Missing Presumed Dead Relative

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by Richard_Davis77, Sep 1, 2020.

  1. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    It seems that we have too many unknowns and unfortunately a very common name.

    You originally said the date was around April 1942 so presumably a death in 1943 is far too late? In your post #13 you say "he was likely to have been a prisoner of War", so perhaps not necessarily the case? Do you know for a fact he was Army, could he have been Navy?

    You have all the information necessary to apply for his service records, name & date of birth, so why not go ahead and order them? It will take some time but if you are interested in the facts that may be the only way. You do not need a death certificate if KIA, quote from application "A copy of the service person’s death certificate if the individual died following discharge from the service." He didn't.
     
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  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Mmmmm. The Bn were involved in heavy fighting at that time, see...
    The Faughs’ Assaults on The Kefs

    Maybe bexley84 can help.
    If this 7047634 AC Smith died fighting in Tunisia that would rule him out.
    Can anyone look him up on the casualty lists ?
     
  3. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Expeditionary Forces / North Africa
    7047634 SMITH Fus AC
    First reported 'Missing' 17.4.43, then reported 'Previously reported missing now presumed KIA'

     
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  4. I can't be certain on the information I have is correct as its only been relayed to me verbally. It may indeed have been 1943. Unfortunately the first hand people who knew him are no longer with us so it's a bit of detective work from the scraps of information. I know for certain he was in the army and he fought in North Africa, everything else is possibly distorted through the passing down of information. I'm naïve to what information is available and where to get it from but will apply for a copy of his service record (I didn't know you could).
     
  5. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

  6. travers1940

    travers1940 Well-Known Member

    To give you some realistic time scales, before covid a request for service records took aprox 3-6 months, and with the delays due to covid & the number of people getting interested in family history during lockdown, I would now expect 6-12 months at least. This is not meant to be a negative, as it will confirm his dob, next of kin etc so you will know if its the right man.

    Have also looked at the admons & probate index, as well as the soldiers wills, no luck.

    Could not see anything on British Newspaper Archive index, but if local to Staffs you could check the local papers at a record office etc.

    And this is the last thing I could think of to check, but no Smiths listed for WW2:
    Bradley Memorial Bilston
    Maybe not on here for the same reason his mother did not want him on the family grave. By searching for this, I now know there are two places called Bradley in Staffs !
     
    Last edited: Sep 2, 2020
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  7. I'm sending an application for his army service records. I know there was never a death certificate issued and his mother (who had just lost her husband) was in denial about his fate so its unlikely there was an obituary or probate record.
     

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