Genealogy Chat

Can someone please lay out the circumstances as to when military deaths are included in the 'general' civilian records and when not---as I was given a long winded answer by my local office, which included ---depends which war--whether died abroad and buried there etc Thank you---PGTIPS.

An 'event', death or birth, must be registered in the area in which it took place. Therefore, if a death happened abroad it would not be registered in the Registers of a Registrar in this country and would therefore not appear in the 'general' indexes. It doesn't have anything to do with where they are buried, that is a matter outside the scope of civil registration.

Just as an addition to my post above, The Overseas Branch of the General Register Ofice 'attempts' to keep records of events which took place abroad. I use 'attempts' quite deliberately, as that is dependent on the overseas country sending the information to GRO. Some countries do it quickly, some take their time and some don't bother.

On" findmypast "in the "deaths overseas "there is a GRO Army death index 1881-1955 which can be searched if you have a sub-.so it looks as though the GRO was the depository for war deaths and therefore a certificate should be available Heather

Heather---yes I do actually have a 'sub' with Findmypast. I have just had verbals with them. They sent me an email suggesting that a 'War Hero' they had found, with the same name as a family member of mine --might be one and the same. Well my sub did'nt cover this new 'service'--so I paid up to view, and was shown ( what turns out to be a mock-up) of an actual military ID card complete with a sepia photograph. On it--it stated my relatives name and ---'Soldier of the Ist World War' .. The problem was --it was'nt my relation at all---only generic, so they later told me. Anyway--the point is-although the soldiers name , rank and serial number was on it, they said there was no other information to link this man with my family what-so-ever. No age--dob--parents--address, or place of birth. They told me that the only way to find out if he was 'ours' was to buy a certificate ??????. Well the name is'nt uncommon, but I'm sure glad it is'nt Smith or Jone's with advice like that !!

OH dear ! re-the-above, apologies to findmypast--it was'nt them---but dear old GR who offered me the chance to view 'my' war hero's details. Senility here it comes!!!!!!!!