Joseph GALLAGHER b. 1887 advice please

[aghadowey]

Have you found Joseph in any English census? if so, what's listed for his place of birth? just Ireland? (the 1911 is the one most likely to give a more exact place of birth than 'Ireland').

[rathmore]

did he serve in the first world war?

[fisherj]

Sorry for the delay in replying - yes - Joseph Gallagher did serve in the RFC from 1918 and RAF - I have his service number from his marriage certificate and very brief information from the National Archives on his service.  If only all the questions on the forms had been filled in! 

I don't know whether he was in another branch of the military before that but it is stated in his RFC record that he was a barman before joining.

The only documents I have re Joseph Gallagher are his marriage certificate and these RFC documents.

I have contacted Kew for information re pension etc but they say all is lost!

(I have been trying to get through this brick wall for years!)

[fisherj]

Sorry aghadowey for this late reply.  I think the email prompts for these messages from you and rathmore must have gone straight to my spam folder.  I need to check that.

Yes - I have tried looking for Joseph Gallagher in Irish, English (and Wales), Scottish censuses as well as "internationally" through Ancestry.com.  I have been unable to find a Joseph born in the right year with a father called James who was a carpenter.  There are loads of Gallaghers all over the world, it seems!  Actually "carpenter" does not appear to be a common profession.  But what if Joseph was not telling the truth about his father on his marriage certificate....

He married Elizabeth Hannah Mably in Reading, Berkshire in June 1918 and left the family around the time his daughter was born - well that's what we have been told.

I have also tried looking for a Joseph Gallagher b. 1887 in the 1939 census but that is so difficult because I am unsure of his profession after leaving the RAF.

I shan't give up hope - yet - though.