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As an example of a record from the Army Birth Returns, a researcher has advised he has a “certified copy” from the GRO taken from “Army Book 112 (Register of Births) of the -th Bn. -th Punjab Regiment for the six months ending 30th June 19-- reported from the Military Station at Isak (North Waziristan)”. Note this Regiment was part of the [[Indian Army]]. He advised: I suspect the official recording and reporting of such events as births to British or foreign Indian Army soldiers’ wives were likely to have been done almost entirely through their Army channels with not a Chaplain in sight and would be dependent on the British/foreign father reporting the birth, although one needs to allow for delays in reporting - I was born before the six months specified above In my case it looks as if my father reported my birth to his adjutant a couple of months or more after the event when he was on operations (that means in a war situation) in Waziristan. <ref> By email to User:Maureene, 23-24 Feb 2010</ref>
The indexes in respect of the overseas registrations are most commonly called the British Army Overseas Indexes. '''The Most of the indexes are available online, see below'''.
Note that if a record is available both in the India Office [[Church records]] (now available on findmypast (pay website)) and in the General Register Office records, the latter may contain more information, at least for some time periods. By way of example, in 1903 the additional information available for a marriage record was the nationalities of the groom and bride, and the occupations of the fathers of the groom and bride.
There is also a series of records which includes India, (held by the General Register Office, and not on open access), known as the '''Regimental Registers 1761-1924''' which are original entries of births/baptisms, marriages and (far fewer) deaths/burials kept by various regiments and relate to the families of officers and other ranks at home and on foreign stations from 1790.<ref name=FSW >
[https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/British_Births,_Marriages_and_Deaths_Overseas#Regimental_Registers Regimental Registers] FamilySearch Wiki. </ref> Included in this series are records of regimental marriages taking place between 1761 and 1924 that have never been indexed. As these additional records have never been indexed, they are not included in the data on findmypast or other websites. If you can provide the man's name and regiment, and approximate date the GRO will search their records. Email the [[General Register Office|GRO]] with GQ in the subject header, eg "GQ Regimental Marriage Registers", to avoid receiving an automated reply.<ref>Downes, Pam [https://www.british-genealogy.com/threads/4364-GRO-Regimental-Birth-Indices GRO Regimental Birth Indices] 04-03-2005 British-Genealogy.com Forum. Retrieved 6 April 2015.</ref> There is a summary list of regiments and of dates covered for births and marriages in an Appendix to ''My ancestor was in the British Army'' by Michael J. and Christopher T. Watts (Society of Genealogists, 1995). ,<ref name=FSW /> and an online listing of the regiments (but no dates).<ref> Available on Familyrelatives.com (refer External links) in the free database "GRO List of Army Registers"</ref> Indexes for the records which have been indexed, are available on [[Findmypast|findmypast]]. In respect of "Regimental Birth Indexes –[these] may show several index references for the same person. As a soldier moved from one regiment to another, he had to register himself and his family each time for pay purposes. If you find more than one index reference for same person, provide all references and we will produce the entry with the most information".<ref>[http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/most_customers_want_to_know.asp Certificate ordering Service: Most customers want to know...] www.gro.gov.uk (Scroll down)</ref>
==Other National Archives records==
== External links ==
*[http://www.familyrelatives.com/index.php Familyrelatives.com] contains '''most''' of the GRO Overseas Indexes which include images from the British Army Overseas Indexes which you can access for free, (even though most other records on the site require a subscription). These are viewable images, which have not been transcribed to search. The site requires an up to date Adobe Flash (Flash 11 or later) plug-in to view the images. First you must log in (with first time registration required), from the Home Page, then select 'Search' (from the bar across the top of the page) and then 'Overseas Records'. Then select the database you are interested in. '''Note, some pages from the indexes were missing at one time, so the database may not be complete''' (missing Army marriage pages were noted). Note: this website became inactive late July 2015, but appears to have returned (c February 2016).:[https://familyrelatives.com/articles/details.php?aid=46 Familyrelatives.com British Overseas Records] A description of the GRO Index records on Familyrelatives.com.
*[http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=2114&id=201071 Findmypast] (pay website) contains three separate Index databases called '''British Armed Forces and Overseas Births, Marriages, Deaths''', all of which contain overseas and some UK events, which include the British Army Overseas Indexes, (located within BMD). Some Royal Air Force index records are also included. (Note, "Overseas" was amalgamated into this database 2018/01.) There is a charge to search, however the findmypast records have the advantage that at least some (but not Index records) may indicate the relevant regiment. In addition, the database contains indexes for births in the U.K. and overseas, 1761-1924, taken from regimental registers, including births in India. The Armed Forces Deaths database also includes what may be called GRO War Deaths or GRO War Dead.<ref>War Deaths, including World Wars I and II, and the Boer War. [http://web.archive.org/web/20051223043104/www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/research/searchingforoverseasrecords/index.asp Searching for overseas records] GRO, now an archived web page.</ref> As noted above, WO97 records are also available.
:[https://www.findmypast.co.uk/articles/world-records/full-list-of-united-kingdom-records/life-events-bmds Findmypast article] Scroll down the left side to GRO to see the GRO Indexes included in the findmypast databases. Note, it does '''not''' seem possible to browse through an index.:The AIGS (Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies, or Family History Connections) library in Melbourne Victoria has reference to a book [GRO] ''Overseas indexes: war deaths in the Indian Services, 1914-1921'', also referred to as "GRO War Deaths Indian Services, Deaths 1914-1921". This database is '''not''' included in either Familyrelatives.com, or findmypast.
:'''If you have found an index reference and you then want to order a certificate, this can be done [http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates online from the GRO]'''. (A charge applies). In the past the certificate has been a transcript, not a copy of the original document, and this is believed to be the current situation.
::'''Note''':
::*For legal reasons, Overseas and Forces certificates are NOT '''not''' available in (the cheaper) PDF format.
::*If you do not supply the GRO Index reference, the certificate will cost more as there is an additional search fee, and it may take longer to be sent.
::*If a record is available both in the India Office Church record series on [[findmypast]] and in the GRO records, the latter may contain more information, at least for some time periods. By way of example, in 1903 the additional information available for a marriage record was the nationalities of the groom and bride, and the occupations of the fathers of the groom and bride.
