A GREAT-GRANDDAD whose one great wish is to see a photograph of the father he never knew is appealing for help in his mission.

Former navy officer Herbert Palin, 84, never knew his dad Bertie, who passed away suddenly in St Helens, before he was born in 1931.

Bert emigrated to Sydney, Australia, with wife Mary in the 1960s, where he worked in the industrial chemical industry. Now the dad-of-three children, who also has seven grandchildren and one great-grandson, is hoping to fill a missing piece of his personal history by finding out more about his father.

"Mary's health has been in decline in recent years and Bert visits her at a nursing home twice a day," said granddaughter Megan.

"They sing to old music on the radio and Bert takes Mary on walks in her wheelchair and they talk about their extensive world travels on cruise ships and about the old days back in St Helens.

"They go through photos of family and friends and talk about times past. But the one person Bert has never been able to talk very much about is his own father, Bertie Palin, born 1899 in Prescot. He doesn't even know if his father was aware his mother was pregnant before he died.

"Bert's mother was teary whenever her deceased husband was mentioned so he didn't ask questions because he didn't want to upset her.

"But now his mum has long passed he is faced with his own mortality every day visiting the nursing home. This made him realise he doesn't want his life to end without knowing who his father was.

"He has talked for years about how it was his final wish to find some photos of his father so he could finally put a face to the person he has wondered about all of his life. He knows time is no longer on his side and it's now or never. He wants to find the final piece of the puzzle so he 'knows who I'm looking for when I arrive in heaven or wherever I end up.'"

Bertie hopes there are some living descendants of Bertie's sisters Sarah, born 1891 or Ada, born in 1895, living in St Helens who have family photos of Bertie handed down to them.

Bertie’s sister Sarah Palin married Joseph Carter and had at least one son, James Carter in October 1912, who married an Ellen and had at least three children: James, born in 1937, Colin in 1938 and Glen in 1943.

Ada was born 1895 and Hilda Palin was born 1899.

When children they lived on 53 Rutland Street, 3 Parr Mill Cottages and at 93 College Street.

"He has devoted his life to serving his home country in the Second World War, his family and especially his wife," added Megan.

"He is a wonderful, intelligent, witty man with a singing voice like Frank Sinatra. I would love to give him the answers he deserves and for him to have something new to add to his photo albums and talk about with my grandmother in her nursing home.

"Mostly, I would like to see how happy it would make him to be able to look into his father's eyes for the first time. It would mean the world to him to have that visual connection to the man he never got to know. He said it would 'finally make everything clear to him and 'would fill him with happiness'."

If you have any information that could help contact Megan on m.palin@live.com.au