While many experienced members will know this, it is possible to trace the dead of Britain and the Commonwealth from WW2 (and indeed WW1) at the website of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission at: http://www.cwgc.org/ You can also download as .pdf files the Commission's many useful leaflets (eg on WW2 cemeteries in Italy and Normandy) and by email order up specific reports. For example, the CWGC were able to provide me with a list of all the men who died on 6th June 1944. It is a great resource and it's all free - use it!
A typical entry for a soldier is: Name: QUERIPEL, LIONEL ERNEST Initials: L E Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Captain Regiment: Royal Sussex Regiment Secondary Regiment: Parachute Regiment, A.A.C. Secondary Unit Text: attd. 10th Bn. Age: 24 Date of Death: 19/09/1944 Service No: 108181 Awards: VC Additional information: Son of Leslie Herbert and Sybil Queripel, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: 5. D. 8. Cemetery: ARNHEM OOSTERBEEK WAR CEMETERY
Hi Paul, Just a point, if the person you are looking for was in the Indian Army don't look for a UK nationality. eg: Name: MILLAR, ARTHUR DAVID CURTIS Initials: A D C Nationality: Indian Rank: Major Regiment: Indian Army Age: 38 Date of Death: 17/12/1942 Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Prot. Sec. (Officers'). Plot E. Coll. grave 4. Cemetery: MALTA (CAPUCCINI) NAVAL CEMETERY and he was from Crieff. For those curious among you he was killed in a plane crash on the way to Gibralter. Aye MalcolmII
Wow, that is a very useful tool. I managed to find some possible relatives, I will have to look and see if they match the family tree my aunt composed. Thankyou for the link.
Is that the UK only? It lists Commonwealth forces, i.e. UK, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa.
Is that the UK only? Americans can be found on their own site. The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) was established by Congress in 1923 to commemorate the service, achievements, and sacrifice of U.S. armed forces where they have served overseas since 1917, and within the U.S. when directed by public law. Click on here...American Battle Monuments Commission
Americans can be found on their own site. Click on here...American Battle Monuments Commission ...only if the casualty is one of the small percentage whose grave is cared for by the ABMC or who was MiA (ie so their name is on an ABMC cared for memorial). Re-patriated known casualties aren't listed on here. Dave
Good point Dave. I pointed that out on GWF for WW1 but forgot to do same here. We only have the records of those casualties that are buried in our cemeteries or listed on the Walls of the Missing -- a total of 176,399 records. There were 405,399 American casualties in World War II.
Paul How does one ask for the detail (For example, the CWGC were able to provide me with a list of all the men who died on 6th June 1944.) you mention inyour first post? Sorry to be a novice in these things! Mike
I am coming back to my painful question" : is there anyone out there that was in Palestine in 1942 , when 2 Italian sailors from the sunken Sub SCIRE were buried in Haifa? AUG 10 1942. Names are CAPTAIN CHERSI PO DEL BEN Michael Gottschalk Israeli Navy Seals, retired
...only if the casualty is one of the small percentage whose grave is cared for by the ABMC or who was MiA (ie so their name is on an ABMC cared for memorial). Re-patriated known casualties aren't listed on here. Dave It may be possible to find the graves of repatriated US personnel through Find A Grave. Steve W.
Paul How does one ask for the detail (For example, the CWGC were able to provide me with a list of all the men who died on 6th June 1944.) you mention inyour first post? Sorry to be a novice in these things! Mike Mike, sorry only just noticed this. Just drop CWGC an email via their site and they will produce you a report. CWGC is: :: CWGC ::
Mike, sorry only just noticed this. Just drop CWGC an email via their site and they will produce you a report. CWGC is: :: CWGC :: The last two times I used the on-site contact form, it did not work. When I eventually made contact they could not trace my previous enquiries. Suggest you email casualty.enq@cwgc.org or use the phone number which is given (somewhere) on the website. They can take 20 days to reply. I obtained a faster response (couple of days) from the local Leamington office, but that was for a local enquiry. geoff
I just found this website, which seems to work well. Find an Airman Grave, Information in Denmark: http://www.airmen.dk/All_airmen_planes.asp
