Genealogy Chat

Would the cwgc give a date of death if someone was 'missing, presumed dead' - or would the death have been confirmed? Thanx Barbara

I don't really know for definite, but I have an example where a date of death is given on the CWGC site, but the death was only ''presumed'' in 1919, which was four years after the date the person disappeared. In this case though, he was last seen going ''over the top'' but no one knew if he had perhaps been taken prisoner until after the war had ended. His poor mother was still trying to find him, alive, in 1925 :o(( Merry

Merry - thanks for that little bit of info. The family bible (yes I have got my great grandmothers!) gives a missing presumed dead comment and a date. The CWGC give the same date but say date of death. I was just trying to work out if the death was confirmed or if it was just a 'best guess' Barbara

it would just depend on the circumstances, I suppose............when you read about people taking days to die, lying out in no-man's-land, it's impossible for a correct dod to be established for everyone. I expect the date given was the last day he was seen alive. Merry

Thanks for the comments Barbara

I think it's difficult to make blanket statements about that site, because the information available varies greatly from individual to individual, and they are trying to fit what is known onto a common database format. So some have age given and next of kin - others do not, nor a full forename, only an initial. Jay

Thanks Janet So Merry's suggestion of 'last date seen alive' would seem to be the best option. Barbara

May I just ask - were these men ever given formal death certificates? (mm that reads funny - sorry - i mean were their deaths ever registered and the families able to obtain death certs?) Sorry to jump onto your thread xx please forgive Jenx

'course thats ok Jennifer. I don't know the answer to that query either. Barbara

If there's two of us who don't know Barbara - then there must be more!!! Perhaps we need to shout for Merry? Jen

Yes, they should all have a death cert......you will need to look on the WW1 Army Deaths on the Overseas records on 1837online (pay-per-view) and I think they are also on Family Relatives (free to view, but only if you have subscribed with them, I think). The WW1 death certs are not very informative (in general, and only in my experience): Place of Death: France Cause of death: Casualty of War is what is on the two I have!! I could have told them that! I think the certs were issued purely for admin purposes, in some cases some time after the event. The reason there is varying amounts of info on the CWGC site is that in about 1923 (roughly) forms were sent out to the last known address for each dec'd serviceman, asking for their next of kin details etc. Often the families had moved on, the form wasn't completed, or the soldier had given a false address....those are the ones with little info on the CWGC site. The long delay before the forms were issued also accounts for the number of women who had re-married ....so you see.....Fred Bloggs, husband of Mrs Smith and son of Mr and Mrs Bloggs. Merry

Thank you Merry - very informative as always Much appreciated Jenx