How do I find out where someone who died in Service is buried?
Casualties from World War I and World War II
You can search the Debt of Honour Register on the
Commission's website at www.cwgc.org to locate the place of burial or
commemoration of a friend or relative. This register provides
personal and Service details and places of commemoration for the
1.7 million members of the Commonwealth forces who died in both
world wars. The periods covered by the CWGC are 4 August
1914 to 31 August 1921 and 3
September 1939 to 31 December 1947.
The average casualty record will include the person's name; rank
and Service number; place of burial or commemoration; regiment,
ship or squadron; gallantry awards (if any); and date of death.
You can also contact them directly at
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
2 Marlow Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 7DX.
Tel: 01628 507200 for casualty information and enquiries or 01628
634221 for any other enquiries.
Monday to Thursday 08.30-17.00; Friday 08.30-16.30; closed Saturday
& Sunday
Website: www.cwgc.org
Casualties pre-1914 and between the two World
Wars
The policy for Service personnel who died prior to August 1914, and
in the period 1 September 1921 to 2 September 1939, was that the
deceased's family or Unit was responsible for the gravesite. There
is no record of the location of these gravesites, apart from what
may be held on the individual's Service record or information that
may be held in Units' diaries, many of which are archived at The
National Archives.
Post World War II casualties
As of 1 January 1948, the task of marking and recording members of
the Armed Forces who died in service was passed to the MoD. The
address to contact for these enquiries is:
MoD - Non-War Graves
SO3 Memorials and Graves, Armed Forces Personnel Administration
Agency, Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre, Building 182,
Innsworth Station, Gloucester GL3 1HW
Email: JPAC@afpaa.mod.uk
Tel: 01452 712612 ext 6304 or 6063
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