Issue of Death Certificate between December 8th and 25th 1941

My wife , then aged three, and her family were living in Tai Hang village at the outbeak of hostilities and on an un known date her mother went to the nearby stand pipe to draw water, the house mains at that time being out of order. While in the course of doing this chore she was killed instantly when a Japanese shell or bomb   landed close by. We are anxious to know for how long the British authorities presevered recording such deaths and issuing death certificate. As far as we know at this very late date her father never obtained one. I have  not undertaken a search because I am at the moment put off by the astronomical  rates charged by the Registery Office in HK for searches.  Nick