Lamberts leaps and bounds

[PanBiker]

Regardless of the "no hastener's" warning from my last email to the National Archives which I received last June. I have emailed them and asked for an update. The last mail said in the footer that I could launch a complaint procedure about their handling if I wanted to. Unfortunately, reading the small print, that had to be instigated within 40 days of the last communication. I don't want to do that but it does emphasize that I should have had further updates over the last 7 months.

[Stanley]

You must console yourself Ian with the thoughts that they may be saving money for the country by being so dilatory.

[PanBiker]

I received an email this morning from The National Archives. Nothing to do with my dads service records but an advertising pitch for all the books they sell in the gift shop.

[Stanley]

That's typical of these systems and so inappropriate! I think I know what my reaction would be.
Hang in there, it's all you can do.

[PanBiker]

I think I reported elsewhere that I finally received my dads service record. It makes some interesting reading and firming up of dates of events etc. I need to go back to the Library to have a look at the Barlick and Earby Times on microfiche, there is a report on my dads BEM award and a quote from his mother Sarah Jane in April 1946. It may have abit more info on the circumstance. When I did the research into the missing service personnel from our war memorial I only checked up to the end of 1945 or if I did go past I missed that particular article.

There is also my Granddad John Willie's obituary in 1941 reported. Granddads death ultimately cost my dad time in the guardhouse as his literal YOYO journey from Iceland to Barlick on compassionate leave for his funeral and back to Iceland again fell foul of North Atlantic intelligence information which delayed his return past his leave expiry rendering him AWOL on return. He never made the date of the funeral on the original homeward leg either for the same reason.

[Stanley]

Ian, if my memory serves me well, when I was deep in research I found that there were original copies of the BET in bound folders in the stack and asked to be allowed to use them. Those microfiche machines are so hard on the eyes.....

[Wendyf]

The BET for those years is now available on line either through the British Newspaper Archive or Findmypast. You can access Findmypast for free in the library if you are a member.
I have a subscription to both and would be happy to have a look and send you the articles if you would like me to.

[PanBiker]

That would be great Wendy if you have access will save a bit of messing about!

The obituary for John Willie was in the 7th March 1941 edition and my dads BEM report in the 12th April 1946 issue. I think these dates came from a Google search and were actually thrown up by Findmypast.

[Wendyf]

I'll have a look Ian

[Wendyf]

I've taken a screenshot of the obituary but the article from 1946 is too long to screenshot so I downloaded the page as a pdf file. Hopefully you can download it from here.

snapshot_www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk_1732112518580.png

BL_0001529_19460412_006_0001.pdf

[PanBiker]

Thanks Wendy.

The obituary is slightly incorrect in that John Willie brought the family down from Dent not Settle as reported. His first two children Mary Jane (1907) and Robert (1909) were born at Cross House, Dent, the third one James (1910) was born as West Scar House, Garsdale. I think both are regarded as Cowgill which is just east of Dent Village. I see it recorded as that on census returns and their birth certificates. Lizzie Belle was next, I don't have any info where she was born but it was in 1911 so I suspect she was born in Barlick as John Willie brought the family down to Barlick in 1911 she was baptised in Cowgill though when she was 2 years old in 1913. He came down to Barlick in 1911 and all the rest of the family, William (1917) and my dad John (1918) and finally George (1921), he died in infancy in 1922. Sarah Jane their mother was kept very busy looking at the dates, she got a bit of rest from childbirth between Lizzie Belle and William though with the move to Barlick in between. John Willie was 25 years senior to Sarah Jane. She was 25 when she married, first child at 26 years of age and 40 when she had the last one.

The report on my dads award sheds a bit more light on the circumstance. I have his letter from the King but not the citation, name, rank and award only in The London Gazette. From other sources and bits I have picked up it was for moving live ammo from a burning ammo dump. He was medically downgraded on his return from two and a bit years in Iceland. Transferred from the Dukes to the East York's Regiment and then the R.A.O.C. The other lads from the Dukes went on to more training for D Day. Nice to see a mention also of Uncle Bill, he was also in the Dukes, not sent Iceland but ended up at Dunkirk and then on return linked up with the rest of the regiment for D Day.