UK UK - Sheila Le Grys, 25, North Walsham, Norfolk, 7 Dec 1963

[Tortoise]

Wow StarrChance, you are truly a star. Thank you for finding all this great extra information. I have not even noticed that it was site for pilots. I will go and have a look at the company and place.

Now, I do want to be 100 percent sure that the person mentioned, pilot, is our Sheila's husband and not someone just with the same name. I do not see in those links any mention of his marriage or any link to her. Or maybe I am just not looking correctly.

If anyone has ancestry or similar maybe they can double check based on his birth dates, their marriage date in 55/56? We also at this point do not know Sheila's birthday dates, so again, ancestry would be good to find that out.

Another thing, does UK have yearly highschool classbooks with photos or do you do anything equivalent what they do in US that we could obtain Sheila photo from?

I haven't read all through the thread yet so I may be doubling up on info already posted.

On Ancestry I have :

Sheila M Rickett born Apr-May-Jun Q 1937 in Willesden, mother's maiden name Stott. 3a/632

Sheila M Rickett married Frederick W B Le Grys Jan-Feb-Mar Q 1955 in Edmonton. 5e/1034

Son with same mother's maiden name born 1959 Ely Cambridgeshire
Son (ditto) born 1962 Wellington Somerset

Frederick W B Le Grys married another Sheila with a different middle initial (Sheila A White) Jan-Feb-Mar Q 1973 Norwich ref 4/1933

 

[Tortoise]

It’s funny that Shelia’s mother married a Frederick (Rickett), she then married a Frederick (Tuttle) and Shelia herself married a Frederick, must have been a popular name!
Frederick Le Grys married again in 1980 to a Helen M Doughty.

Although that Frederick doesn't have a second middle initial B.

 

[jessie]

Some more of Sheila's children's details here:

I will found my uncle - Genealogy.com

 

[StarrChance]

Some more of Sheila's children's details here:

I will found my uncle - Genealogy.com

Thought I would copy/paste as links don’t always work

His name is Mark Kenneth Milton Legrys
And he is for the last see in the years 70's,He have 2 brothers called Paul and Jonathan.And his mutter(my grandma) maiden name is tuttle,And his dad (my granddad)name is Frederick but everyone called him Fred.

Please contact me if you now this man or is it you self
Contact then me please.

Regards,
Your niece jennifer the daughter from your older brother paul.

 

[jessie]

From British Newspaper Archives. DAILY MIRROR Saturday 25th January 1964

POST' WIFE-STRIP CL By MIRROR REPORTER DETECTIVES searching for Mrs . Sheila le Grys, 26, missing wife of an R A F helicopter pilot, began a new line of Inquiry yesterday—at night clubs featuring striptease. Mrs le Grys vanished seven weeks ago from her home at North Walsham Norfolk, leaving behind her husband, Fight • Sergeant Frederick le drys. 31. and three young sons. Friends have told detectives that at gay private parties in the area, Mrs. It Gres sometimes gave an Impromptu striptease show . Now the police are making a special check on night clubs in the Midlands. East Anglia, London. and parts of Yorkshire in ease she has got a lob a striptease artist. The three le , irys children—Paul, 7, M At. 4, and Jonathan. 22 rr snths.-are being looked aft !r at ~ heir home by a mar ied uple employed by Flight Sergeant le Grys

 

[jessie]

