WW2 Civilian death criteria

Do all civilian deaths that are in the CWGC database have to have been killed by 'enemy action' or can they have been killed accidentally in the defense of the Country?

The reason I ask is I found a 1942 newspaper story of 2 young boys who wandered into a minefield defending a local village and one was killed outright and the other severely injured.

 

Temptage

Quickly copying the info from Ancestry

“These volumes contain the Roll of Honour of those civilians, citizens of the Commonwealth and Empire, who were killed in the United Kingdom by enemy action during the 1939–1945 War, while engaged in household or in business activities, or at their posts as members of the Civil Defence Services. Their graves are scattered throughout the country.”

While most of these records are for the United Kingdom, they do include civilian deaths from around the world, including many lost at sea.

If I find more ...........................

TD

Added:
It also states:
......................civilians in the British Commonwealth and Empire who died during World War II and are commemorated on Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) memorials or buried in CWGC cemeteries.

So I would guess the criteria was set by CWGC??

 

All WW2 war related civilian deaths should be within the CWGC database which,if researched may reveal a wide scope of death causations.

From this, I would think that the deaths of the two boys should be recorded within the CWGC database.

 

Drop Chris Harley a line he has managed to get a number listed on CWGC
killed by accident will fit
example from one of Chris successes

"The two boys were killed when they handled a mortar bomb"

 

In the CWGC database should also be the Grimsby civilians who inadvertently were victims of the aircraft dropped anti personnel weapons such as the butterfly bombs.

 

Basic answer - all civilians who died due to enemy action. Those civilians who died as the result of military accidents although we would have to look at each on a case by case basis.

 

I came across this record of a Mrs Hogg of 162 Manor Road, Mitcham, killed 12 April 1942. I guess you could say her death was as an indirect result of enemy action. Not on the CWGC that I could see.

 

Killed by a souvenir accidentally thrown on the fire with the coal.
might be worth dropping Chris Harley a line

regards
Clive

 

I would say this would be a high possibility for CWGC commemoration. Would you be able to supply a copy of the document along with the details of where it was obtained from. We at IFCP would then be happy to submit this case in your name. Sorry about late reply, but the day job & family have been taking up all my time.

Chris

 

I found some very odd actual inclusions on the CWGC Register while researching my Hull book. What appeared to be the last civilian casualty - injured in November 1941, died November 1946 - turned out to have actually committed suicide.

Also a couple of ARP personnel who died in training accidents, but the strangest was a Fire Guard who accidentally rode his bike into a dock while on his way home, was pulled out and survived for six months, before being admitted to hospital and dying from pneumonia-related toxaemia.

 

My understanding is that any Civilian who was a 'war worker' (AFS or Firewatcher etc etc) is commemorated, no matter what the cause of death was.

 

No Pete they are not. Death must be due to enemy action or military accident. I myself have found several AFS/ARP who died accidentally who should not have been recorded on the CWGC civilian ROH. It seems that the local authorities totally misunderstood the rules.

Chris

 

Correct Womens Land Army personnel who despite the title were civilians and died in farm accidents were not commemorated.

 

How common do you reckon this was? There weren't many civilian casualties reported in the largely rural area round my way, but I've still found three that seem completely unrelated to any enemy action or military incidents.

 

One in reverse

W.P.Francis does not show on CWGC
Headstone states
Who lost his life through enemy action
date of death:23/3/43
DC states died of illness

His daughter though died just over a year later due to enemy action






Walter Philip Francis casualty Greenford Park cemetery west London

 

Does the DC state the nature of the illness Clive?

Chris

 

Hello Paul,

if you have got the names I will have a look at them? I have found a very few who should not have made it into the civilian ROH as they died of non war connected injuries/illnesses. I did find an ARP warden who died of burns after he managed to upset a Tilley lamp on himself.
Chris

 

Sure...

Rhoda Ashcroft, NFS messenger, road accident responding to a heath fire
Thomas Horrocks, NFS Fireman, burns following petrol fire at station
Eva Seddon, BRCS Nurse, pulmonary tuberculosis

Perhaps there was more to some of these than what was published due to censorship, but inquest reports for the first two suggest the deaths were purely accidental.

 

Paul

The first 2 definitely should have not been awarded CWGC civilian ROH status, but I wonder why they were?

All I know is that now if their cases were submitted they would not get through.

Chris

 

Hello Chris
yes it does in many cases
Either TB ,heart disease etc
or died through war operations (various wording can be used but along the same lines) which is useful for getting a commemoration if not already commemorated and fits the commemoration criteria

in the case above t he died of a stomach disorder
regards
Clive