Has anyone in the community researched their local war memorial? What resources did you use and did you get all the information you needed? I'm researching Didcot in Oxfordshire's memorial and any hints and tips would be appreciated. Thanks Mike
Hi Mike I have spent the past two years researching the men of Wickford and Runwell, Essex. The first thing is the names on the memorial will not be all the men from your vicinity, some will have not have been subscribed others may have moved out of the area, so the first question is to whether you are trying to put together a fairly definitive list of local men or just researching those on the memorial. The nexy question is how are they listed? If you have both christian and surnames you are laughing, if just initialas and no units it gets harder and again these can send you down the wrong trail. For example there is a man on our memorial A. Alexander RAF, sounds nice and easy to check?? CWGC web site only gives one but he is buried and a family member from a family a long way from Essex, so not confirmed.... later research shows him to be A.W. Alexander, but there is none in the RAF.... again later research shows it to be Anthony W Alexander, there is only one killed in WW2, not RAF though but Airborne, so still not confirmed. Eventually I find out that his wife worked at the nearby hospital as she is on the Electoral Roll for 1947 and this is why he's not shown in any local papers or anything as the family moved to the town just after the war. I know other local researchers have him down as being the chap in the RAF and thats how easy it is to presume. WW1 is generally far easier than WW2 to find, how many names do you have on your memorial of each? First stop is without doubt is to sort out the 100% confirmeds. Start by visiting CWGC website where you can type in surname and initials and conflict and you will get all the availabel matches. From here look at each one individually as the families had the option to add more info, so an addition of 'son of Mr Smith of Didcot Oxfordshire' would put that in the confirmed pile, alas many multi name ones won't have such a handy extra!! From there cross reference two databases that are on CD. Soldiers Died in the Great War (SDGW) which if you visit the Great War Forum people will look up for you if you ask nicely(!) . The database allows you to look at where each soldier was born, enlisted and lived, if you get someone who will search Didcot in each box one at at time you will find many other men not on the memorial and confirm most others. I think I still have my copy so if you are doing Great War I may well be able to assist. For WW2 there is the national roll of the 2nd War 1939-45, this only covers the army, so RAF and Naval are again even more difficult. Confirm what you can then type it all up. many will become 'believed to be' but you won't have actually found a 100% link. From there do the local papers. Start from just before the war and check both the marriage pages, the overseas or military deaths and of course the 'local war news' sections. From WW1 these may give you letters from the men, photos and addresses, from WW2 security is far tighter and the info generally far more limited but you will probably confirm at least another 60% of you missing men. The last batch of names, I have tracked down a number of ways. Local newspapers ran a story and I have put up a web site Wickford War Memorial I have also used a number of the family reunited type websites to track down family members. I am now at the point where there is only one name I cannot find.... R H Jones RAF.... haunts me, there are 8 of them listed but I cannot find a link for any of them to Essex, I can eliminate probably 3 and despite newspaper requests, forum requests, writing to the authorities and even the hospital where I think he worked I have as of now failed to identify this hero from our past, which quite upsets me. Even the local parish council who his name was subscribed to do not have any details as to how his name was received, they can also be a good source of info, just alas not in my case!! I have found it thoroughly rewarding and from identifying the men I have now tarcked down how all of them were killed. Many times I can add much detail to what the family knew, sometimes confirming legend sometimes creating one, such as the sailor who won a DSM for dropping off agents into France, his family knew nothing about this and only knew he was on boats!! Tracking down pictures, visiting their graves it can become very personal and very, very addictive. You will find you will get enormous help from many people so if I can help you in the same way others have helped me, please fire away!! Cheers Steve
just wondering why this thread is showing no replies so thought would try and see if this showed!! Steve
I can see all replies, but this seems to be a feature of a Monday. If it continues please let us know.
Hi Steve, Wow, that is some really good information and resources you have given me and i certainly do appreciate any help. I did start this project a couple of years ago but i didn't get very far with it so put it down for over a year. After finding this forum i've got the bug again because i have had so much help from everyone here. I do have some WW1 casualties but i'll have to go back up to the memorial again to get their names as i've mislaid their folder. I have joined the 1914-18 forum but as i've mislaid the folder i haven't posted anything on there yet, just been concentrating on WW2 casualties. I'll go and get the names tomorrow as its just up the road. Any help that you or anyone else can give me will be hugely appreciated, this is the first project like this i have undertaken and i'm learning all the time thanks to the community here. I'm hoping to start a collection of resources which of course i will be more than happy to do look ups on for anyone in the community. Thanks again Steve, this has been really enlightening and has shown me how huge this project is going to be. Guess i'll have most of my weekends and evenings taken up with this for quite sometime to come. Now i've found this forum and i know about the 1914-18 forum i'm actually looking forward to it and making new friends as well. Regards Mike
Hi Mike Look forward to seeing the names and seeing how we can assist you in finding out more about them Cheers Steve