DAILY MIRROR Friday 24th January 1964 From British Newspaper Archives

RIDDLE OF HELICOPTER PILOT'S WIFE MIRROR WORM( I IETECTIVES were last night invest• gatsng the disappear• ance of the 26-year-old wife of an RA F hell• copter pilot. She 1 , petite. darkhaired MN Sheila le Grys, who left her rambling detached home at North Walsham Norfolk seven weeks ago She left behind ner husband, Flight-Sergeant Frederick le Grys. 31. an air-sea rescue pilot, and three young boys. Cirys. which has spread to the Midlands. East Anglia. parts of Yorkshire and London. is being supervised by Detective Stipennten- Oent Tom Smith. head of Norfolk C I D. Pilot The search for Mrs. le lande.: after a patrol flight over North Sea. went on: We had a row on Decerrber 6 and Sheila left. "ShJ. phoned me tw•o days t.fter she left. to aay she happy and had got a job find a room. She had often alked about finding a job. I rave told the police I do not. regard her as missing, al d I don't want her back."' Police handwriting experts tare examined a late Christ , nas card sent to the miss:n; woman's mother 48-yew-old Mrs. Margaret Tuttle. Flight-Sergeant le Grys former fighter pilot who is stationed at Colti.shall RA F station. near North Wa:sham. said yesterday: " There is absolutely no mystery about my wife. As far as I am concerned, she is not missing.** The pilot. who had Just • The card had a Coventry Christmas at Sheila's home. and a few days before she disappeared we had been talking about my visit and our plans." The children—Paul,7 -- Mark, 4. and Jonathan. 22 months—are being looked postmark and was date alter at their home by a - married couple employed stamped December 28. It by Flight-Sergeant le Drys. was signed •:Love--Sheila." Mrs. Tuttle said at her home in Hertfordshire last night: "1 am desperately worried about Sheila. She was a good mother, and I can't understand how she could leave her children Eke this.

 

[Tortoise]

Well done jessie!

Sadly, it appears she was murdered, to my mind. Husband even said she's not missing!

If they still have the Christmas card and family DNA from both parents' family members they could DNA test the lick on the stamp.

The second wife's death seems as if it could be suspicious too.

 

[jessie]

Hiya Tortoise
The copy needs a bit of 'translating' but that was the way it came out and I didn't want to alter the script.

I wonder who reported her missing then? Not the husband as he says he doesn't want her back anyway !! Her mother maybe?
Strange one this.

 

[Tortoise]

Hiya Tortoise
The copy needs a bit of 'translating' but that was the way it came out and I didn't want to alter the script.

I wonder who reported her missing then? Not the husband as he says he doesn't want her back anyway !! Her mother maybe?
Strange one this.

I don't have a subscription to newspaper archives - does it always jumble up the wording like that or did that happen when you copy/pasted it?

 

[jessie]

I don't have a subscription to newspaper archives - does it always jumble up the wording like that or did that happen when you copy/pasted it?

The BNA is free, just have to register. It will show the original printed newspaper copy (I was unable to c/p that though), then one can highlight an article and a typed copy is provided (as above). Have a go !

 

[Tortoise]

Ok thanks. It's telling me it's free for the first 3 pages I view then I need to purchase a subscription. Is that the same for you?

 

[jessie]

Ok thanks. It's telling me it's free for the first 3 pages I view then I need to purchase a subscription. Is that the same for you?

Must be what I had too. Using the 'search' cuts it down a lot and I think I was able to see nothing else relevant came up apart from these two articles. Not every newspaper is available of course so luck you find what you need - as always.

 

[StarrChance]

From British Newspaper Archives. DAILY MIRROR Saturday 25th January 1964

POST' WIFE-STRIP CL By MIRROR REPORTER DETECTIVES searching for Mrs . Sheila le Grys, 26, missing wife of an R A F helicopter pilot, began a new line of Inquiry yesterday—at night clubs featuring striptease. Mrs le Grys vanished seven weeks ago from her home at North Walsham Norfolk, leaving behind her husband, Fight • Sergeant Frederick le drys. 31. and three young sons. Friends have told detectives that at gay private parties in the area, Mrs. It Gres sometimes gave an Impromptu striptease show . Now the police are making a special check on night clubs in the Midlands. East Anglia, London. and parts of Yorkshire in ease she has got a lob a striptease artist. The three le , irys children—Paul, 7, M At. 4, and Jonathan. 22 rr snths.-are being looked aft !r at ~ heir home by a mar ied uple employed by Flight Sergeant le Grys

Great find jessie!
Not sure what to make of “Friends telling detectives about gay private parties and striptease”
Was the term gay used in the article the way it is today or maybe meant something like fun? Seems strange they went searching strip clubs for her.
Oh and I never like it when I hear the couple had a “row” just before they leave.
Her mother never heard from her again, never tried to contact children...

