Access to CWGC History Archive & catalogue

[NigelS]

Just came across this announcement on the CWGC website (dated 21st January '15), don't think it's been mentioned before (?) Click

NigelS

[Tom Tulloch-Marshall]

These are the IWGC / CWGC "cemetery files" which have now been split into inception to 1955 papers, and then post 1955 material. The released files contain the material to 1955; the post 1955 material is not "open". Files which I have seen in this series have tended to be painfully thin and relatively uninformative. Below is a file seen today - Anneux British Cemetery to 1955. Two cemetery plans and a few sheets of sundry papers. Having said that it did contain a reference to a minute from a 1919 IWGC board meeting - which led me to access the full record of that meeting - which contained some very useful information about a particular form of headstone design.

This material is hard copy only and isn't available online.

Tom

[Sepoy]

I have not seen this mentioned on the Forum, but the CWGC website has the following announcement.

Sepoy
 

20 November 2017

CWGC launches new online archive

Hundreds of items from the CWGC’s treasured archive collection have been made available in digital form for the first time.

The new CWGC Archive Catalogue has initially made more than 600 items available online to the public. This includes digitised copies of the first 572 Commission Meeting Minutes from 1917 to 1986, and 96 Commission Annual Reports from 1919 to 2015.
 

This is the first time the Commission has digitised and released documents about its own history and the cemeteries and memorials it maintains. There will be regular releases of new digitised content over the next 12 months, including staff records, photographs, and architectural drawings and plans.
 

Andrew Fetherston, the CWGC’s archivist, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for members of the public to find out more about the CWGC, and the individuals who have played a prominent role in its history. These include Sir Fabian Ware, the driving force behind the foundation of the Commission, Rudyard Kipling, its first literary advisor, and Sir Edwin Lutyens, the eminent architect who helped design some of the iconic memorials and cemeteries the CWGC maintains around the world.”
 

The Commission’s archive contains more than 16,300 items, which date from the very beginnings of the CWGC to the present day. The Commission’s library contains a further 2,700 books, pamphlets, magazines and other printed ephemera, mainly covering various aspects of the two world wars.

The new online catalogue contains listings of all of these items, which are available for viewing at the CWGC’s Head Office.

See here.

http://archive.cwgc.org/

 

 

[MaureenE]

Thanks for posting Sepoy.

 

I didn't come across any of the digitised material, but I came across a listing of books in the CWGC Library

http://archive.cwgc.org/TreeBrowse.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&field=RefNo&key=CWGC%2fLIB

 

Includes some I had not heard of such as 

The Cross of Sacrifice - Officers Who Died in the Service of British, Indian and East African regiments and Corps 1914 - 1919

 

Cheers

Maureen

 

[Matthew B.]

4 hours ago, Maureene said:

Includes some I had not heard of such as 

The Cross of Sacrifice - Officers Who Died in the Service of British, Indian and East African regiments and Corps 1914 - 1919

 

Cheers

Maureen

 

 

Hi Maureen,

 

The book you are referring to is volume 1 of the Cross of Sacrifice series (there are 3 volumes in total) published by Roberts Publications around 1993 and created by SD & JB Jarvis. ISBN 1873058 26 8

 

Its an alphabetical listing by surname of officers of the regiments & corps mentioned who died in service identifying where they died and where commemorated . I am lucky enough to have a copy which I bought way back then. Its not often seen these days. A very useful book, especially back in the pre-internet days.

 

Regards,

 

Matthew

[keithmroberts]

I have a copy, as well as the second volume, copies of which were sold recently at knockdown prices by N&M.The dustwrapper states that 5 volumes were published.

 

Keith

[thetrenchrat22]

Five volumes 

 

 

[Sepoy]

From N&M Press

CROSS OF SACRIFICE. Vol. 1: Officers Who Died in the Service of British, Indian and East African Regiments and Corps, 1914-1919.
CROSS OF SACRIFICE.Vol. 2: Officers Who Died in the Service of the Royal Navy, RNR, RNVR, RM, RNAS and RAF, 1914-1919.
CROSS OF SACRIFICE.Vol. 3: Officers Who Died in the Service of Commonwealth and Colonial Regiments and Corps.
CROSS OF SACRIFICE.Vol 4: Non-commissioned Officers and Men of the Royal Navy, Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force 1914-1919.
CROSS OF SACRIFICE.Vol. 5: The Officers, men and women of the Merchant Navy and Mercantile Fleet Auxiliary 1914–1919

Sepoy

NB
As stated they were compiled in the days prior to the internet and were most useful. The only other real option was to write to the CWGC to check Officer names out.
I have all five volumes, but I cannot remember when I last viewed them.
I also had Soldiers died in the Great War on microfilm (Purchased from the Manchester Library in 1980) which I used to view using a powerful light and microscope, because I could not afford a microfilm viewer
Gosh research has become so much easier!

Edited 5 December , 2017 by Sepoy

[MaureenE]

Thanks to all for the information.

Cheers

Maureen