War Widows Knock on the Door: An Exploratory Study of the Experiences of Bereaved Military Families

Abstract: This report is about the experiences of bereaved military families in the UK and the impact of their loss. For a member of the Armed Forces there is an increased risk of being exposed to serious and unsafe situations that may result in an untimely death. The ‘Joint Casualty and Compassion Policy and Procedures Vol 2’ published by the Ministry of Defence outlines policies and procedures relating to death in military service, including the process of casualty notification, funeral arrangements and the roles of the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre, Casualty Notifying Officer and Visiting Officer. Nevertheless, there currently exists little research on the impact of a sudden loss on the families that are left behind and the War Widows Association (WWA) identified a need for an investigation into how bereaved military families are notified and subsequently cared for. The aim of this study was to explore and understand the impact that death, whilst in military service, has on the surviving family. Specifically, it focused on how casualty notification was undertaken and the impact that the current process had on the long-term wellbeing of the family.