My father: Charles Douglas (Dougie) Gill, born Douglas, Isle of Man on 23rd June 1925 left home for England when he was 14. His father: Daniel Douglas Gill and older sisters: Joyce, Mildred and Brenda (possibly adopted) remained in I o M.

Dougie lived with Mr & Mrs White, aquaintances of sister Joyce, until enlisting in the army. From the White's we learned that Joyce married a Jacky Smart, who was killed just a few weeks after the marriage.

Part of the ill-fated Operation Market Garden, Dougie was subsequently captured at Arnhem in September 1944 and spent the remainder of WW2 as a POW.

Dougie would never speak of his war time experiences nor of his Manx family. They never contacted Dougie again, nor, sadly, did he try to contact them.

Now in my fifties and having lived almost the last half of my life abroad, it is my profound regret that I never forced the issue with my Dad when he was alive, so the only information I have now are the names above and a rumour that Mildred may have moved to Gosport, Hants, probably with a navy husband. Where on earth do I start to trace my Manx roots?