George Edward Files and his OBE

[PamSquam]

Hi I am sorry if I am not in the right place but I am trying to help out a friend.

I am looking for any information regarding George Edward Files born about 1895 and died in 1969 Kent.

he was in WWI and WWII in the Navy and my friend believed he may have been a petty officer or a chief petty officer.
He also understood he received an OBE which I have found details of from the London Gazette supplement of 9th July 1940 in which he is listed as a pensioner and Chief Yeoman of Signals.

The reference which may or may not be useful in the listing is C JX.146283.

My friend will be thrilled that I can tell him he definitely did get the OBE as he wasn't sure but any other information about him that anyone can come up with would be brilliant.  I also found an image of his gravestone in which he is buried with his wife Mabel (think her maiden name was Allen)

[KGarrad]

Baptism, 3 November 1895 at Deal, Kent
George Edward Files  son of  George Edward and Annie Elizabeth Files


Marriage, June qtr 1926
Eastry district    vol 2a, page 2611

Files, George Edward
Allen, Mabel Kathleen

[PamSquam]

Wow that was super fast thank you so much for that.

Is there anyway we can get any info as to why he was awarded the OBE and/or anything about his military career???

I can't wait to show my friend everything we have got so far, he has limited internet knowledge and hasn't been able to find anything himself.

[KGarrad]

For anyone serving after about 1920, their service records will still be with the MOD!

Cost is £30, unless next of kin apply when it should be free!
https://www.gov.uk/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records

I couldn't see the family in 1901, but you can find them in Walmer in 1911.
(Can't tell you whats on the 1911 census due to copyright restrictions!)

A local newspaper would probably be the only source of the reasons for the OBE.

[PamSquam]

Thank you for that

What I have found about his OBE so far is from a supplement from the London Gazette of which is over 4,000 pages long and just seems to list names of people awarded different honors on 11th July 1940 of which the supplement is dated 9th July 1940, so now my own curiosity is wondering why/how are so many people given these awards on this date. 

I am getting tired now so going to bed as I don't want to start making mistakes.  This has been a good learning curve for my own family search as my Great Grandfather was injured in WWI and I think I have just found some records for him that I didn't know about before but I will check on them tomorrow when I am more alert.

[KGarrad]

The Honours Lists come out twice per year - Queen's Birthday, and New Year.
It's usually a month or 2 before they are listed in the London Gazette.

If I have the right family, then this is them in 1861:
Class: RG10; Piece: 1003; Folio: 5; Page: 2
85 Beach Street, Deal, Kent

Files, Philip I  Head  M  40  Mariner  b Deal
Files, Phoebe  Wife  F  39  b Staple, Kent
Files, Philip G  Son  M  18  Bricklayer  b Goodnesstone
Files, Minnie E  Daughter  F  10  b Deal
Files, Louisa  Daughter  F  8  b Deal
Files, George  Son  M  6  b Deal
Files, Edward C  Son  M  3  b Deal

[Spikey68]

From the wording of his award in the Gazette it seems he received the British Empire Medal (BEM), not the OBE

[Spikey68]

Is this the chap? Record from 1911

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D6866290

[km1971]

1923 is the cutoff date for RN files being made public - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/royal-naval-seamen.htm

So he probably re-enlisted after the record already found, and the MOD should have one covering his later service. Most RN records are a single summary sheet, but they contain all the relevant information, including date of birth.

There was also a George Files who served in the army - East Kent Regiment - during WW1. Someone with Ancestry can check if any record of him survives.

BEM makes more sense than an OBE for a rating.

Ken