TIPS please for locating details on WW2 soldiers, Shropshire Light Infantry etc

[jim1]

I know it says that but all you need is his name & death cert.
This is all that others have supplied.
Date of death would depend on where he was fighting at the time.
If it was at the beach landings death would "assumed on or since" June 6th. 1944.
If it was one of the subsequent battles after that then whenever that took place.

[KGarrad]

When you get to the form that you have to fill in it says Service Number OR date of birth.

[GrahamSimons]

Those on war memorials should appear on CWGC website
https://www.cwgc.org/

rosie99...thank you, yes the CWGC website does list some very important memorials, however I don't think it deals with any small, local lists e.g. the names on Ludlow war memorial etc.  And the CWGC only deals with men whose graves are known, or - if there's no body - whose deaths are associated with a specific date. I can't find any references to the missing who may only appear on a roll of honour somewhere, as a soldier who definitely enlisted but then disappeared.

 Many families don't know what happened to their uncle/father/son, other than that he went to war and didn't return. So I'm wondering where these men would be represented in the records...

CWGC lists all those who died or were killed while serving - many are only listed on the big memorials such as Ypres, Thiepval, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Tower Hill. I believe this includes missing believed killed.
This register could be helpful - https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials

[guest259648]

I know it says that but all you need is his name & death cert.
This is all that others have supplied.
Date of death would depend on where he was fighting at the time.
If it was at the beach landings death would "assumed on or since" June 6th. 1944.
If it was one of the subsequent battles after that then whenever that took place.

jim1 I'm grateful to you for explaining how a death would be recorded, I didn't know this. So some date does get written down, even when a person is missing - it's not just left dangling, never resolved.
So now I need to do some research into named battles in Normandy in June '44, to see if I can get closer to an exact date.
x

[guest259648]

Those on war memorials should appear on CWGC website
https://www.cwgc.org/

rosie99...thank you, yes the CWGC website does list some very important memorials, however I don't think it deals with any small, local lists e.g. the names on Ludlow war memorial etc.  And the CWGC only deals with men whose graves are known, or - if there's no body - whose deaths are associated with a specific date. I can't find any references to the missing who may only appear on a roll of honour somewhere, as a soldier who definitely enlisted but then disappeared.

 Many families don't know what happened to their uncle/father/son, other than that he went to war and didn't return. So I'm wondering where these men would be represented in the records...

CWGC lists all those who died or were killed while serving - many are only listed on the big memorials such as Ypres, Thiepval, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Tower Hill. I believe this includes missing believed killed.
This register could be helpful - https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials

rosie99 Thank you for showing me this site...what a wonderful project they're undertaking, and it's a huge job. It will be a marvellous resource. It doesn't look like they've done Shropshire yet but in time I am sure they will. I'll keep checking.
D x

[guest259648]

When you get to the form that you have to fill in it says Service Number OR date of birth.

KGarrad... ah, that sounds easier... thank you... I still need to do quite a bit of research, but you've give me hope! x

[KGarrad]

https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials is showing 967 hits for a search for memorials in Shropshire?

[AntonyMMM]

To research what particular units
were doing you would look at the War Diaries held at The National Archives (when open again)

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/british-army-operations-second-world-war/

AntonyMMM... thank you for this, I didn't know these were available to the public. Do you actually have to visit, or can you view them online?

For WW2 you have to view them in person - but you need to work out the exact battalion/unit of the person you are researching first to identify the relevant diaries. If you can do that, you should be able to follow their activity/location day by day.

[MaxD]

Just recapping - have you searched the CWGC site and do you know the first names/initials of the Richards and Parry you are looking for?  (You said in an earlier post that "you don't think it [the CWGC site] deals with ….." which sounds as if you perhaps haven't actually looked?

MaxD