Genealogy Chat

See below in a mo

I'm trying to get the army records for my birth father,but have hit a snag. I can't be sure which of 12 births are his,so wanted the records to try and help narrow the search,but i have to provide a death cert. Without his DOB i can't find his death ref.No idea where or when.How the heck can i gett round this one? I suspect he was born in 1923 (from his age at marriage) but can't be sure where,1923/1924 gives 12 possible births and i'm bound to need a few even with reference checks,and suspect that a few like him are named after their father. Glen

As the birth is in 1923, is it worth trying to cross reference all the births to marriages? I realise that this might prove time consuming (possibly 80 pages to check!) but you might narrow things down.

Oops, I never thought of that, Glen...... I know you obviously can't know what happened to him, but do you actually have to provide a copy of his death cert, or just give his date of death? OPDATE just READ your message properly! Thinking...................................... You have his army number, don't you? Merry

How about explaining the truth to the people at the MoD. Stress that you are his next of kin, but that you don't know what happened to him. Or, explain that you only know when he left the country (ie lie!) and that no one knows where he went. I suppose the problem might be that he might still be alive....... Merry

Hi Phoenix 3 of the 12 were illegitimate,i found 7 marriages that match. So just two to find,and my prefered birth ref is for one of these! Apparently he had a sister,(both are in another tree on GR,but the tree owner has guessed at the info,the place of birth for the mother is 150 miles out and her year of birth is also incorrect) I haven't been able to locate the birth for the sister with matching mothers maiden name either,looking 5 years either side of 1923. Glen

Hi Merry, They ask for a copy of the death cert to be enclosed with the application.I do know he is deceased,but he abandoned the wife and daughter within a few years,and the details are more from rumour than fact. I can get round the next of kin issue without too much problem. More options than answers at the moment!! Glen

Yes,.....YOU know he is dec'd, but they won't be happy to release his papers on that basis, I suppose. After all, they are meant to issue them to the next of kin only, and then only if the serviceman is dec'd. You have to sign a document stating you are the nearest next of kin (which you may not be if he has a current wife!).........but I wouldn't worry about that part. You said he may have been born in 1923.....unless he married 31st dec or 1st Jan, should that 1923 estimate be also part of either 1922 or 1924? Merry

Facts and rumours just to help or confuse. Fact Another GR tree has him,his wife,a sister and a daughter on it. I have the marriage cert for him to the wife in the other tree.Dec 1945 and age quoted is 22 years His service number is quoted on the marriage cert. He is named in my adoption file,along with a physical description and occupation,age quoted suggests 1924 birth ============================================== Place quoted for birth on other tree is Lincoln,address of residence on m/cert is Lincoln,but marriage is in Middlesborough. =============================================== Rumour Dates from other tree do not tally with details from m/cert. Sister details do not tally between tree and GRO index, Place of birth for wife appears to be way out from GRO index. I'm happy to accept that the other tree is full of 'approximate' info,and the tree owner(my half sister) is no longer a member,i have contacted her before but contact has now been lost If i can sort the wheat from the chaff i might be able to start on this side of my tree,just not sure which option to take. Glen

Another thing to consider, if you can't find the sister's birth, is that his mother (and/or father) was widowed/divorced. In my one name study I found a family where the mother's surname varied on successive births from maiden to previous surname. Lots of relationships did not survive the strain of WW1, so it is possible that his sister was a half sister.

I did consider that,but haven't found a birth with her christian name that seems to fit. Thinking about it though i know the surname of the chap she married,i wonder if it's worth finding that and getting her m/cert.Not something i particularly want to do,but sometimes a sideways move helps. Glen

If i narrow my search area to births within Lincolnshire,Worksop,Sheffield,Doncaster and Mansfield i can find three family groups. Three marriages,and births for each marriage Checked from 1921 to 1927 Marriage 1(1920) has births from 1921 to 1927 Marriage 2(1922) has births from 1923 to 1927 Marriage 3(1921) has births from 1921 to 1925 But none of them have the two names i am looking for. I don't know what plan D is yet,still working that one out! Glen

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