Overseas Deaths

[Julia Ball]

Hello Everyone,

I have finally managed to find my uncles death date and service number, he died abroad in Cyprus on 4th July 1963.

As I have let my find my past sub lapse and have no funds to renew at the moment, is there anyone that can point me in the direction of a British Deaths Overseas register that I can access for little or no cost?

Many thanks

Julia

[Peter Goodey]

Not quite sure what you're looking for. The death registers are held by GRO and you have to apply to them for a certificate.

Findmypast has the overseas indexes but looking up the entry won't add much to what you already know. Presumably you don't want to apply for a certificate if you're not in funds at the moment.

[Julia Ball]

Hi Peter, I dont really know what happened, my uncles have various theories and I cant get hold of the coroners records as the dont seem to be held any longer, a GRO reference would be a good starting place. £7 is still the price I beleive.

[Pam Downes]

Hi Julia,
If you want to tell me your uncle's name either in the forum or via email or PM, I'll have a look in the indexes for you. At least you should then have the reference to enable you to send for the certificate, as and when you wish.
Pam

[Julia Ball]

Hi Pam, that would be superb thank you so much.

His name was Corporal John Ball born 9th October 1934 died 4 July 1963 in Cyprus, possibly Larnaca Service number 22800337

Is that enough info
Many thanks once again

Julia

[Pam Downes]

Hi Julia,
Not looking very promising I'm afraid.
GRO Air deaths indices 1947-1965
GRO Air deaths missing persons indices 1947-1965
GRO Service departments death indices 1956-1965
GRO Marine deaths indices 1903-1965
GRO Consular death indices 1849-1965
all came up when I asked for 'Ball 1963', and the nearest one was in the Consular deaths 1961-1965. John H Ball, aged 32, died Wuustwezel (then a village in Belgium, near the Dutch border, according to Wikipedia). Volume 56 page 21.
The only other one was Brian Ball, aged 22, died in Cyprus in 1963, reference (10) page 6.
(There was a Howard B. Ball, died aged 0 years in 1962 in Cyprus, but he's obviously not yours. Ref (26) page 5.
As you have a name, date of death, and place I would suggest that you email the GRO to ask if they would have a record of the death and how much a certificate would cost. Probably £11.50 as they're going to have to look up the record, unless the Overseas records at the Family Record Centre in Myddelton Street cover that date. If someone is going to the FRC within the next fortnight, perhaps they might take five minutes to check out the ledgers before they vanish to storage in Christchurch.
Sorry I can't be of more help.
Pam

[Peter Goodey]

There's the death of a John BALL aged 28* listed in the England & Wales civil indexes 1963 Sep Ploughley 6b 902.

*I'm looking at a muddy scan but I think it says 28.

[hughar]

There is an entry for John Ball on the new Armed Forces Memorial site at
http://www.forcesmemorial.org.uk/roll-of-honour.asp

[Pam Downes]

There's the death of a John BALL aged 28* listed in the England & Wales civil indexes 1963 Sep Ploughley 6b 902.

*I'm looking at a muddy scan but I think it says 28.

I looked at a clearer scan and it definitely says 28.
This is the contact address for Ploughley RD registers, which are now held in 'Oxfordshire registers' (source Genuki) http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/regoff.html#702
As John is on the Armed Forces Memorial, I wonder if they would have any further information that they could give regarding the obtaining of his death certficiate, or alternatively, even contact the MoD.
Though if Julia knows for absolutely certain that John died in Cyprus, then he should be listed in the the Army BMD records held in the Overseas department of the GRO, as that relates to 'records relating to members of the British Army or their families where the event has taken place outside of the United Kingdom.' 1881-1965.
http://www.gro.gov.uk/Images/oversea...cm69-39338.pdf
Pam

[Julia Ball]

thank you all for this, I found the mem on the Armed forces memorial which is where I got the service number and date of death from.

Now, he actually committed suicide, and his body was shipped back to Oxford for the inquest, actually thinking about it, would a certificate have been issued prior to the inquest? I really dont know, but thanks all for your help so far