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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: MonicaL on Sunday 03 October 21 19:50 BST (UK)

Title: British Army birth in Germany in 1960s
Post by: MonicaL on Sunday 03 October 21 19:50 BST (UK)
I wonder if someone could give me some advice on how to find and order a birth cert where the birth took place in Germany in the 1960s. Father's unit was based in Germany at that time and family resident at base.

Thanks for any help  :)

Monica
Title: Re: British Army birth in Germany in 1960s
Post by: Morvenwalker on Sunday 03 October 21 20:18 BST (UK)
Most births  took place in British Military Hospitals but were registered  at the garrison where the parent was serving.  A number of Records are held at the National Archives at Kew. It would be a good starting point. I know some people who have a military birth certificate and a standard British one.Good luck with your search
Title: Re: British Army birth in Germany in 1960s
Post by: MonicaL on Sunday 03 October 21 20:25 BST (UK)
Thank you, Morvenwalker  :) I was thinking that contacting the GRO direct might confirm whether one can be ordered through them? Have full details. Sibings' births took place in UK army bases.

Monica
Title: Re: British Army birth in Germany in 1960s
Post by: Morvenwalker on Sunday 03 October 21 21:48 BST (UK)
I seem to remember that all births were registered with the GRO - hence the two birth  certificates. Be good to hear how you get on.

Kind Regards
Morvenwalker
Title: Re: British Army birth in Germany in 1960s
Post by: MonicaL on Sunday 03 October 21 22:02 BST (UK)
Will let you know  :)

Monica
Title: Re: British Army birth in Germany in 1960s
Post by: Jebber on Sunday 03 October 21 22:50 BST (UK)
Findmypast have the British  Armed Forces and  Overseas Births Index.
 Once you have the reference you order from the GRO as usual, only on a different page of the application, just  follow the instructions on the GRO website.
Title: Re: British Army birth in Germany in 1960s
Post by: Jon_ni on Monday 04 October 21 01:04 BST (UK)
if open the GRO's FAQ's https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/faq.asp#GROIndexReferences there is a pdf https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/images/CG6_1.pdf
Index's go to 1960 on Ancestry https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/birth-marriage-death-armed-forces/
Findmypast Army birth index goes to 1965 on Findmypast and overseas to 2005 https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-united-kingdom-records-in-birth-marriage-death-and-parish-records/and_civil-births you don't have to delve further just stick the keyword 'overseas' in or if prefer use https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/british-armed-forces-and-overseas-births-and-baptisms [see learn/discover more for full coverage]

Order paper copy here https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/app_select.asp
Title: Re: British Army birth in Germany in 1960s
Post by: MonicaL on Monday 04 October 21 18:10 BST (UK)
Hi Jebber and Jon_ni

Following your advice, I think I may have found the birth on the Find My Past index for Army overseas births. Thank you both  ;) Now on to order through the GRO...

Monica
Title: Re: British Army birth in Germany in 1960s
Post by: Jebber on Monday 04 October 21 18:26 BST (UK)
Good luck.
Title: Re: British Army birth in Germany in 1960s
Post by: John915 on Thursday 07 October 21 18:40 BST (UK)
Good evening,

My son was born in Germany at BMH Rinteln in 1978. To register the birth one had to travel to the British Consulate in Hannover. The birth is recorded in the Consulate register which is then photocopied. This copy/ies is/are then signed in ink by the British Consul and a red ribbon with wax seal attached at the bottom.

As such they cannot be used to obtain passports etc because they are copies. Whether you can obtain further copies I don't know. The original registers will presumably be kept at the relevant Consulate. I don't know if that is what people refer to as a military birth certificate. To obtain a normal British birth certificate the birth would also need to be registered in Britain to generate the neccessary entry in a register here.

We were unable to get a passport for our son because of this. Fortunately he went on a school trip to France and obtained a one year passport from the PO. These are no longer available but he was able to use it to obtain a full passport.

John915
Title: Re: British Army birth in Germany in 1960s
Post by: Jebber on Thursday 07 October 21 20:10 BST (UK)
John915

If you were in the Forces, I’m surprised that you say you couldn’t get a copy of your son’s birth certificate. Friends whose children were born in BMH Rinteln have their births listed in the British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptism Index, those registered at the Consulate are indexed both in the Consular  volume and the Armed Forces volume, copies can be obtained from the GRO.

One of my sons was born in Malta and a granddaughter in Hong Kong, both indexed in the Armed Forces volume, neither had any trouble getting copies to apply for passports.
Title: Re: British Army birth in Germany in 1960s
Post by: BenRalph on Thursday 07 October 21 20:11 BST (UK)
My uncle was  born in Germany in the 1960s with a soldier father. He has a German and a British cert which he can get a copy of from the GRO
Title: Re: British Army birth in Germany in 1960s
Post by: Jebber on Thursday 07 October 21 20:39 BST (UK)
My uncle was  born in Germany in the 1960s with a soldier father. He has a German and a British cert which he can get a copy of from the GRO

Most likely if his mother was German?
Title: Re: British Army birth in Germany in 1960s
Post by: John915 on Thursday 07 October 21 21:00 BST (UK)
John915

If you were in the Forces, I’m surprised that you say you couldn’t get a copy of your son’s birth certificate. Friends whose children were born in BMH Rinteln have their births listed in the British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptism Index, those registered at the Consulate are indexed both in the Consular  volume and the Armed Forces volume, copies can be obtained from the GRO.

One of my sons was born in Malta and a granddaughter in Hong Kong, both indexed in the Armed Forces volume, neither had any trouble getting copies to apply for passports.

We had no problem getting copies of the birth certificate. I purchased them when I registered the birth. What we couldn't do was get a passport with them because they are photocopies of the entry in the register. The passport office will not accept copies only originals.

Any copies obtained from GRO will also be photocopies.

John915
Title: Re: British Army birth in Germany in 1960s
Post by: Jebber on Thursday 07 October 21 23:25 BST (UK)
I’m sorry if I appear argumentative, but there is a difference between photocopies and Certified copies.

 You only get photocopies from the GRO  if you order a cheap PDF copy,  Paper ones  are Certified copies and that is all you ever get, even when you register a birth or  death. I  have my original certificate issued when my father registered my birth, that clearly states it is a Certified copy, that was used for my first passport application. When we registered the birth of our eldest son, what the Registrar handed us was a Certified copy.

 It is the same with marriage certificates, the one you are given is a Certified copy.

If you need further proof, check out the Government website on how to order a passport, it clearly states if you don’t have your original birth certificate, you need an official copy, it goes on to tell you how to apply for a copy from the GRO.

Addendum
The requirements changed for people born after January 1st 1983.