Donald D Posted 21 January , 2014 Share Posted 21 January , 2014 Does anyone know if the war diaries that were downloadable, prior to this release,have been rescanned? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Underdown Posted 21 January , 2014 Share Posted 21 January , 2014 Generally yes (bearing in mind that so far only those for France and Flanders have been done). So you now get full colour and any maps and appendices that were not previously included. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald D Posted 21 January , 2014 Share Posted 21 January , 2014 Thanks very much for your reply. I'll now add the diaries I had previously had to my growing list of downloads! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 23 January , 2014 Share Posted 23 January , 2014 Martin, thanks for the detailed description, I think a single report would probably be most useful, probably easiest to email direct to DigitalDownloads@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk Given the amount of resorting of the paper done in advance, and subsequent checking of images, I am rather surprised that so much seems to have got muddled. Given that there is more to come, it will probably be useful to review the experience with this first batch to try to improve subsequent ones. David - might I lean on your knowledge for a moment.... I have just indexed the files chronologically (1914-1919) every line Infantry battalion and it seems to me that some battalions' diaries that could be downloaded in one or two files only a few weeks ago are now split into many more files. I had assumed this is a result of the additional information being added in the shape of maps and appendices and the higher (?) specs on resolution making the files bigger? ...but then I notice that some of the new files don't have additional info and the files are (on average) smaller than before (I may be wrong on this but that's how it feels) ... It appears that the loaf has simply been cut into more £3.36 slices with some icing. Not complaining at all (far from it) , just curious to understand how existing digitised files available online have changed..... In order the get the 5th Inf Bde War Diary for the whole war it will need 17 different files to be downloaded, each at £3.36. To save you the calc that makes £57.12 to read one formation diary. I can only imagine they are bursting with additional info. Edit: the 6th Inf Bde is split into 29 separate files...(=£97.44 for the whole War). Blimey! I see WO 95/4293 (2nd Mt Div with 14 Regiments and 5 Bde War diaries) has now disappeared. Has it gone under the knife? .and 10th Irish Div at Gallipoli....Have all the Gallipoli diaries disappeared? Still delighted with the digitisation but still slightly confused with the indexing and slicing. MG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Underdown Posted 23 January , 2014 Share Posted 23 January , 2014 There are a few different factors at play, but basically it's down to the issue of cost recovery, and making the file sizes manageable in the long term. The files previously online were bigger than was ideal from the system point of view, particularly now the profile of the series is that much higher, and with a greater proportion online, the strain on the system would be that much greater if we'd kept the files a similar size. We've also tried to divide things up in a more logical way, as you'll have noticed, previously files were split fairly randomly, in the middle of months and so on. The fact everything is in colour does also up the size of each individual page. Looking at the brigades, formerly you had only the infantry battalions, now you have all the brigade diaries from brigade HQ and supporting units down. Go up a level, the same is true at Division level, HQ, staff, supporting arms etc. The easiest way to get to grips with the structure, is using the browse by hierarchy function, which I've explained in the other thread running on this topic http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=205055&p=2018496 Everything that was previously up has been taken down, but should be up again in due course (though I have to admit that the Gallipoli diaries have not yet been rescanned). This is due to practical constraints in the back end systems that feed information through to Discovery I believe (my understanding, not an official answer by the way, I may have misunderstood), which unfortunately makes it impractical to mix up the two sets of data, as there are other subtle differences in the arrangement of files between the old ones (which were inherited from the old documents online system) and the new style ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 23 January , 2014 Share Posted 23 January , 2014 There are a few different factors at play, but basically it's down to the issue of cost recovery, and making the file sizes manageable in the long term. The files previously online were bigger than was ideal from the system point of view, particularly now the profile of the series is that much higher, and with a greater proportion online, the strain on the system would be that much greater if we'd kept the files a similar size. We've also tried to divide things up in a more logical way, as you'll have noticed, previously files were split fairly randomly, in the middle of months and so on. The fact everything is in colour does also up the size of each individual page. Looking at the brigades, formerly you had only the infantry battalions, now you have all the brigade diaries from brigade HQ and supporting units down. Go up a level, the same is true at Division level, HQ, staff, supporting arms etc. The easiest way to get to grips with the structure, is using the browse by hierarchy function, which I've explained in the other thread running on this topic http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=205055&p=2018496 Everything that was previously up has been taken down, but should be