 Akazodzokera kuhondo munguva yeHondo Yenyika Yekutanga, achitanga ari lieutenant muEssex Regiment, asati aendeswa kuManchester Regiment. Akakwidziridzwa kuva kaputeni munaNovember 1916, aine nguva yakatangira October wegore rimwe chetero. Airy akasimudzirwa kwenguva pfupi kuva mukuru muna December 1917, apo muna March wegore rakatevera akagadzwa kuva mutevedzeri wemutungamiri wehondo achitungamirira battalion. Achibatira muhondo yose, akaona chiito muEgypt neGallipoli, mukuwedzera kuWestern Front. Mushure mehondo, akaendeswa kwenguva pfupi kubva kuManchester Regiment muna Kubvumbi 1919. Akadzokera kuchikwata muna Gumiguru 1919 uye akatumirwa kuIreland panguva yeIrish War of Independence, kwaakatungamira varume makumi mashanu kuBallincollig. Akaenda kuchamhembe kuMacroom, uko kwakanzi musi wa17 Chikunguru 1920 kuti akanga arwisa musikana wechikoro achienda kumba achibva kuchikoro. Vashatiriswa neizvi, IRA yaFermoy yakatsvaka kutsiva. Musi wa 18 Chikunguru, vakagadzira ambush paCoolavokig, iri mumugwagwa uri pakati peBallyvourney neMacroom, kwavakaramba vakamirira kwemazuva matatu. Airy akanga achifamba semutakurwi ari mungarava yerori yezvokudya musi wa 21 Chikunguru, apo yakamirirwa nevarume veIRA makumi matatu vakanga vamumirira. Akapfurwa zvakaipisisa mudumbu uye akafa nemaronda ake gare gare manheru iwayo, pamwe chete nomusoja Barlow. 