BEM 1946

[ginja_ninja]

Good evening,

My grandad was awarded the BEM on 06/01/1946.
I'm desperate to find out why it was awarded to him but I can't find out at all.
I've tried a search on the London Gazette, Ancestry, internet searches etc but I'm struggling.

His name was George Bennell Halligan, born 07/10/1916, his service number was 7612084 and he served with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps.

Does anyone know how I can find out why it was awarded to him please?
I will be eternally grateful for any help.

Thank you

[Pam Downes]

Hello, and welcome to British-Genealogy.

Your best bet is to search the newspapers local to where he/his family lived at the time.

You could try the online British Newspaper Archive, otherwise you'll have to wait until libraries/local history archives (which are the usual places to hold local newspapers) re-open.
The BNA is an ongoing project to put online x million pages of newspapers from all over the country. Obviously some areas are better represented than others, and the years covered varies as well so it is pot luck what you find. (I've found my granddad winning fishing matches, and a cousin taking a record number of wickets in a cricket match,)

Pam

[Peter Goodey]

I'm desperate to find out why it was awarded to him but I can't find out at all.

Read the National Archives research guide first.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/...rds-1935-1990/

Downloads from the National Archives are currently free of charge.

It's most likely to have been awarded for "meritorious service" - in other words, good performance over a reasonably long period of time and not for any single specific action.