Leslie Graham MacDonald. Info in SG files re citizenship application as of 04 February 2005.
Temporary Australian passport no. C 2384 issued Australia House on June 1st 1949. Valid until September 1st and ‘not to be renewed except upon production of definite evidence of Australian citizenship’.
Entry visas etc for Netherlands 15th June, Sweden 17 June 1949; Norway 21/22 June.
UK passport no. LO 476475 issued 13th September 1950. Issued at Liverpool and valid until 13th September 1955. No visas, never used.
National Insurance number from a receipt for a stamped card issued 3rd July 1958 for 1957/58 card is TY290250D.
Letter from 10 Downing Street dated 27th May 1946, ref. 14?732/B.E.5. informing that MBE was going to be in the forthcoming Birthday Honours List. Father’s reply dated 28th May 1946. letters of congratulation during July 1946 after list was published.
Letter from the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, St James’s Palace dated 4th March 1948 to accompany the MBE warrant.
Funnily enough while looking through the papers I realised that father’s place of birth is Jones Creek, near Dubbo and not Rocky Creek as he always said.
The certificate from the pastor at the Presbyterian church in Dubbo certifying father’s birth date of April 17th 1893 and baptismal date of May 23rd 1893 is dated 30th July 1951. Uncle Stan’s affidavit is dated 2nd August 1951.
I have the duplicate Form R. 1. Application No. G50561, 4794. Australia. The application is dated 20th July 1950 and a stamp stating that it has been registered and father is a citizen of the UK is dated 7th September 1950.
Letter from the Nationality Division at the Home Office dated 24 July 1950 asking for birth certificate, any other evidence of birth. Copy of Letter from Father dated 25th July 1950 explaining that there was no birth certificate and asking what evidence they could suggest. Another letter from the same office dated 10th August 1950 asking for mother’s maiden name and a better address than just ‘Dubbo’. A further letter dated 11th August 1950 asking for the restricted Australian passport and discharge papers from service in the war.
It looks as though the Home office gave up the struggle, gave the citizenship but continued to chase the evidence. Uncle Stan certified a photograph and got a certificate of the baptismal record and this evidently satisfied the civil servants as they never rescinded the citizenship.
It’s worth noting that on the application father gave mother’s name as Mary Graham and stated he was married to her. Of course he wasn’t and she was actually Mary Bowker and still married to her husband. I often think about the pressure this must have put on them both. Big sighs of relief when the application was granted and Uncle Stan’s evidence accepted I suspect.
SCG/04 February 2005
{filed in LGSTORY/LG Citizenship MBE papers}
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk
LG citizenship application and MBE award.
