I am looking for information on my father, William Leonard (1914 - 1976). According to family anecdotes he was a trawlerman in 1939 and throughout World War II. He allegedly fought, and was wounded, in the Spanish Civil War and as a consequence was unfit for WWII , but served on a trawler during the war.

I have no evidence on any of this and cannot find his name in the 1939 register. Is there any other register (perhaps merchant navy???) on which his name might appear if he was at sea on the night that the 1939 register was taken?

He is a complete puzzle to me as I can't even find a birth certificate or church record for him. I have his marriage certificate and I was the informant for his death certificate. He was born on 19 March 1914 in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. The Diocese of Tralee has checked their records and can find nothing related to him.

If anyone has any hints or leads I could follow up, I would be very much obliged.

Thanks, Shelagh