Daring deeds and a great escape ...
... all in Kate Humble’s extraordinary past

Eager to discover ‘the people who have come before me’, Kate Humble began researching her paternal grandfather - Bill Humble - a fearless Hawker test pilot. Kate learned how Bill flew the Tempest, the fastest plane against German doodlebugs. Seeing footage of him in action reduced her to tears.

Going back further, Kate ordered William Horsley's birth certificate. Using details from the birth certificate, she did a census record search on Ancestry.co.uk. It showed that his parents were from Northumberland and involved with South Yorkshire mining.

From the 1861 census to the 1871 census, her great great grandfather’s occupation changed, and Kate wanted to know why. You can see what your ancestors were doing by finding them in our improved census records where you can easily see the transcribed information alongside the original record. Find out more about this enhanced image view. Kate found a newspaper report of a terrible mine shaft accident involving her ancestor, Joseph Humble which answered Kate’s questions.

Kate’s maternal grandfather, Stanley, was also a pilot, shot down in WW2 and held in various POW camps – including the infamous Stalag Luft, scene of the Great Escape. Travelling to Poland took Kate to the actual escape tunnel, and a meeting with a surviving POW. When repatriated at the end of the War Kate’s mother met her own father for the first time – aged 4. Soon you’ll also be able to see WW2 POW records on Ancestry.co.uk, check back here.