Geoff's Search Engine for ww2

Discussion in 'War Cemeteries & War Memorial Research' started by museumtom, Nov 20, 2007.

  1. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Hi Dianne,

    There are thousands of corrections made each year to the on-line database. I'm not sure how much this is a WW1 or WW2 problem, I think mostly WW1.
    They should correct records if you give the appropriate evidence, but in many cases they can check the paper record to see if its a transcript error, it usually is.

    (just starting to re-build my WW1 database from raw data. Estimated run time is around 7 hours. The hard drive is thrashing like mad, hope it makes it! And I'm sorry for my contribution to global warming)

    geoff

    Hi Geoff,
    Thanks look like I will have to contact them and ask if it is a typo. Frankly since he is buried near home, I couldn't even hazard a guess as to correct Bn.

    I regard engine as positive in its effect on global warming - it has saved a lot of paperwork, never mind the hot air vented if it were not available. :D Fingers crossed for you.

    D
     
  2. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Geoff

    It's me again :(

    Last year I was experimenting with your super site and wrote this on the forum: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/geoffs-search-engine/12597-geoffs-search-engine-ww2-2.html

    Geoff
    Bingo !!!!!
    Entering "49 Lt AA" gave me 83 hits, exactly what I was looking for.
    Go to the top of the class! :smile: :smile: :smile:

    Many thanks

    Ron


    Today, for whatever reason I only get 10 hits using the identical criteria.

    Please Sir, what am I doing wrong ?

    (And in case you ask, I spotted that the default Country is Australia & altered it back to UK)

    Many thanks and, whilst writing, I trust the the CWGC is paying some attention to your site when they conclude their up-dating.

    Best regards

    Ron
     
  3. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    Today, for whatever reason I only get 10 hits using the identical criteria.


    You're lucky - I just got one! Now did I use the wrong nationality?
    However, I'll investigate the problem you have found.
    Sorry about the Australian pre-set, it was there to help some searches for IFCP.

    Many thanks and, whilst writing, I trust the the CWGC is paying some attention to your site when they conclude their up-dating.

    Absolutely not, as far as I know. Perhaps they are not interested in what was entered for the last 150,000 searches or how many data entry errors there are in the system.

    Cheers,

    geoff

    Edit: Got it. Enter 49 LT AA and select the 'contains' button to the right. I get 83 then. None are listed as 49th and are all prefixed with a battery.

    I have been working on some AND logic and have put some changes into the WW1 engine yesterday. So it should be possible to enter something like

    49+lt+aa

    which should find all records that contain 49 AND lt AND aa

    But as more features are put in the more difficult it is to use.....
     
  4. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    ...None are listed as 49th ....

    There is one:


    Page 1 of 1
    001 DOLDINGWG167945790 BTY, 49TH LT AA REGT 20/04/1941ROYAL ARTILLERY
     
  5. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    Geoff: I just want to say publicly how helpful your Search Engine has been when checking and collating local War Memorials. Simply by using the Town or locality name, many more records have been found, and queries resolved over the "correct" Names as opposed to the ones sometimes shown on the War Memorials when they were originally drawn up. That's both WW 1 and WW2, so a heartfelt "Thanks" for having that function. It really is a tremendous help and brilliant time saver, as you can then go directly to the CWGC entry.
    Cheers, Kevin
     
  6. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Geoff

    Once again your search engine produces results and once again I am in your debt !

    Please accept whatever is the Aussie equivalent of "Bloody good show !"

    Best wishes

    Ron
     
  7. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  8. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    Geoff, I'm trying to find any crewmen with the first name Dennis on the HMS Prince of Wales.
    I'm having no luck.
    Not even finding a initial D for someone on prince of wales.
    putting prince of wales in unit text box is no good
    It's for this thread.
    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/war-sea/27219-hms-prince-wales.html

    Doh - search engines!

    It will only find the casualties if you put prince of wales in the Unit Text field AND click the Unit Contains button, but you're right there is no Dennis coming up in the 531 hits.



    I think there is something in the (out of date) help file about not entering H.M.S. or HMS, although the latter may work. Best option is to always put just the ship's name in the field as above.

    cheers,

    geoff

    Edit: 38 with initial 'D'

    And one Dennis:

    CWGC :: Casualty Details
     
  9. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Ah, it was the unit contians button I wasn't clicking.
    Cheers

    why are there 32 hits for prince of wales for the date 16/02/1942 ?

    thought it was sunk in December 1941?
     
  10. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    Ah, it was the unit contians button I wasn't clicking.
    Cheers

    I should make that the default state....
     
  11. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    I should make that the default state....

    Sorted...;)
     
  12. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    why are there 32 hits for prince of wales for the date 16/02/1942 ?

    thought it was sunk in December 1941?

    Pass.

    There are 41 listed for the whole of 1942.
    CWGC still seem to give these dates, same as my data.

    Anyone?
     
  13. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    POWs?
     
  14. Pieter F

    Pieter F Very Senior Member

    Is it possible to search for casualties between two dates?
     
  15. idler

    idler GeneralList

  16. Pieter F

    Pieter F Very Senior Member

    I see. Thanks for the help!
     
  17. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Just giving this super research facility a bump !

    Why not give it a try whilst you are here ?

    You should really start right at the beginning of this thread but if you can't spare the time at the moment click on here:
    Geoff's 1939-47 Search Engine

    Ron
     
  18. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    The CWGC gave the correct answer immediately, Geoffs search engine returns "not found"
    The real CWGC site was instant, Geoff's was very slow.
    I couldn't find any results for my relatives via Geoff.
    Thanks for the bump, Ron. I've come a long way but who knows what the future will be...


    http://www.********.co.uk/cgi-bin/faq.php

    .
    .
    .
     
  19. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Geoff,
    Is there an easy way to produce a list of casualties whose numbers fall within 6515000 - 6802500 (inclusive)?

    If it's possible, I'd like to see if there is any pattern in the units involved - possibly with some numbers being given to Fusiliers?

    I can't find block allocation for these numbers on the list
    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/research-material/8564-army-number-block-allocations.html

    Royal Fusiliers 6446001 - 6515000

    The Inns of Court Regiment 6802501 - 6814000


    So far I've located these
    6515xxx
    CWGC :: Casualty Details
    CWGC :: Casualty Details

    6516xxx
    CWGC :: Casualty Details
    CWGC :: Casualty Details
    CWGC :: Casualty Details
    CWGC :: Casualty Details
    CWGC :: Casualty Details
    CWGC :: Casualty Details
    CWGC :: Casualty Details
    CWGC :: Casualty Details
    CWGC :: Casualty Details
    CWGC :: Casualty Details
    CWGC :: Casualty Details
    CWGC :: Casualty Details


    6517xxx
    nil

    6518xxx
    nil
     
  20. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    Geoff,
    Is there an easy way to produce a list of casualties whose numbers fall within 6515000 - 6802500 (inclusive)?...

    A good question. Not on line, but I'll see what I can do (you knew i would :rolleyes:)

    Would this be a useful feature in general? Always looking for good ideas, while it lasts.
     

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