Guest Arranroots Posted 11 December , 2005 Share Posted 11 December , 2005 (edited) I am sure this has been asked before, but I can't find the answer anywhere! If a soldier was killed in action in WWI, was a death certificate issued in the same way as if he had been a civilian who died at home? I need to know whether a particular soldier, whose medal card I have downloaded, is "mine". Any idea how I go about finding a death cert, or whether such a thing is possible, please? Thanks in advance, Arranroots Edited 11 December , 2005 by Arranroots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 12 December , 2005 Share Posted 12 December , 2005 Hi I obtained a death certificate from GRO all they needed was Name of Soldier and Date of Death think it cost me around £12-00 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunboat Posted 12 December , 2005 Share Posted 12 December , 2005 My friend who very recently got the details of the action that her great uncle was killed in from pals on this site obtained the death certificate from the GRO. It doesnt provide much information of use to anyone reseraching how their relatives were killed it merely gives the date and Killed in Action, France and Flanders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Squirrel Posted 12 December , 2005 Share Posted 12 December , 2005 Hi I obtained a death certificate from GRO all they needed was Name of Soldier and Date of Death think it cost me around £12-00 WW1 (officers, other ranks etc) death indexes to the registers are available on www.1837online.com in their "overseas" section - these are images of the General Register Office's indexes and give the information required to purchase an actual death certificate. The indexes give name, regimental number, regiment and recorded age at death, plus the reference numbers needed to order the death certificate. Hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrieduncan Posted 12 December , 2005 Share Posted 12 December , 2005 If your researching a Scot, then you can search for death certificates online at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. You do have to pay although its not that expensive. I dont know if there is a similar site for the rest of the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 12 December , 2005 Share Posted 12 December , 2005 Does anyone know the process by which missing in action cases, including lost at sea, became legally deceased? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Squirrel Posted 12 December , 2005 Share Posted 12 December , 2005 If your researching a Scot, then you can search for death certificates online at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. You do have to pay although its not that expensive. I dont know if there is a similar site for the rest of the UK. Good point, although the WW1 death indexes on www.1837online.com certainly cover all the Scottish regiments (plus the Irish, Channel Islands ones etc), so I think you can get any British WW1 death index entry from www.1837online.com and then order the death certificate itself from the GRO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dycer Posted 12 December , 2005 Share Posted 12 December , 2005 Angie, In Law something sticks in my mind about presumption of death after 7 years. My Uncle(Royal Scots) was KIA March 1918 but his body never found. His Estate was not wound up until seven years later with his surviving Brother and Sisters receiving the proceeds less Duty and Solicitors fees George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrieduncan Posted 12 December , 2005 Share Posted 12 December , 2005 The scotlands people website lets you view the death certs for scottish people. I'v not yet seen one for my KIAs but might check tonight and try and get some next of kin info. The good thing with this is you can access them straight away, you dont have to send away for them, although, as already said, its only for Scottish folks. I think there are probably loads of genealogical sites that allow you to view death certs (as well as birth and marriage certs) online, although the sheer number of them will make defined searches that much harder. I'll report back on how good/easy the scots people site is incase anyone else is researching Scots KIAs. Barrie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damandblast Posted 12 December , 2005 Share Posted 12 December , 2005 Angie, In Law something sticks in my mind about presumption of death after 7 years. My Uncle(Royal Scots) was KIA March 1918 but his body never found. His Estate was not wound up until seven years later with his surviving Brother and Sisters receiving the proceeds less Duty and Solicitors fees George In intesting point. My research project, James Martin, was killed in action but never found and is now recorded on the Menin Gate memorial for the missing but, the MOD did issue a war telegram to the next of kin saying "killed in action". Makes me wonder if they would have issued a death certificate even though his body was not recovered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Arranroots Posted 12 December , 2005 Share Posted 12 December , 2005 Hi again thanks to everyone for your rapid responses! Here is why I was asking: There are quite a few Samuel EVANS, so I hoped the cert would enable me to distinguish. The prevailing wisdom seems to be - NO!! Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrieduncan Posted 12 December , 2005 Share Posted 12 December , 2005 I just tried to search for a death cert for one of my Scottish KIAs on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk, no joy. He did appear on the searches, however they dont give you the option to view online, you need to order an extract Excellent site for family research, just not in the military Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyford Posted 12 December , 2005 Share Posted 12 December , 2005 Barrie This is an example of an overseas death certificate, so you can see the amount of detail. It was useful to me for confirmation purposes. The only information I didn't have was the age - but of course we know that ages were not always accurate. Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike10764 Posted 13 December , 2005 Share Posted 13 December , 2005 (edited) Barrie This is an example of an overseas death certificate, so you can see the amount of detail. It was useful to me for confirmation purposes. The only information I didn't have was the age - but of course we know that ages were not always accurate. Kate Kate's example is similar the copy of the death cert I have for my GGF (they got his age wrong said 32 he was 34). I'll post a picture of it when I'm at home tomorrow. He was listed missing and wounded for a year, then presumed killed on July 1st 1916...see my signature Edited 13 December , 2005 by spike10764 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMcNay Posted 13 December , 2005 Share Posted 13 December , 2005 For Scotland, the entries are separate to the normal death entries, and they are still awaiting digitisation. They are on the list though, and they will be online eventually. Ifthey're anything like the entries for the Boer War (the fiche of which I received a copy of from the GRO for Scotland) then there won't be a lot of information contained on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snavek Posted 13 December , 2005 Share Posted 13 December , 2005 Angie999, I have a copy of Army Form B. 104--82A, dated 2nd June 1919 informing my grandmother that the Army Council was 'regretfully constrained to conclude' that my grandfather was dead, and that his death took place on 25th April 1918 (see below). Effects--Form 100C, dated 18th June 1919 Certifies that his records show he was missing on 25th April 1918 'and that, as no further information concerning him has since been received, it has been presumed for official purposes that he died on or since that date'. I'm not sure if this was evidence enough officially to draw a veil over a death. In this case it was enough to allow my grandmother to re-marry six months later. I suppose this in part was no bad thing, she, like so many other women, was a widow left with a small child, and, after a respectful period of grieving, could get on with her life. On the other side of the coin the sooner a widow remarried the quicker the Governments Pension bill reduced. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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