Help with research project

[brett361975]

The wife's farther surname being Galley I recently found a Victory medal to 36056 CPL P.L GALLEY R.A.F.

I thought it would be a nice research project but have never researched the RAF before, I wonder if anyone had any pointers or better still any information regarding this man.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Kind regards

Brett

[grantowi]

Brett,

Not listed on CWGC

Nor "Cross of Sacrifice"

Grant

[bruce]

Since he was RAF, he wouldn't be on SDGW.

He isn't listed on CWGC.

I have searched for his Mic, and failed to find one for him. Did he get to serve abroad?

He is also not mentioned on the aerodrome site.

Sorry to be so negative.

Bruce

[brett361975]

Thanks for looking chaps,

All I have is his victory medal. I do not even no what the P L in his name are. Sounds like I have taken on a nightmare task !

Are RAF records for WW1 still held? would there be anyone I could write to for information?

Regards and thanks again

Brett

[per ardua per mare per terram]

RAF service records should be in: AIR 79/348 (service numbers 36026 - 36150).

[per ardua per mare per terram]

I have searched for his Mic, and failed to find one for him. Did he get to serve abroad?

It was not possible to earn the Victory Medal without serving in a theatre of war. The online Medal Index Cards DO NOT show all or even a small percentage of the men who were either in the Royal Flying Corps or Royal Air Force. Their campaign medals were largely issued by the RAF (the exceptions were the stars) and their MICs have yet to be released; the online MICs are army records and only record those who were given army awards. They also only record those who served overseas and there were several active air services (RFC, RNAS, RAF) units in the UK; some of these, particularly in the RNAS qualified for a singleton British War Medal.

The RAF service records were not destroyed in WW2 and are in AIR 79 at Kew; these are in service number order and fortunately you have that on the medal.

[brett361975]

Thanks for all the information chaps,

I have just received the medal and found his name was F L GALLEY and not P L as I was let to believe. Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.

I have checked the CWGC and the Ancestry web site but can find no reference.

Bruce any chance you could check the aerodrome site you mentioned? for F L GALLEY

Thanks again for all your help

Regards

Brett

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Here's some details to get you going:

Births Jun 1884: GALLEY Frederick Leopold, District Watford, Volume 3a, Page 585

Marriages Dec 1908: GALLEY Frederick Leopold, District Watford, Volume 3a, Page 1328 to HARDY Selina Emily

http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

Name: Frederick Galley

Relation: Son Father's Name: Thomas C Mother's Name: Emma A

Gender: Male

Where born: Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England

Civil Parish: Rickmansworth Ecclesiastical parish: Rickmansworth St Mary County: Hertfordshire

Street address: 17 Parkside House

Occupation: Leather Manufacturer (Army leggings)

Condition as to marriage: Single

Employment status: working at home

Household Members: Name Age

Alfred Galley 15

Arthur Galley 17

Dora Galley 13

Emma A Galley 55

Frederick Galley 16

Thomas C Galley 56

Thomas S Galley 79

William Galley 20

Edith Rogers 20 servant

I confirm that his papers are in AIR 79/348, he survived the war and was not a fighter ace.

[per ardua per mare per terram]

AIR 79 records are not online, but you can request a copy using their shop online service. The original is larger than A3 so they charge more than the documents online fee.

[brett361975]

Thanks for all the great information re Fredrick, it has been a real help.

Thanks again

Regards

Brett