New CWGC website, Search Our Records

From the January 2012 CWGC Newsletter:

"New website on the way: January 2012

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is proud to announce that
our new website will be launched in January 2012.

The redesigned site has a completely new "look and feel" which we
hope will appeal to a wide audience. We have made the site much
easier to navigate and maintain, but perhaps the most improved
features are the enhanced search capabilities around the "Search
our Records" function.

Following your feedback, a greatly enhanced search will allow you
to look for individuals by regiment, cemetery, country, awards,
date of death and service number. You will also be able to
browse cemeteries and memorials by country and even by size.

Further enhancements will come on line later as part of our
ongoing commitment to provide a better service to you.

Finally, the Commission would like to express our sincere thanks
to all those individuals who took part in our feedback programme
sent in suggestions or tested the website. Thank you for your
assistance."

 

When can we expect the 'All new and improved Geoff's Wonderful Search Engine'

 

Isn't GSE good enough for you?
Hopefully, the new CWGC format will at least MATCH what GSE has been providing for years, so they've only reinvented their OWN wheel, rather than use what was already available.

It remains to be seen whether all those websites linking to the CWGC site remain working, or whether they will have to be redone.

HNY to Geoff (whose brilliant Search Engine made the CWGC database workable and helped fuel my interest in War Memorials) and all at WW2talk

 

Isn't GSE good enough for you?
Hopefully, the new CWGC format will at least MATCH what GSE has been providing for years, so they've only reinvented their OWN wheel, rather than use what was already available.

It remains to be seen whether all those websites linking to the CWGC site remain working, or whether they will have to be redone.

HNY to Geoff (whose brilliant Search Engine made the CWGC database workable and helped fuel my interest in War Memorials) and all at WW2talk

I believe Geoff's search engine will stop working when the new CWGC SE goes live.

 

Why so negative?

Geoff has posted what could be a significant improvement in the info to be gathered direct from the CWGC, with future potential improvements. As someone who has trawled for hours on casualty names only the ability to search on other criteria is great news.

Jim

 

I believe Geoff's search engine will stop working when the new CWGC SE goes live.

I don't think it will, there was a very negative reaction (and not just SE related) when they removed links a few years back. What is probable is that GSE will not access any additional data they may include. There was some hint in this in their spec. And I suspect 'page scraping' will not work. I believe this was one of the feature of the last failed upgrade. We will have to see. I wonder who the testers were? Must have signed the official secrets act.

 

Imagine all that money spent on duplicating what was already done! but seemingly still not doing it all.

The last Annual Report on finances, unusually, does not give a breakdown on spending for any area. Information Technology was one of the items listed in previous years. (around 800-900k)
But this is not just a 'search engine' upgrade, the entire site is being updated and it needs it really.

 

Rather than restricting access to their database, you'd think CWGC, under the terms of Open Government, would be helping such efforts as Geoff's. And in that vain I would of thought that any re-development of their web services would include an API to allow third party access to the data.

Lee

 

Rather than restricting access to their database, you'd think CWGC, under the terms of Open Government, would be helping such efforts as Geoff's. And in that vain I would of thought that any re-development of their web services would include an API to allow third party access to the data.

Lee

I think the spec did included some sort of API. We will have to see what is offered.

Open Government - if you put a FOIA request in they claim they are not covered by the act, not being a government department. (but the act does not allow hiding behind another organization, they are essentially MOD funded!)

 

Interesting, I had always presumed they were an official Government organisation.

 

I recently came back from TNA with another 3 Japanese index cards which must have been filled in by a very deaf Imperial Guard.

Named to:

Caldeze, Mack and Faze. I also had their ages, but nothing else.

GWSE then turned these into:

William Carrothers, Dennis McConnell and Samuel Carter.

Need I say more?

 

Doesn't mention rank, unit or age, army no. range ... nor does it seem to allow for the most useful of all when researching memorials - a place, from additional info.


(my bold) According to one of the testers over on gwf, it does not seem to allow this (which was the one main reason I started my system)

And in what format will any list of results appear?

Looks like a spreadsheet option!

 

This is good news. Improving the search possibilities on the CWGC can only be of assistance.

Does anyone know if there is a problem with "Geoff's 1914 - 1921 Search Engine" by any chance? I have tried to access this a number of times over recent months to search for WW1 casualties.

All I get is the following result:

http://www.********.co.uk/cgi-bin/search14-21.php

Sorry, there has been a page error

The server could not complete your request.

• The script or file you are trying to call may be incorrectly written.
• The host may be having a problem currently.
• If you typed the page address in the Address bar, make sure that it is spelled correctly.
• Open the The Crypto Barn home page, and then look for links to the information you want.
• Click Here to try another link.

 

Sorry, there has been a page error....



Link

 

Oh dear.

It needs to be 'at least as good as mine'. Perhaps it will be added.

 

Link

Hello Geoff,

I can obtain the link you give for searching for WW2 casualties, thanks.

Has the WW1 search facility been taken offline by any chance (my original question)? The 'error' message comes up after attempting to connect to the 1914 - 1921 search page. It has been doing for some weeks.

I have also attempted to access the WW1 Search Engine via the "Crypto Pages" but this does not work for me either. The 'AFM Search Engine' you have set up still seems to work.

Thanks

 

It will be interesting to see what the new CWGC SE will be like. I suspect it won't be as useful as Geoff's but we shall see.

To my knowledge Geoff closed the WW1 site last year.

 

For those like ritson who missed it originally, here is the best explanation!!
http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/geoffs-search-engine/33385-beer-chip-butty-dogs-bollocks.html