BBC WW2 Peoples War Archives

Discussion in 'Research Material' started by Ron Goldstein, Aug 18, 2009.

  1. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    I am delighted to report that at long last and after much pressurising from myself and others, the BBC WW2 Peoples War Archives BBC - WW2 People's War has finally got its act together and the search facilities, at the time of writing, are actually working. :D

    There is so much here of immense value to WW2 researchers that it would have been negligible, to the point of being criminal, had the search facility not been attended to.

    Now that it does work, I thoroughly recommend that you see what it has to offer.

    Note: On some of the pages, the search box is at the bottom left, marked "Search the Archive", this is the box you must use and NOT the search box at the top which seems to offer a GOOGLE type search within BBC sites.

    Finally, I spent a few years on this site, initially as a "Researcher" and then finally as a "Helper" and consider myself fairly clued up on the best way to get info out of the site so don't hesitate to come back here for any assistance.

    ps
    As an example of how the BBC site could help researchers on this forum, someone was asking about the 17/21st Lancers ?
    In the BBC ARCHIVE search box I keyed in "17/21st" and found 2001 hits.......
    that'll keep him busy :)
     
    Peter Clare and englandphil like this.
  2. arkrite

    arkrite Senior Member

    Thank You Ron for all the work you have done with this archive. It is one of my favourites and I can spend hours reading and getting sidetracked on it. I think the BBC collected the information just in time , leaving it any longer and so much would have been lost forever......arkrite.
     
  3. GPRegt

    GPRegt Senior Member

    Well done, Ron! As a former fellow Researcher, I too found the lack of search facility frustrating.

    Steve W.
     
  4. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    Ron, excellent outcome to your persistance. and plenty of more reading for the rest of us.

    P
     
  5. roodymiller

    roodymiller Senior Member

    Thanks Ron. Should help many people find what they need...
     
  6. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    Thanks for the heads up Ron. a good job well done.

    Regards
    Peter.
     
  7. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    Much improved.
     
  8. drumaneen

    drumaneen Senior Member

    Thats great Ron ... fabulous "real" accounts on that site.
    Is there any way to contact the contributors?
     
  9. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    You must be bloody chuffed Ron, you've been (rightly) chasing that bee round your bonnet for a fair while now.

    Congrats on finally getting a result, I'm amazed and impressed that the wheels of BBC bureaucracy have actually ground their way to a decent conclusion.
    One of the best WW2 sites on the web now has legs again.

    ~A
     
  10. Rob Dickers

    Rob Dickers 10th MEDIUM REGT RA

    :)
    Ron
    Your baby's now started walking, well done for your persistence in getting the powers that be at the BBC to act.
    Tried it this morning ' loads of hits'
    Great stuff.
    Rob.
     
  11. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Drumaneen (and others with possibly the same question)
    re:
    Is there any way to contact the contributors?


    The short answer is that the BBC will not allow anyone to make contact with any former contributor giving "this would be a direct breach of confidence" as their reason for refusing to divulge any information of this type.

    The only chance of trying to make contact is by posting a request on the BBC Message Board:
    BBC - MESSAGE BOARDS - History - WW2 - is there really anything new? - Conversation
    There are quite a few folk who post on that forum who were former suscribers to the BBC People's War site before it became a closed archive. The major disadvantage is that it is a bit risky putting your own e-mail address on the Message Board site.

    The BBC has a resident moderator on board by the name of Andrew Host who will always answer any queries directly addressed to him.

    Sorry I can't be more positive but that's the way that it has been since day one.

    Cheers

    Ron
     
  12. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Have just been trawling through some postings I'd previously made on the ww2f forum and came across another minor " victory" that I won against the BBC so I repeat it below.

    I still think it's funny :)

    Writing about the time I spent on the BBC WW2 Peoples War site has reminded me of an amusing episode to do with the "Bebe's" policy on the use of swear words.

    Like many other websites of this type, postings were put through a pre-scanning process before being accepted and certain swear words were strictly taboo.

    I had just posted a piece about my tank commander "Busty" Thomas
    BBC - WW2 People's War - Diary Entries 11th April 1945
    and to my surprise it was rejected by the moderators because I had used the word "bastard". This despite the fact that "bastard" was in every dictionary and had been used to quote an actual remark made by the aforesaid "Busty".

    I received an e-mail from the Moderators that said if I used asterisks (as in "BxxxxxxS) the article would then be accepted.

