard et le beau-père reconnaître l'enfant.

Si votre père savait que l'enfant était une fille, c'est qu'il a été en contact avec la mère. Après-guerre ?

Il faudrait que vous rédigiez un récapitulatif le plus complet possible de la situation pour qu'il soit diffusé, auprès de groupes généalogiques par exemple.

Comments

Bonjour Monsieur Quénéhervé,

Thank you for responding to my question so rapidly. I will try investigating Myheritage soon.

I will follow your hints and check the postmarks and postal dates on those postcards – my immediate objective was to thank you straight away.

I do indeed have my father’s military record – something else to check in more detail – I know that he left France in 1940, before the Germans occupied Northern France, and was discharged, on medical grounds, soon after arriving back in the UK.  As you say, I agree that this implies that (a) – his friend was already pregnant when he left and (b) – the child / girl / my half sister was born in 1940-41. I also agree that he must have been in contact with my sister’s mother for some time after he returned from his military duty in France – even maybe for some time after the end of the war.

He met, and married, my mother a short time after he returned to England.

My twin sister and I were born in February 1944 in Norfolk, England.

Once again, thank you for your advice.  I will now put my curiosity into action.

Sincerely,

Gerry MOON

Bonjour Monsieur Quénéhervé,

Thank you for responding to my question so rapidly. I will try investigating Myheritage soon.

I will follow your hints and check the postmarks and postal dates on those postcards – my immediate objective was to thank you straight away.

I do indeed have my father’s military record – something else to check in more detail – I know that he left France in 1940, before the Germans occupied Northern France, and was discharged, on medical grounds, soon after arriving back in the UK.  As you say, I agree that this implies that (a) – his friend was already pregnant when he left and (b) – the child / girl / my half sister was born in 1940-41. I also agree that he must have been in contact with my sister’s mother for some time after he returned from his military duty in France – even maybe for some time after the end of the war.

He met, and married, my mother a short time after he returned to England.

My twin sister and I were born in February 1944 in Norfolk, England.

Once again, thank you for your advice.  I will now put my curiosity into action.

Sincerely,

Gerry MOON

Bonjour Monsieur Quénéhervé,

Merci d'avoir répondu à ma question si rapidement. Je vais bientôt essayer d’enquêter sur Myheritage.

Je suivrai vos indications et vérifierai les marques de la poste et les dates postales sur ces cartes. Mon objectif immédiat était de vous remercier immédiatement.

J’ai effectivement le casier militaire de mon père - une chose à vérifier plus en détail - je sais qu’il a quitté la France en 1940, avant l’occupation du nord de la France par les Allemands, et a été libéré pour raisons médicales peu après son retour au Royaume-Uni. Comme vous le dites, je conviens que cela implique que (a) - son ami était déjà enceinte quand il est parti et (b) - l’enfant / fille / ma demi-soeur est née en 1940-1941. Je conviens également qu’il doit avoir été en contact avec la mère de ma sœur pendant un certain temps après son retour de son service militaire en France, voire peut-être après la fin de la guerre.

Il a rencontré et s'est marié avec ma mère peu de temps après son retour en Angleterre.

Ma sœur jumelle et moi sommes nés en février 1944 à Norfolk, en Angleterre.

Encore une fois, merci pour vos conseils. Je vais maintenant mettre ma curiosité en action.

Cordialement,

Gerry MOON

(Veuillez excuser ma traduction. Je parle un peu le français mais il me faut quelques jours pour me réchauffer avant de gagner en confiance - nous rendons visite à nos amis à Pertuis, en Provence, pendant une semaine sur deux semaines)

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Bonjour Monsieur Quénéhervé,

Thank you for responding to my question so rapidly. I will try investigating Myheritage soon.

I will follow your hints and check the postmarks and postal dates on those postcards – my immediate objective was to thank you straight away.

