Looking details on this soldiers death and next of kin for Armagh War memorial project 2717734 William James Abernethy 1st Bn Irish Guards Died 4 5 1944 Born Armagh Thank you Joe
The Times, published July 3, 1944, confirms casualty category I'm afraid I have nothing further for him other than the details already held by CWGC and Army Roll of Honour. There doesn't appear to be a Soldier's Will for him. It would be possible to apply for a copy of his full records without consent of NOK, by way of the 25yr+ rule. Casualty Guardsman ABERNETHY, WILLIAM JAMES Service Number 2717734 Died 06/05/1944 1st Bn. Irish Guards Buried at BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERY Location: Surrey, United Kingdom Cemetery/memorial reference: 33A. A. 4.
for info from findagrave Guardsman WILLIAM JAMES ABERNETHY 2717734, 1st Bn., Irish Guards who died on 06 May 1944Remembered with honour BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERYGrave/Memorial Reference: 33A. A. 4.Guardsman Abernethy's details given in the WW2 Army Roll of Honour, state that he was born in Co. Armagh and his residence was in Co. Down, Northern Ireland. It is difficult to ascertain how he died, but certainly he was listed in the Army List published in the Times of 3rd July 1944 as having Died, as opposed to having Died of Wounds. This encompasses a whole range of terms from accidental death to illness/natural death. All forces personnel who died during the period of the remit of CWGC are entitled to be recorded and commemorated by this organisation. Guardsman Abernethy certainly gave long service in the Irish Guards as witnessed by his Regimental number. He was probably in the Irish Guards by 1933 and he is certainly listed as being in the Regiment at the start of the war. No details were recorded by CWGC about his next-of-kin and no personal inscription was added to the bottom of his headstone. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=17661886&PIpi=78516090
Am I correct in thinking you can get autopsy/coroners reports for soldiers killed in the UK during WW2?
Hi Drew, You may well be right. I had a look at the selection of Canadian WW2 service records available on Ancestry a couple of years ago and on one file there were Police statements and a Coroners report attached. There had been an inquest as the soldier had been killed by a land mine having deliberately "strayed" onto a south coast minefield adjacent to a golf course as he had a sideline of recovering golf balls "lost" on the minefield. In relation to UK soldiers dying in UK if no cause of death could be certified by a Doctor then - as now - a coroners inquest would follow with the cause of death being recorded on the death certificate in line with the coroners inquest verdict. I presume the first step would be to get a death certificate and if that refers to a coroners inquest "cause of death" then an inquiry with the Coroners office for the area concerned may turn up the original papers if they have been retained. Regards Steve Y
If this is the right man then these are his death cert details: England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2007 about William J Abernethy Name: William J Abernethy Birth Date: abt 1913 Date of Registration: Jun 1944 Age at Death: 31 Registration district: Hendon Inferred County: Middlesex Volume: 3a Page: 646 UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current about Guardsman William James Abernethy Name: Guardsman William James Abernethy Death Date: 6 May 1944 Cemetery: Brookwood Military Cemetery Burial or Cremation Place: Brookwood, Woking Borough, Surrey, England Has Bio?: N URL: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-... UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945 about William Abernethy Name: William Abernethy Given Initials: W J Rank: Guardsman Death Date: 6 May 1944 Number: 2717734 Birth Place: Armagh Residence: Down Regiment at Enlistment: Irish Guards Branch at Enlistment: Foot Guards Theatre of War: United Kingdom Regiment at Death: Irish Guards Branch at Death: Foot Guards TD