    I settled for this and the piece was duly allowed on site until, almost a year later, I was browsing through the recent postings and noticed that more and more people were using the dreaded word and, more importantly, getting away with it !

    I wrote to the Moderators and was told that the Bebe had decided to adopt a more relaxed view on the subject, to which I replied "Please can I have my BASTARD back ?

    I am pleased to report that Busty's actual words are now preserved for posterity
     
  13. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    That reminds me .......................................................... :)

    During the time that the BBC site was "live" we were sometimes able to get messages passed back to the original writer, as in this link (you need to scroll down to read the comments)
    BBC - WW2 People's War - The Feast

    With 47,000 stories under their belt, one would have hoped that the BBC would have set up a facility so that newcomers to the Archives could get in touch with people who had previously posted.

    I can understand completely the "privacy" angle, but this could be overcome by a system that enables the BBC to contact the original posters and get their permission to pass on a contact address.

    What a wasted opportunity to futher future research !!!!!
     
  14. Drumaneen (and others with possibly the same question)
    re:
    The short answer is that the BBC will not allow anyone to make contact with any former contributor giving "this would be a direct breach of confidence" as their reason for refusing to divulge any information of this type.

    The only chance of trying to make contact is by posting a request on the BBC Message Board:
    BBC - MESSAGE BOARDS - History - WW2 - is there really anything new? - Conversation
    There are quite a few folk who post on that forum who were former suscribers to the BBC People's War site before it became a closed archive. The major disadvantage is that it is a bit risky putting your own e-mail address on the Message Board site.

    The BBC has a resident moderator on board by the name of Andrew Host who will always answer any queries directly addressed to him.

    Sorry I can't be more positive but that's the way that it has been since day one.

    Cheers

    Ron

    Well done Ron, thanks for your efforts.

    From my own point of view this is the one major source of frustration with what was otherwise an excellent project and resource. In my experience in a previous life with responsibility as data controller this was a complete cop out by the Beeb as an easy solution to managing a system where by people would by the nature of the material inevitably want to make contact with each other.

    One of the contibutors was the daughter of guy who served in the same LAA Battery as my Grandfather (may well have been in the same Troop), and in the contribution BBC - WW2 People's War - Dad's War Diary mentions my Grandfather by name, in a diary of my Grandfathers it lists the guy and what at the time was his home address. I would really like to be able to make contact but have been frustrated at every effort so far and as far as I can see the BBC WW2 Peoples War holds the only key.

    The search continues.

    Chris
     
  15. Rob Dickers

    Rob Dickers 10th MEDIUM REGT RA

    :confused:
    Chris
    Have exactly the same problem as you! Just so frustrating where you find someone who could help with your research but have no way of acsessing them. Have tried many ways for some time but to no avail.
    Rob
    BBC - WW2 People's War - My father was a gunner
     
  16. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Rob

    There must be a lot of us frustrated people out there !

    I see the article "My father was a Gunner" mentions:
    a friend he made in Nijmegen called Marcel Damen, who I believe visited us at home after the war. An army colleague who I remember was Bill Barnes who lived near us in Finchley

    and is signed:
    I am his only daughter Joyce Wells nee Couzens

    May one ask who you were/are actually trying to trace ?
     
  17. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    I've always been what used to be known as a "belt & braces" man, in other words I've always tried to see that I always had backup of info I've posted on the internet and, more importantly, when dealing with the BBC :)

    With that in mind, what follows is a "linked" list of all the articles I posted on the BBC site between October 2003 and January 2006, with a description of any image posted to head the article.

    Some of the articles were posted on behalf of others and these are marked thus *.