 

[Elainera]

Not sure what to make of “Friends telling detectives about gay private parties and striptease”
Was the term gay used in the article the way it is today or maybe meant something like fun?

Yes in those days "gay" usually meant "fun", "happy" and "carefree" although it was also used for describing someone who was sexually available and open, but not necessarily homosexual.

"The 1960s marked the transition in the predominant meaning of the word gay from that of "carefree" to the current "homosexual". "

Gay - Wikipedia

Interesting read btw, about the history of the word!

 

[Al Ka]

Wow Jessie, thank you so much, what a great find. Brilliant that it is such a fresh news just few weeks after her disappearance and does gives quite a few insights of what was happening...

Were you able to see original newspaper copy there? Where there any photos by any chance published with the articles???

 

[Al Ka]

It seems crime really does not change whether it happened yesterday or decades ago. Another woman mysteriously disappears after fight with a husband. In 99 percent in all such solved cases it always led to one person only...

And add typical smear campaign afterwards...

From his words at the time I feel anger and perhaps hatred towards her. Zero remorse. One thing he was right about, she was not missing...

I think story about her running away with co-pilot was made some time later. It is smoother explanation for children or for those who knew her rather then her suddently running away to get stripping job (seriously).

I am very curious about that Xmas card. It would be miracle after so many years, but we can hope that police can find it somewhere in their dusty archives.

I really feel for her mum, what she had to go through at that time and all the years afterwards.

 

[Al Ka]

From British Newspaper Archives. DAILY MIRROR Saturday 25th January 1964

POST' WIFE-STRIP CL By MIRROR REPORTER DETECTIVES searching for Mrs . Sheila le Grys, 26, missing wife of an R A F helicopter pilot, began a new line of Inquiry yesterday—at night clubs featuring striptease. Mrs le Grys vanished seven weeks ago from her home at North Walsham Norfolk, leaving behind her husband, Fight • Sergeant Frederick le drys. 31. and three young sons. Friends have told detectives that at gay private parties in the area, Mrs. It Gres sometimes gave an Impromptu striptease show . Now the police are making a special check on night clubs in the Midlands. East Anglia, London. and parts of Yorkshire in ease she has got a lob a striptease artist. The three le , irys children—Paul, 7, M At. 4, and Jonathan. 22 rr snths.-are being looked aft !r at ~ heir home by a mar ied uple employed by Flight Sergeant le Grys

This article was printed on 24th and it was on front page of the Mirror news! There is some photo there, but it is not too clear to see if photo belongs to other article or Sheila's. As there is couple in the photo, and other article is about troops salary I very much assume it might photo of Sheila.

It is 5th article in the link. Now, just how to see it in proper full view...
Results for 'sheila le grys' | British Newspaper Archive

2nd article, printed on 25th is there too. It is 2nd one in the link. No photo.

 

[Al Ka]

Well, here it is, photo of Sheila and Fred and full article from 24th Jan 1964

(not sure how to add it to screen wihout need to click on attachment)

 

[Al Ka]

Here, 2nd article in full. From 25th Jan 1964

(If anyone can post it as screenshot here, so it is visible in future not as attachment, go ahead please).

 

[jessie]

This article was printed on 24th and it was on front page of the Mirror news! There is some photo there, but it is not too clear to see if photo belongs to other article or Sheila's. As there is couple in the photo, and other article is about troops salary I very much assume it might photo of Sheila.

It is 5th article in the link. Now, just how to see it in proper full view...
Results for 'sheila le grys' | British Newspaper Archive

2nd article, printed on 25th is there too. It is 2nd one in the link. No photo.

Well done Al KA, you are correct that is a photo of Sheila above the article. Wow. I have such basic tech knowledge but hopefully someone can copy it over?

I was hoping to find some newspapers for that Sunday 26th as the mention of 'stripping' was possibly the reason it got reported, typically more scandalous headlines and more details which the Sundays at the time relished.

I am thinking that because of her husband's career the investigation was approached with care (his social standing and all that!) and much may have been missed at the time. imo.