Genealogy Chat

id not thought of that ,i just assumed that if there was a gravestone/grave there must be a body. makes you wonder if i can trace the telegram at all? get a copy of it?

The widow would probably have had as evidence the telegram (or other paperwork) she received from the War Office advising of her husband's death....... Not all victims of the War had death certs......to issue a death cert, there has to be a body, and many were never found. Reg

I don't think she would have necessarily needed proof. As I once heard someone on here say, the information on any certificate is only as accurate as the informant. If someone was, say, marrying bigamously they would not say their status was 'married' for the information on the certificate. If someone said they were a widow, I think the minister or registrar would probably take them at their word unless they had a reason to think otherwise. Although, it could be that some military paperwork equivalent to a certificate was issued to his widow.

Hi there, after some advice if possible; got a grt grt grandad who died in france and flanders july 1915. i already have his army number and regiment details...am lucky enough to be going visiting his grave this month in France. after his death my grt grt grandma remarried... my advice is i cannot locate a death certificate for him,ive already had the gro do a sweep of the war years abroad/home but they wrote confirming there is no such death on record,yet his details are there on the cwc site. surely if my grt grt grandma remarried she would have needed proof of being a widow?? some death certificate?? anyone suggest/advice me at all please.x