    INDEX OF STORIES IMAGE ATTACHED

    1. Day Leave in Rome Ron with pipe & KDs
    2. Not My Worst Night, By Any Means: A Young Soldier in North Africa Ron with 78 Div Flash
    3. Diary Entries 11th April 1945 Page from Ron’s diary
    4. One family, Five Sons, All Serving in H.M.Forces Montage of Lou, Jack, Mossy, Mick & Ron
    5. The War Ends in Italy, 2nd May 1945 Ron on guard at Ferndorf in Austria
    6. Running a Staging Camp in Germany, August 1945 Page from my Album of Ulm in Germany
    7. Training To Be A Driver/Wireless Operator Ron’s first Army picture in 1942
    8. Danke Herr Mix! German Army unit marching through Trieben 1936 & Ron’s billets
    9. My Welcome Home Ron on train coming home on leave
    10. A Driver/Op in Light Ack Ack Army Wireless Set No.19 as used by Ron
    11. Getting your Army Records A page from Ron’s Army Records
    12. Ron's Grand Tour Map showing Ron’s travels
    13. Trieste, October 1945 to January 1947 Ron on Minesweeper in Trieste Harbour
    14. Early Army Days, October 1942 A page from Ron’s AB64 showing innoculations
    14. Two Weeks in Dock in Naples and Not a Wound to Show for it! Cover of Ron’s Army Album
    16. Monte Cassino, March to May 1944 Lew Fox & Cover of Cassino Passover Service leaflet
    17. German Propaganda Leaflets Meet Charlie the Gunner leaflet
    18. What did you eat in the War, Daddy? Dining hall at Opicina
    19. Joining the 4th Queen's Own Hussars Group photo of A Squadron at Ferndorf
    20. VE Day, As Seen from a Field near Venice Ron & the clock tower at Venice
    21. The Day My Brother Mick Nearly Killed Me Ron & Mick on AJEX Parade 1992
    22. Sicily, Then On To Italy Ron in Bari
    23 Duplicate
    24. Waiting to be called up Ron, Jack, Lew, Dad in the Factory at Gt.Eastern St. 1942
    25. Keeping a Diary in Wartime: 4th Queen's Own Hussars in Italy and the 49th LAA in Egypt
    Page from Diary dated 16th August 1944
    26. The Day I Should Have Died: 4th Queen's Own Hussars in Italy
    Page from Diary April 15th 1945
    27. The 78th Div Goes to Egypt to Re-Train and Re-Form Ron’s leave in Cairo including camels
    28. Life in Wartime Austria: 4th Queen's Own Hussars July to August 1945 Ron with German truck
    29.Transformation from Gunner to Trooper Pete Burns, Ken Atkinson & Ron at Rieti
    30. Army Transport Ron as Despatch Rider at Opicina
    31. Stick it in your Army.....Album! Montage from Ron’s Army Album
    32. The First Post-War New Years Eve, December 31, 1946 Ron and the fair at Monfalcone
    33. * Jack Nissenthall- The VC Hero Who Never Was: Part 2 (By Martin Sugarman)
    34. * No.3 (Jewish) Troop, No.10 Commando (By Martin Sugarman)
    35. * Two Jewish Heroines of the SOE Part 1 (By Martin Sugarman)
    36. * Two Jewish Heroines of the SOE Part 2 (By Martin Sugarman)
    37. * Two Jewish Heroines of the SOE Part 3 (By Martin Sugarman)
    38. * Two Jewish Heroines of the SOE Part 4 (By Martin Sugarman)
    39. * A Jewish Hero in the SOE Part 1 (By Martin Sugarman)
    40. * A Jewish Hero in the SOE Part 2 (By Martin Sugarman)
    41. * Jack Nissenthall - The VC Hero Who Never Was (Part 1a) (By Martin Sugarman) Jack N.
    42. * Jack Nissenthall - The VC Hero Who Never Was (Part 1b) (By Martin Sugarman)
    43. 1939-1947, an ‘interesting’ experience and my 15 minutes of fame. Nita & Ron - AJEX Parade 2001
    44. Riots in Trieste, circa October 1945 The riots
    45. Day Leave in Alexandria Bob Dunne & Ron at Rameses Square-Alexandria
    46. Charlie 4 Is Not Answering My Signals German Propaganda leaflet-Churchill without Roosevelt
    47. Getting the facts right Leave pass to Florence
    48. Dive Bombing in Italy - A Memory Confirmed Larry with friends
    49. Collapsible beds Ron in tanks coveralls at Rieti
    50. Keeping Clean on Active Service Ron at swimming pool-Heliopolis
    51. New Years Day 1944, Snowed in at Carovilli Aerogram sent to Mick from Italy
    52. Images of Wartime, 1939-1946, Ron Goldstein's personal collection No picture attached
    53. Ice cold…. But NOT in Alex ! Ron walking in Trent Park in the winter
    54. Gunner Burnard and the Brigadier Larry and his friends at Congleton
    55. Return to Cassino Ron at Cassino British Cemetery
    56. German ‘Tip and Run Raiders’ over Hove in 1943 Another page from Ron’s War Records
