Hello Roger,
I heard back from my friend Yvon. He has a lot of questions and explains why the embassy would not be much help.
He sent me a link to this page.
WOW, what a terrific story!
He feels your answer should be found in his POW file.
Do you have this?
| Directie-generaal Oorlogsslachtoffers (FOD Sociale Zekerheid) | Erfgoedc...De Directie-Generaal Oorlogsslachtoffers bewaart de individuele dossiers van nationale erkentelijkheid. Deze dos... |
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My grandfather was a Belgian POW during WWII and i was able to get a copy of this file without any trouble.
I also noticed that there was a reference on your father's obit site that his parents divorced.
The questions Yvon raises have to do with timing and the way things done back then.
As I am studying the Women's Suffrage question right now, I learned that US born women who married unnaturalized aliens lost their US citizenship.
The first thing the League of women Voters went to work on after the 19th Amendment was ratified (1920), was to ensure this would no longer be the case.
I am not sure exactly when this took place but before 1928.
So his question was whether or not your grandfather's naturalization occurred before the return to Belgium.
Were they considered Belgians or US citizens?
The Germans automatically deported the Americans, he says.
Since Arthur went to school in Bruges, it would seem they were not deported.
How did he return to the US? As an American citizen?
Yvon says the embassies can not do this search for people.
So... I would check with Bruges to see if there was a record of a passport application there.
I believe the link Mieke shared last week would be a good place to start.
| ONAC Bruges 33520 - Anciens combattants et victimes de guerreONAC à Bruges (33520) dans le département Gironde et la région Nouvelle-Aquitaine : adresse, téléphone et horair... |
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