Searching for my grandfather's death certificate - WWII

[mactoosh]

Hello
My grandfather (who may have been born in Ireland) was sadly killed on 31st March 1941 off the coast of Grimsby. He was in the Royal Navy and I have found some detail about HMT Lord Selbourne on this link https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?68550
He is listed, no 15. SMITH, Arthur Sydney. My sister has applied for a copy of his death certificate but has been told that the search for the record of his death was unsuccessful and no certificate can be supplied.
Would anyone have any advice as to where to go next? If he was born in Ireland, would perhaps his death be registered in Ireland? Are there any other official records that would confirm his death, perhaps Naval records?

Thank you in advance
Kind regards

Mactoosh

[AntonyMMM]

Deaths are registered in the district in which they occur - so you won't find a normal registration for  servicemen/women on active service in WW2.

He is listed under the Armed Forces Records (index available on FindMyPast).

GRO WAR DEATHS NAVAL RATINGS INDICES (1939 to 1948)
vol 10 p3567
Arthur S Smith, Steward, HMT Lord Selbourne.

You can use those details to order a certificate from GRO (as an Overseas event) , but it is very unlikely to  tell you anything you don't already know. They are usually very vague - the location will probably say "North Sea" and the cause will be "enemy action" or similar.

A better option may be to order a copy of his service records from the MoD.

[mactoosh]

Thank you so much. I will try to take this route to order a certificate. How do I go about getting his service records from the MoD? Is this complicated?
Kind regards

[AntonyMMM]

Thank you so much. I will try to take this route to order a certificate. How do I go about getting his service records from the MoD? Is this complicated?
Kind regards

Not complicated - but will cost you £30

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records#service-records-of-deceased-service-personnel

[mactoosh]

Thank you

[polarbear]

Welcome to RootsChat  .

In case you don't have this......

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2500611/smith,-arthur-sidney/

PB

[mactoosh]

Thank you. What a great site.

[aghadowey]

Hello
My grandfather (who may have been born in Ireland) was sadly killed on 31st March 1941 off the coast of Grimsby. He was in the Royal Navy and I have found some detail about HMT Lord Selbourne on this link https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?68550
He is listed, no 15. SMITH, Arthur Sydney. My sister has applied for a copy of his death certificate but has been told that the search for the record of his death was unsuccessful and no certificate can be supplied.
Would anyone have any advice as to where to go next? If he was born in Ireland, would perhaps his death be registered in Ireland? Are there any other official records that would confirm his death, perhaps Naval records?

Thank you in advance
Kind regards

Mactoosh

Do you know his date of birth or how old he was when he died? Does marriage certificate list his father's name and occupation?

[mactoosh]

Hello

We don't have his d.o.b, but his marriage certificate shows him to be 25 years old on 10/8/1935. His father's name was Walter Smith and he is listed as an Army Pensioner. They married in the Register Office in the City of Westminster. He married my maternal grandmother, Evelyn Josephine Cowlard.