    57. Cambridge and Bethnal Green Boy's Club, The club that produced heroes Mick & Don Carlton
    58. Lt.Whitfield's directing debut Another pic of Ron on day leave in Rome
    59. Ron Goldstein’s War — A month at a time Ron at Horseguards 2004
    60. * Jack Goulden and the prayer book that saved his back (Jack Goulden’s story) Jack Goulden
    61. Commemoration Parade July 10th 2005 Nita & Ron
    62. The St.John's Ambulance Brigade in WW2 Alf, Nat & Sylvia in St.Johns uniform
    63. Lt.Whitfield and the butterfly spring Ron’s sketch of the 15cwt Bedford wireless truck
    64. Trieste had its funny moments Ron on steps of Goldoni Tunnel-Trieste
    65. * Field Marshal Keitel's surrender (Nathan Sterrie’s story) Surrender document
    66. Sweating on being released Tom Atkinson and the boys at Opicina (Trieste)
    67. Churchill and Ron enjoy a meal together Regimental reunion official photo
    68. Victory Celebrations, 8th June 1946 The page from Ron’s Album
    69. A tribute to Edward Arthur Patman, known as ‘Pat’ Pat & Ron by the Rialto- Venice
    70. Shows running in London during 1945 Page from Ron’s Album showing shows in London
    71. Keeping Pets in the Forces Queenie & Curlie on half-track
    72. The correct height of Tank Drivers and the use of KRRS Postcard of the Walls of Rieti
    73. * Childhood (Sandra’s story) Sandra
    74. Commandeering billets in Italy 78 Div Flash
    75. Army Ration Allowance Two Day’s ration allowance-the receipt
    76.* Bernard Jaffa's Record of Service (Bernard Jaffa’s story) Bernard Jaffa & the flag
    77. The infamous Demob Suit Ron wearing his demob suit
    78. Dale Carnegie’s “Pursuit of Happiness”, courtesy of Stalag XVIII Page from Ron’s Album
    79 * Evacuated to Stoke Hammond (Maxie Lea’s story) Maxie Lea
    80. Looking back to 1939 from the relative safety of 2005 Cyril, Ron & Lew Fox on AJEX parade 2004
    81. * The day a V2 Rocket hit Tottenham Grammar School (Harry Landsman’s story) No picture
    82. An Army Convoy On The Move in Italy Army Route Card
    83. Civil Police in Trieste during the unrest Italian policeman in Trieste
    84. A postcard from Sicily, 3rd September 1943 Postcard sent by Ron from Messina 1943
    85. Algiers, April 1943, Our first sight of Africa Postcard of Algiers
    86. Sgt.Major Mick Goldstein, Royal Fusiliers and Jewish Brigade Mick
    87. An unlikely Post War meeting Ron & Tom Canning
    88. A letter to an unknown researcher of the year 2056 Ron ready for a BBC interview March 2005
    89. More on German Propaganda leaflets River Po leaflet
    90. * Henry Kaye, Flying Instructor (Henry’s story) Henry Kaye
    91. The last page in my Army Album Ron’s first Army photo and the demob suit
    92. Trooper Tom Canning, a photo at last! Tom Canning
    93. Sgt.Jack Goldstein, RAF Bomber Command Alf White, Ted Hull & Ron at 116 Sdrn Reunion
    94. The infamous Burger Brau Keller in Munich Paddy O’Brien, Lt.Walmsley in Munich
    95. Dining out in Guelma, North Africa, 1943 Postcard of Guelma,North Africa
    96. WW2 RESEARCH AND FORUMS AFTER THIS SITE CLOSES No picture attached
    97. The photo in a serviceman's wallet Ron’s parents
    98 * .I'll never forget that day (Gertie’s story) Gertie
    99 * The night our house was sliced in half (Nita’s Story) Nita as a child
     
  18. Rob Dickers

    Rob Dickers 10th MEDIUM REGT RA

    Ron
    In answer to your question, I was trying to make contact with the poster Ms J Wells, who's father was the gunner. I did as you suggested and signed up to the BBC ww2 guestboard to post a request. BUT after making some more enquiries elsewhere I found that a lady of that name and living in aprox the right area had been missing from home for a number of days and was being sort by police and family who feared for her safety and state of mind. So needless to say I thought it prudent not to continue with the post.
    Rob
     
  19. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Rob

    There will always be times when discretion was the better part of valour and I would have done exactly the same thing.

    Regards

    Ron
     
  20. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Giving this thread a bit of a bump simply for the benefit of any new members who don't know about this fascinating archive of "I was there" stories

    Ron
     

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