General Chat

The 3 services had their own clergy so the chances are the funeral service was in the chapel at the hospital by an army RC priest, followed by internment.

There are no military hospitals left just a military wing of a NHS hospital. Records would have been centralised but exactly where??? It would be under the MOD.

There are thousands of service personnel now on the NHS lists waiting for treatment.

Gwyn why am I not surprised. Where in Cyprus were you, most army were near Larnaca we were over Limassol way. :-)

Pat
Sorry, I didn't make myself very clear. I realise M.O.D wouldn't just open records, but might be willing to say which funeral director was involved and it was that firm's records which might hold the answer.
I have found firms to often be incredibly helpful and some have searched their own archived records in order to help me.

Bad of RAF not to forward your OH's medical history.
Army were just as bad. Once in Cyprus OH was given a message to report to the Medical Officer for a particular vaccination. I recalled that he had had to miss a water polo match, because he had been told to keep out of the water after a previous vaccination just a month or so before and reminded him of this.
It turns out OH had had the vaccine and it was recorded in another chap's medial notes.....!

I have sent a PM to Anthea to tell her of replies here and mentioned a possibly sensitive lead.

Would it be worth contacting all the incumbents in the RC diocese of Westminster? They would probably have a record in their Registers. A letter followed by a phone call could have more effect than an email.

OTOH, would an RC Chaplain attached to the hospital have performed the ritual?
As you've probably discovered, the Alexandria was closed and transferred to the QEMH in Woolwich. In turn that was knocked down and rebuilt as the civilian QE Hospital. Goodness only knows where the chaplaincy records ended up!
Would the MOD know?

Think you'll find the notes of service hospitals are archived under the MOD as when you leave the services you get an update on your NH records of anything to be of interest to your new doctor. That's if they can be bothered. OH had back trouble and was hospitalised twice as he locked up and had to have emergency treatment. He was given a series of injections first time. Second time far more serious and had to be manipulated under an anesthetic - no mention at all of any of this went onto his NH docs at the end of his RAF service. :-0

I don't think you'll be able to access these docs and they wouldn't say where she was buried. They may however state who the body was handed over to cover themselves, but that's only a maybe. Wonder who the funeral director was? Their paperwork would show where she was buried.

Did the Signals have a monthy regimental magazine?
I was wondering if there might be an announcement in there.

What about hospital records?
I realise that they are probably closed for some years, but if you could find out where the notes are archived, it may perhaps be possible to find out which undertakers took care of her body and so by going to their old records, a place of burial may be recorded.

If you contact the parks and cemeteries dept of the local council they should be able to tell you where she was buried if it was in one of the municipal cemeteries .

Give them the details from the death cert and the date of burial that you have .


Westminster City Council

Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria St, London SW1E 6QP
020 7641 6000

I was in Cyprus 1970 - 73. Have contacted friends in the Signals out here at that time but were unable to help me as name doesn't mean anything. :-(

Have you gone a little further affield such as Hanwell or North Sheen.

Can the mother remember any other North family that was there .?

was an obituary put into the Oldham Evening Chronicle, if that was beryl's home town?

I have found the Local Studies and Archives in Oldham to be excellent .......... one volunteer found a report of coroner's inquest in an obscure paper that was only published for a very short while around 1885/90

Oldham Local Studies and Archives
84 Union St,
Oldham, Greater Manchester
OL1 1DN

Tel:- +44 161 770 4654


this link also gives a link to email them ..............

http://www.visitoldham.com/attractions/oldham-local-studies-and-archives-p152771

Beryl was married to a serviceman and they were based in\cyprus she baceame ill and was flown back to the UK and was taken to queen Alexandria MH Westminster. beryl's mum has lost touch with the husband Roger North and has no idea where he went after her daughter passed away . she was definitely buried in London? as her mother attended the funeral . i have tried the signal regiment , who are unable to help also the city of Westminster . who sent me a list of cemeteries I have tried them all. just don't know where to look now i will try free bmd as Maggie suggested. Rose yes that is the marriage that was taken place in Oldham.
Kay it wasn't kensal Green but will try Fulham as you suggested . thank you all for your replies Anthea

Try this.........

http://www.archives.com/uk/search/death?kw2=Find%20UK%20death%20records%20instantly%21&Location=UK&gclid=CN2kmY-Y5sgCFQrpwgodqJoDng

I you look on FreeBMD, it has her death in Westminster. If you then click on 'Westminster', it gives details of the areas included in that district.
It should be possible to contact the districts, or even just the London Borough of the City of Westminster registration office, (a mouthful!!) and ask where she was buried.
email address: [email protected]

If they can't help you, they should know who can!! :-D

Gwyn, I just had the same thought myself,,,,,,,,If London wasnt where they lived why be laid to rest there.

Was her home address in the London area?

Military hospitals might take patients from many areas of the country, so perhaps she was taken back to her home area for burial.

Is this her marriage?

Marriages Jun 1966
NORTH ROGER SHAWCROSS OLDHAM 10F 76
SHAWCROSS BERYL C NORTH OLDHAM 10F 76

Is the husband still alive?

Rose

Have you tried Kensal Green.?all local run cemtitries have a catholic section.

The hospital closed in the 1970s,,,,,and the nearest that I can se would be Brompton Cemetery on Fulham Palace Road ,,,,,,,,they also have a RC section.,,,,,Fulham Archives ( are very helpful) have burial registers but for 1970?

Is this the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth? It has a Ministry of Defence hospital attached.. Tried to do snipping of website but couldn't, you can google it, It might be worth contacting the Catholic churches in that area for their records.

This link might be helpful.

https://www.google.co.uk/#q=catholic+burials+in+westminster+cathedral&rflfq=1&rlha=0&tbm=lcl

As a Catholic could she have been taken away from the area to the nearest Catholic cemetery or a cemetery with a Catholic area. I would have thought by 1970 there was a limited area for cemeteries in Westminster.

Would finding the church were the funeral was held be the best way of finding the cemetery?

I don't know much about Catholic burials. As a child we had a family friend killed by a drunk driver and we went to his grave several times. He was in a totally different area of our local cemetery to my relatives as his family was Catholic.

Am sending you a PM re military hospitals.

As well as being a GR member I am also a volunteer for SSAFA I have been trying to find a burial ground for a lady that is 90 years old Her daughter died in 1970 and was buried in Westminster I have exhausted my search with all the burial grounds in and around the area to no avail The last resting place of Beryl Christine Veronica North She died in the Queen Alexandria Military Hospital She was buried December 14 1970 . If anyone can help me or point me in the right direct would be very grateful. I have a copy of the death certificate but it does not say where she is buried Beryl's mother Mrs Shawcross has never visited the grave since the day she was buried ,would dearly love to go back there her memory is very vague now but she says it was a catholic burial