CWGC: Changes, Updates & Access difficulties

I am back as well.

 

Hi - just my :twocents:,

TIP: A good diagnostic tool in these circumstances is Down for everyone or just me

Rgds, Steve

 

Working fine at the moment.

Must have been down for maintenance but I think that would have been forwarned

 

Working 'fine'. By that I mean, it's working but as ever with CWGC, it's VERY hit and miss. Geoff's is excellent though, still.

 

Just though I would let everyone know domain changes at CWGC.

CWGC - Changes to CWGC Website

Mark

 

Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

 

Launch of new 'Discover 14-18' website and 'CWGC Archives Online'
02 July 2014
Next week - commencing 7 July - the CWGC will launch an exciting range of new digital services on this website. These enhancements may cause some disruption to our services.

These include:-

The launch of the Discover 14-18 website - to help people visit our sites and understand their history;
The launch of our First World War casualty archive documents online;
and enhancements to Search Our Records.

While the enhancements are taking place, users may experience some disruption to our normal web services, for which we apologise.
We hope that, with the changes, users will find the experience of searching through our records even more fascinating than before.

http://www.cwgc.org/news-events/news/2014/7/launch-of-new-website-and-cwgc-archives-online.aspx

 

Hadn't seen that - thanks, Geoff.

 

Just in from Terry:


"In case any of your are trying to use the CWGC website today, please be aware that it is not functioning properly due to development work being undertaken for the addition of their document records for each casualty due next week.

Occasionally, the search facility is not available and, at other times, a search will NOT return all matching records (eg. at the moment, a search for all the SMITHs who died in WW2 will return only 26 casualties and they are all buried in the same cemetery!).

This disruption could go on till Monday. Be careful of any search results you get.

Just a warning! "

 

This was happening for me last night in Oz and not improved today. Will have to wait until it all comes back on stream. A resource you only appreciate when it is not working.

 

Phew! Thanks for the info, been using search on the site and wondered why I wasn't getting the expected results! Look forward to when its all up and running.

 

Don't know why they did not close it down until it is fixed. Spent half an hour last evening looking for a record that I knew should be there.

 

Meanwhile, Geoff's Search Engine still works. the CWGC links seem to be OK, it is searching CWGC that is not always giving full results

 

good day geoff501,m,yesterday;re:cwgc archives on line-website update.thank you for the information.look forward to using site.regards bernard85

 

Website Disruption
03 July 2014
Please be aware that we are currently making enhancements to our website which may affect the performance of the website's functionality.
On 7 July, the CWGC will launch an exciting range of new digital services on this website.
These include:

• the launch of the Discover 14-18 website - to help people visit our sites and understand their history
• the launch of our First World War casualty archive documents online
• and enhancements to Search Our Records

While the enhancements are taking place, users may experience some disruption to our normal web services, for which we apologise.
We hope that, with the changes, users will find the experience of searching through our records even more fascinating than before.
http://www.cwgc.org/news-events/news/2014/7/website-disruption.aspx

 

Just heard that all the records are available again now.

The main update, with the additions listed in the previous post, is I believe tomorrow.

 

Another masterpiece of bad timing for me - I am in France at the moment touring around taking gravestone photos for Spidge, Abe, Temptage & Skip.

I had the flash of brilliance a few days ago to see if any of the cemeteries / towns that I was visiting contained other Aussie casualties (besides the RAAF ones for Spidge) - such as army blokes that died as POWs or navy types from various actions.

I tried searching for all Aussie burials / commemorations in France and all I got were 10 names - all RAAF

Reading this thread (and what is on the CWGC site itself), I now know what was going on.

I really should have thought about this weeks ago as part of my overall planning.


Conversely, I was using the CWGC site to look up each cemetery as I reached it to see how many burials were contained therein plus quite often I was provided with a guide to where to find the burials.

That worked a treat and I basically photographed everything in the smaller cemeteries, in the larger ones I had to be a bit selective as time and the weather were against me quite often. With the weather, one day it was too hot to be outside for too long, then a couple of days later it was cold, wet & windy.........

 

When visiting the cemeteries with a significant number of CWGC memorials it is worth remembering there is a 'Cemetery Register' near the entrance listing the names and indicating where to find the graves you seek (see example in attached photograph).

The larger cemeteries also tend to have knowledgeable staff on duty. More than likely they would have been able to assist you to find a particular grave if you were unable to find a particular grave.

Before the days of the Internet that is what our forebears would have done. In fact when I first began visiting war cemeteries in France this is what I used to do. In fact, I still tend to this if I make the occasional visit to a French cemetery while on holiday and do not know the cemetery layout. Traditional research methods can still prove useful at times.

Hope you managed O.K.!

Photograph (taken with permission):
Cemetery Register Tabernacle (British War Graves),
Lille S. Cemetery (Nord)

 

The CWGC Discover 14-18 site seems to have fallen over, however you can at the moment get through to records via Geoff's Search Engine. Just found some documents for a gt uncle, but not all would download. Sadly no extra information though. Looks like they are still working on it

 

All queries timing out for me. Will give them another day and see what happens.

Cheers

Geoff