Genealogy Chat

My great Uncle was killed in Normandy in 1944. I know where he is buried and have been there. Is there any way I can find the circumstances of his death. He died July 17 1944 and I was told it was in Caen. He was buried in the War Cemetary at Hottot les Bagues. He was with the 7th battalion Green Howards. Any tips would be greatly appreiciated

You could order his death certificate (the reference will be on Findmypast website) but if he died in action then the certificate is just likely to say "Killed in Action or "Died of Wounds" and not much else.

You could try a Google search using the place where he died+date he died and see if anything comes up about any battles etc.

Kath. x

Is he listed on the Commonwealth War Graves site?

http://www.cwgc.org/

If you click on the cemetery details(in red) when you find his record, there may be details of the events that led to his death.

Gwyn

Thank you both. i will look into it futher. It sounds a little morbid really but it would be interesting to know just a little more

Each unit (e.g., 7th Bn Green Howards) keeps a War Diary, showing what they're doing day by day. I don't know if WW2 WDs are released or not. The places to check for availability are the regimental museum/association and the NA at Kew. The WW1 WDs I've seen only mention officers' deaths by name - your guy would appear as a nameless one of the 17 other ranks killed that day, or whatever.

maxine
If you google 7th B attalion Green Howards for June/July 1944 you will find some of the info you are looking for.

WW2 war diaries are available at Kew. His name probably wouldn't be mentioned but at least it would tell you what they were doing at the time of his death.

Kath, will he be on FMP if he died in action abroad?

Maggie

Hi Maggie,

Yes, the death reference will be on Findmypast. I ordered my great uncle's death certificate and he was killed in action in Mesopotamia (Iraq) in 1915.

Kath. x

Kath, that is interesting. I have 8 relatives died in the War and the only one on Find my Past is the one who made it back to England to die. The rest are not recorded at all, only on the CWGC site.

Maggie.

If they were born in say, Scotland, even if they enlisted in England they probably appear in the War Returns on ScotlandsPeople - a similar situation would arise with pob=Ireland.

Maggie

Did you search on the Military records on Findmypast and not the ordinary English death records?

Kath. x

Kath, nope I did not. I am having a look now. Thanks for the advice., Just emailing you now before I fall asleep and forget.

Off to search.

Maggie.

Kath, I am probably thick. I have tried Find My Past and it does give me different information from the CWGC, so I am pleased with that, thanks, but I can't see any facility to order a death certificate. Am I screwy?

Maggie

Kath, I am probably thick. I have tried Find My Past and it does give me different information from the CWGC, so I am pleased with that, thanks, but I can't see any facility to order a death certificate. Am I screwy?

Maggie

Hi Maggie,

You use the reference numbers from Findmypast website but you order the certificate from the GRO.

On the first page of the order form you check the box for "Overseas Deaths" and also check the "yes" box that asks if the GRO reference is known.

The cost is the same (£7) as for any other certificate.

Kath. x

You can order them thru the GRO (who classify them as overseas deaths)
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/faqs-overseas.asp

Q1. What records are held for overseas births, marriages and deaths?
...
* Deaths that occurred in the Boer War and both World Wars.
...

Thank you everyone for all your advice. I will certainly delve deeper. Sorry not to thank you all sooner but haven't been on the site for a while