Pennington-Legh brothers

[AUS_RAAF]

Alan William Pennington-Legh RAF.37687
John Robert Pennington-Legh RAF.37826

Plenty of details about their service career, however, am trying to narrow down their heritage after finding a Trove newspaper article suggesting AW Pennington-Legh was possibly Australian. Last para of South Australian airmen section.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48857176
Seems unlikely, particularly for Sth Aust, although there are a few Aussie connections.

Do we know the exact birthdates and places for above two pilots? Both were sons of Thomas Legh (born UK). Various sources list ‘Marsie’ as their mother, however, this was likely Mercy Marston. Unsure if she was Australian born?

Short timeline following their father Thomas Legh
1912 -Although born in the UK Thomas was in Australia before WWI and married Mercy Marston in Victoria.
1914 – Alan William born in Vancouver, Canada???
1915 – 5th Feb Thomas Joined the AIF in Queensland
1916 - Mercy has postal address in Dorset
1917 – 25th May Thomas discharged from AIF in London as being permanently unfit.
1919 – Josephine Emily Legh born in Queensland to Thomas and Mercy Legh
1921/22 – Thomas address listed in Dorset.

All above via online record databases. Not sure when the family name Pennington was added back into the surname as all references are for Legh.

Perhaps someone with Ancestry could find missing birth details from above?

Thanks for any help.

Regards, Drew

[RSwank]

A few quotes from ancestry.com. This is from the US version not the International version, which may have more info.
Note that these quotes are often "Unsourced".

"Alan William Pennington Legh was born in 1914 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, to Iseult Andree Murray, age 17, and John Alan Pennington Legh, age 25."


"When Alan William Pennington Legh was born in 1914 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, his father, John, was 25 and his mother, Iseult, was 17. He married Mary Edwina Jackson in 1938 in Chichester, Sussex, England. He died on June 1, 1943, at the age of 29, and was buried in Singapore."

Note: He may be "listed" on a Singapore Memorial, not "buried" in Singapore, as the next line seems to suggest.

"Alan William Pennington Legh died on June 1, 1943, when he was 29 years old. 1 Jun 1943 • Burma"

"His brother Peter Pennington was born on June 21, 1916, in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, when Alan William Pennington was 2 years old."

"His brother John Robert Pennington was born on October 6, 1917, when Alan William Pennington was 3 years old."

"When John Robert Pennington Legh was born on October 6, 1917, his father, John, was 28 and his mother, Iseult, was 20. He married Jean C Smith in 1942 in Weymouth, Dorset, England. They had four children during their marriage. He died on October 31, 1989, at the age of 72."


"Alan William Pennington Legh served in the military in India. Feni, India"

"Alan William Pennington Legh lived in Fontwell, Sussex, England."

Fold3.com has some info on Alan: He was a Wing Comander, service number 37687.

Died on 1 June 1943 while flying aircraft Z7912 (Blenheim) out of Feni, India.

Oc 11 Sqn. Crash Landed in the Mauripur River Near Kabani Sakan After Losing A Propellor During A Raid on Kalemyo, Burma, Killed By Natives.

Also there is this (which you have seen): https://www.rafcommands.com/database...hp?qnum=102129

[AUS_RAAF]

Thanks Alter for taking the time to search Ancestry and provide the information.

It seems there are some plot twists!

From the above detail there appears to be a potentially different lineage for the Pennington-Legh brothers compared to other references. As you state it is unsourced so could be errors here and/or in my information. On the other hand perhaps it is different branches of the family tree.

I added some further theories to my thread on RAF commands.
https://www.rafcommands.com/forum/sh...-Legh-brothers
FREE BMD indicates a John R Legh born 1917 in UK to mother Marston (as per my original information - Mercy Marston) and another son Norman B Legh 1925.

Looking at both streams of info Alan seems to have been born in Canada and other siblings in UK, with a possible sister born in Australia. Either way, I don’t think Alan or John had any direct Australian heritage.

regards, Drew