Genealogy Chat

OOps some how deleted last message. Just to recap. I have an ancestor who according to the death cert died 6/11/1945 in Egypt, cause of death drowning. What I am trying to discover is if a ship was sunk around that time or maybe it was just an unfortunate accident. I dont know where in Egypt he died but according to CWGC he is buried at Heliopolis War Cemetery. Any help/ideas would be most welcome. Many thanks Michele

have you obtained the service record of the person in question? This would give the name of the ship - if it happened during service. another idea - was it reported in the local press where he came from? I take it he was only temporarily in Egypt? netti

Hi, The CWGC should also have given you his regiment.....You could look into the regiment, that might give you a clue. If you Google the name of the regiment you will notice that there might be some info online. Deb P.s You could try and obtain a copy of his service record.

Thanks for those ideas I will give them a go. Michele

The second world war had finished by that date (and operations in the Mediterranean had more or less finished two years previously) so it's more likely to have been an accident.

Paul -um, don't like to argue, but we still had a British Forces presence in Egypt in 1945, in fact well into the 50s, I think. Olde Crone

Near the end of December 1945, rioting broke out, reaching its peak in February 1946, with violent attacks on British Service Clubs, and other service property in Cairo. The barracks Kasr-el-Nil, which housed the District H.Q., came under heavy siege and the Egyptian police, in putting down the riot, caused 140 casualties amongst the rioters. At Alexandria on March 4th, two British Military Policemen manning a control post were overwhelmed by a mass onslaught and killed. The severed head of one was displayed in triumph.

There were anti-Jewish riots in Egypt in November 1945.