CWGC Records Made Public on VJ Day Anniversary

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by Shiny, Aug 5, 2015.

  1. Shiny

    Shiny Well-Known Member

    dbf likes this.
  2. graeme

    graeme Senior Member

    Hi Michael

    Many thanks for the info, I knew they were releasing the documents but did not know when. I've been checking every day sine 1 August, I can have a rest now !!

    Regards,

    Graeme
     
  3. ritsonvaljos

    ritsonvaljos Senior Member

    Good news, indeed!

    Doubtless, this will help those who died in WW2 to be better remembered.
     
  4. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    I wonder how much extra info will be given over and above what is already available.
     
  5. idler

    idler GeneralList

    What would be interesting is if the available information on the unknowns could be searched somehow, but I suppose we mustn't be greedy...
     
    dbf likes this.
  6. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Second World War casualty archives shared
    08 May 2015
    Original records for the full 1.7 million individuals commemorated by the CWGC are to be revealed to the public for the first time.

    Following the release of our First World War Casualty Archive Documents in 2014, the CWGC is delighted to announce that the Second World War records will also be made available in August this year, to coincide with the 70th anniversary of VJ Day.

    The additional documents will greatly enhance the experience of searching through our records, and will mean that millions of people across the Commonwealth could discover more about their relatives who fought and died during the Second World War.

    The records will be available through the 'casualty search' option on our website, and will offer a unique insight into the process of commemoration undertaken by the CWGC after the Second World War.

    Details will include; personal headstone inscriptions, date of death, rank, regiment and even some documents which show the journey of the deceased to their final resting place.

    Andrew Fetherston, the CWGC's Archivist and Records Manager, said: 'The release of these archive records online opens up yet another avenue for members of the public to investigate and remember the individuals we commemorate.

    'With the addition of these Second World War records, alongside records relating to non-Commonwealth casualties buried in various sites around the world, it will now be possible, for the first time, to see the original records of all 1.7 million individuals the Commission commemorates.

    'They should prove a valuable resource for researchers, family historians and anyone with interest In the World Wars.'

    Discover some of the documents that are already available for our First World War casualties.
     
  7. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I've been following this on CWGC's Facebook page and I think many are in for a disappointment. They additional info doesn't appear to be of much use for research purposes from what I've seen so far. I asked if they were going to release any further info on Unknown Graves a few weeks ago and no one has replied-They are pretty crap at doing that on Facebook.

    So in short I wouldn't get too excited just yet.
     
  8. Red Goblin

    Red Goblin Senior Member

    Hi Michael,

    I don't claim to have been first but did mention it a month ago - uncle john's records. - Service Records - WW2 Talk:
    We had a short discussion of what to expect there ...

    TIP: The forum's own search engine is incidentally infamously-useless, BTW, much better to use one with a decent syntax vocabulary (e.g. DuckDuckGo) with the term site:ww2talk.com

    Thanks for giving it its own thread,
    Steve
     
  9. Shiny

    Shiny Well-Known Member

    Thanks Steve,

    I wasn't aware of the search engine but I've just tried it - I'm impressed.

    Thanks for the advice.

    Michael
     
  10. Mr Jinks

    Mr Jinks Bit of a Cad

  11. PaulC

    PaulC IFCP Volunteer

    Don't know if anyone else has noticed but the WW2 records are now online...
     
    Mr Jinks and dbf like this.
  12. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  13. idler

    idler GeneralList

    Very pleased to see the concentration reports have made it online. Thank you, CWGC.

    Pity there's not one for Andy's Webber/Edgcumbe pair in Esquelbecq cemetery, though.
     
  14. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    Have just done a search via DuckDuckGo and it was much quicker,casualty found very quickly.As suspected no additional info to what there was before but as it invoves a commemorative panel,the original grave being somewhere in the Burmese jungle,I will let my fathers friend r.i.p.
     
  15. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Dam it's frustrating-I've just checked the named soldier next to where I think I know two missing men are buried, one of which I'm researching and by association I'm pretty sure I know who the other man in the unknown grave is. It turns out the named headstone from the same battalion was also a missing man and was identified in 1960. Why can't they say how he was ID'd and what did they do to that unknown grave that they didn't do to the other unknown two graves.
     
  16. Red Goblin

    Red Goblin Senior Member

  17. Shiny

    Shiny Well-Known Member

    I've just looked at the website and it appears to be just the military records they have released.

    I'm gutted, I'm research an air raid warden and a fire watcher but neither of their documents have been added.
     
  18. idler

    idler GeneralList

    For civilian casualties, I assume CWGC received 'final' data from civilian agencies, whereas CWGC had responsibility and the paper trail for the military casualties.
     
  19. Shiny

    Shiny Well-Known Member

    I've been told by them that the information was sent to them by local councils it was collated into the register which was sent back to proof read before being published.

    They have the initial cards / documents that the councils sent, they just haven't released them yet and say they aren't sure when or if they will.

    I thought they would have been released today but obviously not. I suppose it is a huge job though and what they have put out so far for both wars has been great.

    I'll just have to be patient and keep my fingers crossed.
     
  20. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

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