Why can't I find them

[Sue Mackay]

The Owl has given you some direct links, but just in case you have accessed the British Genealogy forum via the Forces War Records site, you need to read https://www.british-genealogy.com/thr...rs-Please-Read

[ann255]

Thanks again especially to Owl. I have used the link given in your reply 20 which leads me to your reply 13 which then leads to a Discovery page. However I cannot see how to access the podcasts etc that you mention.
I have had success with war diaries in as much as I have downloaded a few from NA. Am amazed as to how many pages etc there are. only problem is that they are very faint (I think some written in pencil) and as I do not have the best of eyesight will take me some time to go through. But delighted to have found them.
Regarding Arthur Garrity and his RAF records these have not been digitised and so am waiting a quote from NA for sending me copies of the documents.

Just wondering if there are records (apart from mention in London Gazette of awards) of Military Medal Holders and what they got them for.

[thewideeyedowl]

Ann, deepest apologies...I had inadvertently posted the same link twice. This is the link to the podcast thread on BG:
https://www.british-genealogy.com/thr...hives-Podcasts. Hope you get there this time. Hope you read it all, even though it is quite long.

Also, when you are using TNA's website, you must must go exploring, e.g. You have only to scroll down to the bottom of the Discovery page to find links to these TNA sites: Podcasts, Blog, Bookshop, Labs, Online Community and many more; plus links to TNA's presence on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Flickr and more. Have a click round and see what you can find.

Also, on Brit Gen, click on the tab marked Forum at the top right of the page and you can see what a great wealth of interests we have here in all the sub-forums. Click on the sub-forum Useful Online Sources, and - again - a huge amount of useful stuff will come up.

Just remember that you need to be pro-active to get anywhere with any research.

Owl

[ann255]

Hello again to you all. Just thought I would give a quick update. Not had much more success with finding anything else on Ernest Garrity.
However I have been more successful with his brother Arthur who was in the RAF. I eventually got the quote from N Archives for copies of documents they hold - just over £88 (quite a number of pages!!!) Too much for me I am afraid.
but by typing his full name and raf in Google I came up with a link to rafweb.org/biographies/ (air authority) which gave me a lot of info. He reached the rank of Air Commodore, and was awarded CBE in 1942.

Air Commodore A Garrity

Arthur b: 6 Mar 1893 r: 14 Apr 1947 d: xx Oct-Dec 1979
CBE – 11 Jun 1942,
(Army): - (T) 2 Lt: 1 Mar 1917.
(RAF): - 2 Lt: 1 Apr 1918, Lt: 1 Sep 1918, Fg Off: 1 Aug 1919, Flt Lt: 1 Jul 1921, Sqn Ldr: 1 Jan 1929, Wg Cdr: 1 Jan 1937, Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1939, (T) A/Cdre: 1 Jun 1943.
xx xxx xxxx: Cadet
1 Mar 1917: Officer, Reserve/Training Battalion, Royal Fusiliers
15 Oct 1917: Transferred to Service Battalion, Royal Fusiliers
29 Dec 1917: Transferred to the RFC General List
29 Dec 1917: Equipment Officer, 3rd Class
3 Oct 1918: Graded as Lieutenant Grade (B)
1 Aug 1919: Appointed to a Permanent Commission in the rank of Lieutenant (Technical Branch)
xx xxx xxxx:
8 Mar 1929: Senior Stores Officer, RAF Depot - Middle East
27 Apr 1934: Supernumerary, RAF Depot
8 Aug 1934: Senior Equipment Officer, RAF Gosport
26 Aug 1940: Senior Equipment Staff Officer, HQ Fighter Command.
26 Jan 1943: Senior Equipment Staff Officer, HQ Air Forces in India
16 Nov 1943: Senior Equipment Staff Officer, ACSEA.
1 Oct 1944: Senior Equipment Staff Officer, HQ Base Air Forces, South-East Asia.
This page was last updated on 24/07/14 using FrontPage

I also found info. on his forthcoming marriage in www:flightglobal.com/archive

Just wish I could find out more on the MM Ernest won but it seems no records of what they were awarded for was made.

[thewideeyedowl]

Wow, Ann - that's wonderful! You've achieved a lot now. Just keep plugging away at Ernest! Something somewhere might come up.

Have been on holiday so only just picking up threads again.

Owl

[ann255]

Have sent pm to you wideeyedowl, not sure if it went ok.