Genealogy Chat

My great grandad was killed in action at sea on the 21 of April 1940. Yet I cannot find a death cert. Is that normal ? Also to just make things more difficult see below: Commemorated Tower Hill Memorial Panel 25: PEARCE, Donkeyman, JOSEPH, M.V. Cedarbank (Glasgow). Merchant Navy. 21st April 1940. Age 46. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pearce. This is my grans dad. Gran gave her fathers Merchant Navy papers to my brother and after some enquires he was given the above info along with a fair bit more detail. The confusing parts for me is his age, he should be fifty. I have his birth cert. Secondly his fathers name was John, and yet on the memorial it notes his father as Joseph. I also have Joseph's marriage certificate, which along with his birth cert clearly states his father as John. Does anyone have any suggestions as to the conflicting info and my inability to find Joseph's death cert. I searched the 1940 year on Ancestrys complete BMD index. Any Ideas would be greatfully appreciated. Many thanks Maria

Have you found him on the Commonwealth War Graves Commisson website?

You can search and download navy records from the national archives site also have you checked on the CWGC for his death http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/search/quick_search.aspx?javascriptenabled=True&searchtext= Roy

Hello Maid Marion No I haven't found him on the commonwealth graves website. But I will check it out thankyou. Maria

Hello Roy I did check the National Archives website. No luck I am afraid. I will ask my brother to go into the National Archives next time he goes to London with his coach load of Tourists :) There are indexes he can look at and hopefully he may find out more detail. But do you know if there should have been a death registration for him, because I cannot find one? Many thanks for responding. Maria

have you tryed the oversea's section on the 1837 online site? Roy

http://www.cwgc.org/ He is there Name: PEARCE, JOSEPH Initials: J Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Donkeyman Regiment/Service: Merchant Navy Unit Text: M.V. Cedarbank (Glasgow) Age: 46 Date of Death: 21/04/1940 Additional information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pearce. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 25. Memorial: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

Hello Maid Marion Thankyou for that, I was just about to google the website :) Best wishes Maria

HI Roy No, I have not tried that, I will give it a go. Thanks again Maria

Maria, If you google M V Cedarbank, you will find info about it being torpedoed Jay

Hi Maria. I've pm'd you. Regards Keith

Hello Janet Thank you for the information. I have managed to find out a bit more about what happened. Sad to Know my great grandad died in the engine room :( Still a bit more info for the Family History Book. Thanks again. Best wishes Maria

Hello Keith Thank you for finding the death cert. I will be phoning them as soon as the office opens. I am in Oz so there is a time difference to consider :)) Many thanks again :) Best wishes Maria