Hello Liz,
Glad to hear that your researches are bearing fruit.
As for your query re Frederick Norman Catley of No 49 Sqn:-
To get access to the RAF Records of Service you need to prove that you are
the official "next of kin" which for a researcher can, on the face of it, be
difficult!
Having said that, I have accessed a 4th cousins RAF records on my Cattley
tree by getting a statement from a cousin of his in Brazil in 1992 only to
find out just a few weeks ago now, that this 4th cousins sister was alive
until 1997 despite my fruitless searches for her and the assumption that she
had died (she had married but I could not find any reference anywhere to her
spouses name) many years previously.
I must leave it to you as to how you approach the Ministry of Defence
Records Department on this subject.
You need to apply to the following address:
RAF Personnel Management Centre Dept P Man 3d 2a (RAF)
RAF Innsworth
Gloucester
GL3 1EZ
The "P Man 3d 2a (RAF) " is the bit that indicates that it is an Airman that
you are seeking, otherwise a Commissioned Officer would be "PM(AR)1b (RAF)"
As your man is indicated as a Sergeant on the CWGC, you should thus go on
the P Man 3d 2a route.
What you will get from Innsworth if successful, is two forms. One will show
next of kin and the other his progress through his service time therein.
The first is obvious, the second not so because it is all in RAF code.
At this point, it depends just how far you want to take further research on
him. As you know the Sqn he was posted to was No 49 and I can tell you from
my own data base that this was based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire (one of
the most famous RAF bomber bases in WW2) and was flying in an aircraft type
called a Hampden which was an early WW2 twin engined bomber.
The RAF Sqn Operational Record Books are located in the PRO at Kew and as
you know the name,date and year, it would not be difficult to get an extract
of the No 49 Sqn entry to give you an indication as to how FNC Catley died
along with the names of the other crew.
At this stage, I assume that you will be happy to settle for his next of kin
information?
Regards Tim
----- Original Message -----
From: liz cordingley <lizcordingley(a)blueyonder.co.uk>
To: <CATLEY-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 5:57 PM
Subject: [CAT...] Ernest Catley
Hi Tim and All,
I have just received a death cert for Martha Elizabeth Catley the wife of
John
Thomas Catley. It states that her son was at her bedside. His name was
Ernest. This is a new name for me, but Tim if you remember a while back when
we had a discussion on the airman that was killed. Frederick Norman Colin
Catley from 49 Sqn mentioned on the CWG site. His father was Ernest Catley.
Well I have ordered the marriage cert for Ernest to find out if its the same
person. If it is can you still get access to the RAF records even though you
would be a cousin or nephew. If so how do you prove who you are. I should
get the cert this Fri or Sat. Just to let you know Martha was 66 and a widow
when she died so I can look for John's death which might give me a clue as
to where he came from.
Cheers
Liz
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