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Thread: Hello all

  1. #1
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    Default Hello all

    Hi

    My name is Mark Battistini and I am 54 years old.
    I have often been thinking about my grandfathers (Leslie Edward Brown, born 16th December 1920) service in Burma during WW2 and having watched the touching services today. I have decided to take my search for more info further.
    Unfortunately my grandfather did not discuss much with my mum so we don’t have too much to go on.

    Anyway, just thought I would say hi and see if anyone may be able to help discover more about my grandfathers experiences.

    Thanks in advance

    Mark

  2. #2
    Super Moderator - Completely bonkers and will never change.
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    Default

    Hello Mark,

    Welcome to British-Genealogy.
    I suspect you might have come to us via Forces War Records, and if so, this will explain the connection.
    https://www.british-genealogy.com/fo...rs-Please-Read

    Obtaining the service records of people who served after 1921 is relatively easy, though you will need patience. You will also need a copy of your grandfather's death certificate, and a cheque for thirty quid.
    Lots more detail about the process can be found here. https://www.british-genealogy.com/fo...757#post585757

    The 'delivery' time a couple of years ago was about three months, but since then we've had more wartime anniversaries (such as today's) which always causes a surge of requests, plus Covid-19, so I would expect that it may be at least six months before you hear back.

    If you don't have a copt of your grandfather's death certificate, then yell, and we'll give you the link to the GRO website.

    Pam
    Vulcan XH558 - “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”

  3. #3
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    Hi Pam
    Thank you for the super fast and in depth reply. I am afraid I do not have my grandads death certificate. I did come from FWR, I will try to change the quick style chooser when I work out how to do that.
    Thank you again for your helpful reply and if you could send the link for the GRO website that would be great.

    Have a wonderful Sunday.

    Mark

    Quote Originally Posted by Pam Downes View Post
    Hello Mark,

    Welcome to British-Genealogy.
    I suspect you might have come to us via Forces War Records, and if so, this will explain the connection.
    https://www.british-genealogy.com/fo...rs-Please-Read

    Obtaining the service records of people who served after 1921 is relatively easy, though you will need patience. You will also need a copy of your grandfather's death certificate, and a cheque for thirty quid.
    Lots more detail about the process can be found here. https://www.british-genealogy.com/fo...757#post585757

    The 'delivery' time a couple of years ago was about three months, but since then we've had more wartime anniversaries (such as today's) which always causes a surge of requests, plus Covid-19, so I would expect that it may be at least six months before you hear back.

    If you don't have a copt of your grandfather's death certificate, then yell, and we'll give you the link to the GRO website.

    Pam

  4. #4
    Super Moderator - Completely bonkers and will never change.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Markbatt View Post
    Hi Pam
    Thank you for the super fast and in depth reply. I am afraid I do not have my grandads death certificate. I did come from FWR, I will try to change the quick style chooser when I work out how to do that.
    Don't look at me for inspiration as I'm useless at anything techie!
    Try bookmarking https://www.british-genealogy.com/forum/
    Or else when you have the link to this thread open, scroll down to the bottom of the page where you'll see a blue banner across the page and an option of 'home' to click on. That should also take you to the full forum page.
    Thank you again for your helpful reply and if you could send the link for the GRO website that would be great.

    Have a wonderful Sunday.

    Mark
    Ignore the Passport Office heading, this is the correct link.
    https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/c...ates/login.asp
    Scroll down to register.
    Then the next time you sign in you should get a page which gives you the option (second down, on left) to 'search the GRO indexes'. Click.
    I'm assuming that your grandfather died in 1998, so select year, enter name, etc
    Take care, because believe it or not, there are two people with that name born in 1920, dying in 1998. I presume you know which registration district he died in. (Fortunately the districts are in different areas of the country.)
    Beside the entries are 'radio buttons'. Click the one against the correct name, and you get a choice of ordering a 'certificate' or 'MSF + certificate'. You want just the certificate.
    Note that "You will be prompted to supply further details for more recent births and deaths (within the last 50 years) when you complete the online application form." I have no idea what those further details involve, but will possibly be date of birth or date of death.
    Have your credit card ready.

    Any more questions, just ask.

    Pam
    Vulcan XH558 - “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”

  5. #5
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    MARK
    I don't know what information you have for your grandfather but the two births that Pam found in 1920 registered between January and March are 1) Mother's maiden name Papworth registered in Cambridge and 2) mmn Self reg Bromley.
    Pam also pointed out there are two deaths for a Leslie Edward Brown in 1998 but in that year there is only one Probate (none in 1999). Death 5 Feb 1998. Probate 5 May 1998 Oxford - where Probate is granted does not indicate place of death.
    If you use the GRO Index to look for a death for that date it will give exact dob although you will need the registration area of death which I gather you don't have but if you have any idea that might help.

    Is your grandfather your paternal or maternal gf?One can't post details of living people but I made a start on working backwards and found some info but the names are repeated so I got stuck! Jill

  6. #6
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    MARK
    PS Sorry my brain isn't working at full capacity.
    Clutching at straws here but wonder if the marriage of your maternal grand parents is 1882 Q2 Charles Edward Brown who married Caroline Brown, reg in Portsea.I only suggest this on the basis that perhaps Charles' middle name Edward is also given to your gf Leslie Edward but also Portsea fits with registration districts for other info I found but can't post sincethose concerned may be alive. Jill

  7. #7
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    PPS Think I'd best leave this as getting too muddled and can't think straight as if married in 1882 Caroline would be too old to give birth to your gf in 1920. over to you! Jill

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by gilian rowland View Post
    MARK
    I don't know what information you have for your grandfather but the two births that Pam found in 1920 registered between January and March are 1) Mother's maiden name Papworth registered in Cambridge and 2) mmn Self reg Bromley.
    Pam also pointed out there are two deaths for a Leslie Edward Brown in 1998 but in that year there is only one Probate (none in 1999). Death 5 Feb 1998. Probate 5 May 1998 Oxford - where Probate is granted does not indicate place of death.
    If you use the GRO Index to look for a death for that date it will give exact dob although you will need the registration area of death which I gather you don't have but if you have any idea that might help.

    Is your grandfather your paternal or maternal gf?One can't post details of living people but I made a start on working backwards and found some info but the names are repeated so I got stuck! Jill
    Jill,

    Pam did not find any births registered between January and March 1920.
    And neither of the two you found have any relevance to Mark's grandfather.

    I would also suggest that you do not cloud the issue with talk of probate. As you say, place of probate does not indicate place of death. The only time finding a probate record is helpful is prior to 1996 when the usual address and/or place of death is given in the probate register, as well as where probate was granted, and it usually says to whom probate was granted. You also need to be aware that probate is not necessarily granted in the same year as the death occurs. Whenever the death occurs, but especially if someone dies late on in the year, probate might well not be granted until the following year. Or even many years later.

    Mark knows the date of birth of his grandfather, and I'm assuming that he knows his (approximate) date and place/area of death. From knowing the two latter details he can easily work out which death registration is the relevant one, as they occurred in different quarters in different areas of the country.

    Pam
    Vulcan XH558 - “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”

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