DNA test helps 81-year-old find Canadian soldier father and half-sister
After 81 years of searching for answers about his father, Rod Anderson finally uncovered his family's history thanks to a DNA test. His father, Charles Blakney, served in the Canadian military during World War II in England. Blakney's granddaughter, Bethany Allen, took on the mystery and connected with Anderson, highlighting how wartime bonds can profoundly influence family dynamics. This…
For 81 years, Rod Anderson had one burning question that remained unanswered - who was his father? Born in England in 1945, Anderson grew up with his British mother Yvonne, knowing nothing about the man who shared his DNA. He devoted nearly 50 years to finding answers, even taking a DNA test on a suspect that later proved to be incorrect. Little did he know that thousands of miles away, a Canadian family was also trying to unravel the same mystery.
An 18-year search, old family documents, and an unexpected DNA match eventually brought the two families together. It turned out that Anderson's father had been a Canadian soldier stationed in Britain during World War II. Charles Blakney, a Canadian soldier from New Brunswick, was married and had a baby daughter back home when he enlisted in 1942. He served as a motor and driver mechanic with the New Brunswick Rangers but left behind a family rumor that he had fathered a child in England.
Blakney's granddaughter, Bethany Allen, searched for any truth to this story. She discovered that a child had indeed been born during the war but couldn't identify him or his whereabouts. Her mother had always wanted to find her missing sibling and asked Allen to continue the search. After an Ancestry DNA test, Anderson's half-uncle, Rodney Anderson, was revealed as her half-uncle. Allen's daughter Dawn Roberts confirmed the connection and reunited the two families.
Anderson's story is indicative of a broader aspect of World War II - the movement of soldiers across borders and the relationships they formed. Although Britain and Canada had close ties, Canada entered the war independently and sent thousands of soldiers to Britain for training and campaigns. Thousands of Canadian servicemen and their British partners formed relationships, resulting in families that crossed the Atlantic.
However, the social stigma attached to having children outside marriage in 1940s Britain meant that many family secrets were left behind.
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