Series GR-3132 - Death registrations - WWII overseas casualties

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Death registrations - WWII overseas casualties

General material designation

  • microform

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Reference code

GR-3132

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Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

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Date(s)

  • 1940-1945 (Creation)
    Creator
    British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency

Physical description area

Physical description

Microfilm (neg.), 35 mm, 4 reels [B14424-B14427]

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Name of creator

(1996-)

Biographical history

The British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency (BCVSA) is responsible for determining and registering births, deaths and marriages and for issuing certificates related to these events. The agency also performs civil marriage ceremonies through private marriage commissioners, issues marriage licences, administers legal changes of name, files and searches for wills notices, performs genealogical tracing, and maintains a special purpose registry for registering cases of congenital anomalies and various handicapping conditions. In addition, the agency provides statistical and research services for various government programs, universities and special interest research groups. The registration of births, deaths and marriages in British Columbia was entrusted to the Registrar General of Titles under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Act of 1872 (SBC 1872, c. 26). Until 1911 the Registrar reported to the Department of the Attorney General, except for the years 1899 to 1901 when the office was under the Department of the Provincial Secretary. In 1911 the Registrar General of Titles became the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages under the Provincial Board of Health, which reported to the Department of the Provincial Secretary. The Vital Statistics Branch was created within the Provincial Board of Health under the control of the Provincial Health Officer in 1933, and was renamed the Division of Vital Statistics in 1936. The Division of Vital Statistics became the British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency in 1996. The Provincial Board of Health was removed from the Department of the Provincial Secretary to become the Department of Health and Welfare in 1946. It was subsequently renamed the Department of Health and Hospital Insurance (1959), the Department of Health (1973), and the Ministry of Health (1976). The Division of Vital Statistics remained part of this organization throughout these changes.

Custodial history

Scope and content

The series consists of completed statements that document the deaths of people in the armed forces in World War II who died while on active duty, and who, in civilian life, were residents of British Columbia. While the mandate of the Division of Vital Statistics was to register vital events that occurred in the province of British Columbia, during the Second World War the armed forces completed forms supplied by the province to register the deaths of armed forces personnel overseas, or outside of the province. The Division of Vital Statistics received and maintained these records but did not merge them with registrations for deaths within the province, and did not originally include them in the index to death registrations. The records were microfilmed in 1951; the original paper forms no longer exist. The forms contain personal particulars of deceased persons and the date and cause of deaths. The forms also contain medical certificates of death; these were not always completed by a physician. Although kept separately from the provincial death registrations and not included in the indexes at the time, these records are now included in the general deaths index, both online and on microfiche (GR-3034, Bf44). The information on the computer and microfiche indexes is provided only for the purpose of locating registrations and should not be taken as authoritative. The final authority for all registration information is the registration document itself.

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There are no access restrictions.

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General note

Accession number(s): 93-7161

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Physical storage

  • Box: B14424
  • Box: B14425
  • Box: B14426
  • Box: B14427