Researching the casualties on WW1 war memorials

Preparatory briefing

29 November 2013

Agenda

1. Objectives of the project - Why we are undertaking the project? What do we plan to produce? What benefits will this provide to our communities?

2. Research methods - Archive sources. On-line sources. Potential collaborators. Making contact with and involving the local communities. Interviews. Record keeping. Writing up, publishing and using the results. Publicity

3. Responsibilities - Which war memorials shall we cover at least initially? Who will handle which? Who will provide specialist skills?

4. Plans – Publicity. Making contact with and involving the local communities. Funding – Do we need any? Further training – Do we need any? Target dates. Progress meetings

1. Objectives of the project

• Why we are undertaking the project?

• What do we plan to produce? – 7 pieces of information about each casualty if possible –

name; family background; military service; age at death; date, place & cause of death; subsequent impact on family; photograph

– Background information about the war memorial & numbers and types of local people who served in WW1?

– Published so that it is accessible to local people

• What benefits will this provide to our communities?

2. Research methods

• Archive sources – WSRO, Imperial War Museums, WS Library Service - Local Studies, local records, family records & photographs etc

• On-line sources • Collaborators - ‘West Sussex & the Great War Project’,

IWM’s War Memorials Archive • Making contact with and involving the local communities • Interviews • Record keeping • Writing up, publishing and using the results • Publicity

Archives and other sources

West Sussex Record Office (1)

Has many sources for tracing military ancestors, including: • Army lists (Officers only) • Local newspapers • Absent voters lists • Soldiers who died in the First World War (CD) • Royal Sussex Regiment archives You can also download service records from the Ancestry and Find My Past subscription websites, which are available free in the searchroom.

West Sussex Record Office (2)

Family history and other relevant sources: • Civil registration indexes 1837-2005 of births, marriages &

deaths • Marriage licences • Parish registers and Bishop's transcripts • Census records • Poll Books and Electoral Registers • School records • Probate calendars • Directories • Newspapers • Photographs, prints and drawings

The National Archives

• Army & Royal Flying Corps officers' service records & some soldiers’ records

• British Army unit war diaries (1914-1922)

• British Army Lists (Officers only)

• Naval officer, warrant officer & ratings records (Difficult to search)

• Navy lists (Officers only)

• Campaign medal rolls (for 1914-1918 service)

Imperial War Museums

• Archive holding details of over 60,000 war memorials in the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man, including their location, type, history and the names commemorated on them (We have the data collection forms)

• Unpublished diaries, letters and memoirs written primarily by British and Commonwealth servicemen since 1914

• Nearly 11 million photographs

• Film archive

On-line Sources

Roll of Honour website

www.roll-of-honour.com

Description & photo of most war memorials List of casualties Brief histories of casualties

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

www.cwgc.org

Casualties Where & when killed Location of grave or memorial

WW1 Cemeteries

www.ww1cemeteries.com

Guide to military cemeteries and memorials, primarily of Belgium and France, but also including Great Britain and other countries

Imperial War Museums

www.iwm.org.uk

IWM’s War Memorials Archive

www.ukniwm.org.uk

Descriptions & photos of war memorials Lists of casualties

War Graves Photographic Project

www.twgpp.org

Photos of graves Coverage incomplete

War Memorials Trust & War Memorials On-Line

www.warmemorials.org

Guidance notes Descriptions & photos of war memorials Names of casualties Coverage incomplete

The National Archives website

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Soldiers' records (1914-1920) Medal cards (1914-1920) Campaign medal records for officers (1914-1920) Index to service records for officers (1914-1922) Naval officer service records (1756-1917) Index of naval officers who died between 1914 and 1920

Forces War Records (£)

www.forces-war-records.co.uk

Basic information & military records of those who served Coverage incomplete

Ancestry (£)

www.ancestry.co.uk

British Army WWI Service Records Soldiers Died in the Great War Births, marriages & deaths Censuses

Findmypast (£)

www.findmypast.co.uk

Soldiers who Died in the Great War Naval Casualties 1914-19 Births, marriages & deaths Censuses

FreeBMD

freebmd.rootsweb.com

Registers of births, marriages & deaths

Potential collaborators

West Sussex Libraries Local Studies

Each library holds a collection of books and other material relating to its own area. Additionally, there are three local studies collections at Worthing, Chichester and Crawley libraries. These cover a wider area, with Worthing being the main county collection. Resources held by the libraries include:

• Books from the 17th century onwards • Periodicals from 1820s • Maps from the 16th century • Newspapers from the mid 18th century • Street and trade directories from 18th century • Photographs, pictures and works of art from the 1820s • Ephemera from the 1850s

IWM’s War Memorials Archive

www.ukniwm.org.uk

We have made contact and have their guidelines and input forms

2. Research methods

• Archive sources

• On-line sources

• Collaborators

• Making contact with and involving the local communities

• Interviews

• Record keeping

• Writing up, publishing and using the results

• Publicity

3. Responsibilities

• Which war memorials shall we cover at least initially? – How many and which ones?

– Others that could follow later

• Who will handle which?

• Who will provide specialist skills? – Research methods, interviewing, writing up

4. Plans

• Publicity – Midhurst & Petworth Observer, other local newspapers & publications, parish magazines

• Making contact with and involving the local communities

• Funding – Do we need any?

• Further training – Do we need any?

• Target dates

• Progress meetings – Report progress, share experience & ideas, address issues

Anything else we should discuss?