I do indeed have my father’s military record – something else to check in more detail – I know that he left France in 1940, before the Germans occupied Northern France, and was discharged, on medical grounds, soon after arriving back in the UK.  As you say, I agree that this implies that (a) – his friend was already pregnant when he left and (b) – the child / girl / my half sister was born in 1940-41. I also agree that he must have been in contact with my sister’s mother for some time after he returned from his military duty in France – even maybe for some time after the end of the war.

He met, and married, my mother a short time after he returned to England.

My twin sister and I were born in February 1944 in Norfolk, England.

Once again, thank you for your advice.  I will now put my curiosity into action.

Sincerely,

Gerry MOON

Bonjour Monsieur Quénéhervé,

Thank you for responding to my question so rapidly. I will try investigating Myheritage soon.

I will follow your hints and check the postmarks and postal dates on those postcards – my immediate objective was to thank you straight away.

I do indeed have my father’s military record – something else to check in more detail – I know that he left France in 1940, before the Germans occupied Northern France, and was discharged, on medical grounds, soon after arriving back in the UK.  As you say, I agree that this implies that (a) – his friend was already pregnant when he left and (b) – the child / girl / my half sister was born in 1940-41. I also agree that he must have been in contact with my sister’s mother for some time after he returned from his military duty in France – even maybe for some time after the end of the war.

He met, and married, my mother a short time after he returned to England.

My twin sister and I were born in February 1944 in Norfolk, England.

Once again, thank you for your advice.  I will now put my curiosity into action.

Sincerely,

Gerry MOON

Bonjour Monsieur Quénéhervé,

Merci d'avoir répondu à ma question si rapidement. Je vais bientôt essayer d’enquêter sur Myheritage.

Je suivrai vos indications et vérifierai les marques de la poste et les dates postales sur ces cartes. Mon objectif immédiat était de vous remercier immédiatement.

J’ai effectivement le casier militaire de mon père - une chose à vérifier plus en détail - je sais qu’il a quitté la France en 1940, avant l’occupation du nord de la France par les Allemands, et a été libéré pour raisons médicales peu après son retour au Royaume-Uni. Comme vous le dites, je conviens que cela implique que (a) - son ami était déjà enceinte quand il est parti et (b) - l’enfant / fille / ma demi-soeur est née en 1940-1941. Je conviens également qu’il doit avoir été en contact avec la mère de ma sœur pendant un certain temps après son retour de son service militaire en France, voire peut-être après la fin de la guerre.

Il a rencontré et s'est marié avec ma mère peu de temps après son retour en Angleterre.

Ma sœur jumelle et moi sommes nés en février 1944 à Norfolk, en Angleterre.

Encore une fois, merci pour vos conseils. Je vais maintenant mettre ma curiosité en action.

Cordialement,

Gerry MOON

(Veuillez excuser ma traduction. Je parle un peu le français mais il me faut quelques jours pour me réchauffer avant de gagner en confiance - nous rendons visite à nos amis à Pertuis, en Provence, pendant une semaine sur deux semaines)

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If you aren't in a hurry, order a DNA kit with 23andme and once you got your results, transfer your raw data to FTDNA, Myheritage and Gedmatch

For information, there is a sale at Myheritage, a kit costs 68 £ (59 £ +  standard shipping 9 £ ).

It's important to know exactly where your father was stationed in France and the date of his departure.

Assuming her mother had stayed there (she could have left before the Germans troops reached her town during the "Exode"), your sister is probably born in the same area.

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I have downloaded my data from my DNA test result from Ancestry - how do I transfer this data to other genealogy resources?

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Hello,

https://www.myheritage.com/dna/upload/

Answer 3

Really you can only wait. It happened with my grandmother's sister's husband. Found a newspaper article about him when he was on an unaccompanied posting in Ireland saying that he married a local girl. (He was still married to auntie in England at the time). Another relative had the story on their Ancestry tree and eventually his other family found it. They're all friends now. Just make sure he's easily found though, goodness knows, he won't be the only one.