A question on the anniversary of my father's death

My dad, on the right.

 I woke up this morning thinking about my father. He died 26 years ago today, and since it’s British Isles Friday I thought I’d share a few pix of my very British old man. I also have a question about the old family photo above. I believe it was taken sometime in the 1950’s when we lived in Tripoli, Libya. There is another photograph somewhere of the larger group at what appears to be some sort of professional gathering or meeting, a handful of men and one woman sitting on chairs at either side. My father, ex-British Intelligence, fluent in Arabic, was working for the American government at the AFEX, the Army & Air Force exchange store at Wheelus Air Force base in Tripoli at the time. I don’t know the exact nature of his work but while he was investigating some unusually large financial losses he learned that an American he became close friends with turned out to be embezzling funds. That must have been one helluva an awkward friend breakup! 

What I’m really curious about from this time period though, is identity of the man (man-sitting) beside my father. Family lore says he is a Libyan royal or an important personage of some kind. With both my parents gone, there is no one left for us kids to ask. As happens so often with children, we don’t always listen all that closely to the stories our parents tell. By the time we’re interested, it’s often too late. While my dad loved to talk, and surely must have shared these details, I don’t remember them. I wish I’d taken notes! 

If the image strikes a chord with you, or you have a suggestion as to how to find out his identity, please give me a holler in the comment sections.

Now a few more pix from those black and white days!

Me and my da da (England, 1956)

I loved this wartime portrait of my dashing dad so much, I asked him to make a copy for me. 

This photograph was taken during World War II when my dad was one of the officers charged with overseeing Italian prisoners of war. My father is second from the right.

Please Share!

I don’t usually ask this but I would love for you to share this post to help me learn the identity of the man sitting on the couch with my father, in Tripoli, Libya. 

My dad, Edward Good (no middle name) was born in 1915 in Preston, Lancashire, UK. He was fluent in five languages. In addition to Arabic—and English, of course—he spoke French, Spanish and Italian, all self-taught. He served in WWII, was stationed in the middle east, married our mother Enid M. Good (nee Hayden) in England, in 1947ish. After leaving Tripoli, we lived in Turkey, again with my father working for the American miliary, before moving to Canada in the early 1960’s. He would have been in his mid-forties when the photo at the top of the page was taken in the mid-1950’s. The man sitting next to him looks to be somewhere in that same age range.

Any information is welcome. Thanks!

Connect with Joy Weese Moll for British Isles Friday