Aston Erill HenryRemembered by Keith Aston Freeman (son) written by Theresa Kilbride (niece)
Photo © Henry family
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Aston Erill Henry was my father. He was born on the 24th March 1914 in Annotto Bay, Parish of St Mary, Jamaica. He joined the West Indian RAF on the 20th September 1944. When he arrived in England he was posted to RAF Hunmanby Moor, Filey, Yorkshire to do his training. After his training Aston was posted to RAF Fradley Aerodrome, Lichfield, Staffs.
While there he met my mother in Lichfield. Aston and his friends used to take their washing to my mum’s sister in Lichfield and they met at her sister’s house. Aston and my mother had an affair and I was born in May 1946. Unfortunately, Aston had married just before he enlisted in the RAF. After WW2 ended Aston was discharge on the 7th August 1946 and returned to his wife in Jamaica. However Aston knew that I had been born. I never knew my father, only his name and I was given his first name as my middle name. My mother never spoke to me about him - my uncle Eric Morrison knew about him as he was stationed with him at Fradley Aerodrome but never told me any details about him. Over the years I’ve longed to find my father and thanks to one of my cousin’s investigations and the internet, he was finally found. Unfortunately Aston had passed away in 2001, but he had told his family that he “had left a son behind in England.“ Finally after ten years of research, in February 2018 I was put in touch with one of my father’s children who then told me that I was one of ten children my father had when he returned to Jamaica and was his eldest child. Then in June 2018 I went to meet some of my brothers and sisters in Jamaica. It was such a wonderful experience knowing that after all these years, thinking I was an only child I now had this wonderful family. I was told by my eldest sister Hope that I looked like my father, which was good to know. I still keep in touch with my Dad’s family some of whom now live in America and Canada. The story of my journey to find my father was told on the local radio and television stations. Aston's service number was 715327. |