CYRIL Pearce is researching Jewish conscientious objectors during the First World War.

He arrived in Britain in 1891. Brigid has found a George Fellman on the 1891 census in Manchester, aged 20 living with with a 40-year-old female, but she doesn't know if this is her great grandfather.

The retired University of Leeds lecturer has collated 18 stories from 278 Leeds men who refused to fight. Cyril has names listed, but wants to check his data.

Jewish names to date are Elman Berger, N Cohen, Maurice Crownenberg, Israel Flax, Morris Glucksman, Isaac Goldstein, Julius Greenberg, Abraham Marks, Saul Miller, Abraham Niman, Abraham Pearce, Solomon Pearce, Thomas Price, J Reuben, Israel Sinovitch, Harry Sutton, Isaac Sutton and Samuel Joshua Walsh.

"Family members may also have mementoes, photographs, documents or other sources which may help in the project," he said.

Detailed records include documents showing courts martial, imprisonment and work camps.

A database approaching 16,600 individual stories goes online next year as part of the Imperial War Museum's 'Lives of the First World War' digital platform and is available free.

Cyril can be contacted c/o Ashfield, 8 Station Road, Golcar, Huddersfield, HD7 4EQ or telephone 01484 655970.

Search of Faith

Faith Kitsunezaki is searching for information about her grandfather George Raymond Jackson.

He was born in 1911 and lived in Chapel Allerton, Leeds, in the early 1970s.

His mother Annie Jackson lived in Harrogate, but Faith thinks she kept her Jewish roots secret.

George's father was an interpreter in the First World War, but never returned home after the war.

George had a sister known as Tilly (perhaps Matilda) who married and moved to London.

She had a daughter and then two sons, Frederick and Eric. Tilly died in the London Blitz.

Email fkitsunezaki@yahoo.co.jp

Michael uncovered spies

Gaynor Mairs wants information on war hero Michael Serebryany, a family friend.

She thinks the surname was changed to Serby at some point.

Michael fled to Glasgow from Belgium during the Second World War.

Michael was married to Lily and had a son and a daughter, who became a lawyer.

He was a jeweller and found work making masonic regalia.

He lived in Arlington Street where he also had a workshop.

Michael translated for the Berlitz School of Languages and is believed to have spoken up to eight languages.

He received British citizenship quite quickly after pointing out to police that in a poster in Queen's Park, the boy pictured had a German belt buckle.

It turned out that it was the meeting place for German spies in Glasgow.

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