up again in due course (though I have to admit that the Gallipoli diaries have not yet been rescanned). This is due to practical constraints in the back end systems that feed information through to Discovery I believe (my understanding, not an official answer by the way, I may have misunderstood), which unfortunately makes it impractical to mix up the two sets of data, as there are other subtle differences in the arrangement of files between the old ones (which were inherited from the old documents online system) and the new style ones. Thanks David. That makes things a lot clearer. I am sure an awful lot of effort has gone into this. I hadn't realised the Bde War Diaries were not previously available - they certainly were in the Gallipoli diaries. M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinaMoffitt Posted 26 January , 2014 Share Posted 26 January , 2014 Really glad to see there's been some interest (and discussion) surrounding Operation War Diary already. We'd be really interested to hear your feedback on the project, particularly any suggestions on how we can improve the site or any interesting facts/stories you've found in the diaries (if you've had a go at tagging them) on the discussion boards for the project: http://talk.operationwardiary.org/#/boards Matthew IWM Hi Matthew, I've been tagging some diary pages, the system is really good, easy to use, quick. I'd be able to do more if medical unit diaries were up. Any idea when that will happen? (Field Ambulance, CCS, hospitals etc) also, where would I look to find records from the Officers Hospital 11 Palace Green Kensington for 1918-Dec 1919? thanks! Lina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Underdown Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 At the moment I think only medical units which formed an organic part of divisions will be included. War diaries of higher formations and lines of communication units haven't been digitised. That said, Zooniverse are releasing the diaries into Operation War Diary in blocks of 100, so there are probably a few more Field Ambulances at least to come in this first batch. There will be subsequent batches released later in the year. Home units did not keep war diaries as such, and only a sample collection of actual medical records was retained, these are now in record series MH 106, and so are out of the scope of the current Operation War Diary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Nulty Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 My issue with the incorrect file being downloaded on Friday 17th January has now been resolved as TNA have emailed me links to download the correct files. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 27 January , 2014 Share Posted 27 January , 2014 At the moment I think only medical units which formed an organic part of divisions will be included. War diaries of higher formations and lines of communication units haven't been digitised. That said, Zooniverse are releasing the diaries into Operation War Diary in blocks of 100, so there are probably a few more Field Ambulances at least to come in this first batch. There will be subsequent batches released later in the year. Home units did not keep war diaries as such, and only a sample collection of actual medical records was retained, these are now in record series MH 106, and so are out of the scope of the current Operation War Diary. David - is there any logical structure to the diaries released on Zooniverse? Chronologically? By formation?...etc? How are the batches of 100 diaries selected? MG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Underdown Posted 28 January , 2014 Share Posted 28 January , 2014 I don't know Martin. When they are released for a particular unit, it's the whole (available) diary at once though, so some fo the regular units will run from beginning of war right through to occupation period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffner Posted 21 February , 2014 Share Posted 21 February , 2014 Hiya - Sorry if this question has been asked before, but I could not find the answer anywhere. Once some war diaries will have been fully typed out and analysed, how will they be made available ? How will it be possible to search these diaries for events or individual soldiers ? Through a special platform ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinaMoffitt Posted 22 February , 2014 Share Posted 22 February , 2014 I note that 29th Division (Gallipoli etc) have about 7 diaries (which are as yet not digitized) but none have dates. I spose they were too busy? Lina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 22 February , 2014 Share Posted 22 February , 2014 I note that 29th Division (Gallipoli etc) have about 7 diaries (which are as yet not digitized) but none have dates. I spose they were too busy? Lina The 29th Div Diaries have been digitised and were available for quite a few years. I believe they have been withdrawn in order to repackage them. If the BEF diaries are any indication whet you used to get for £3.50 is now split into more files each costing £3.36. There were 11 digitised files covering the 29th Div in Gallipoli. Mostly battalions and Bde HQs. Some diaries were missing but not many. In addition there were (stll are) the DIv HQ, Div Admin an support arms' diaries which had not been digitised. They generally run from early April 1915 to Jan/Feb of 1916. If you are looking for anything specific, let me know. MG . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 8 March , 2014 Share Posted 8 March , 2014 Is it just me, or have new diaries been uploaded? I see 8th Div Diaries Oops belay that. Sorry, was getting a bit excited there. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 8 March , 2014 Share Posted 8 March , 2014 Perhaps something has changed. These units did not appear in a " Black Watch " search before. Click Although thy are not yet available to download, it looks like they are being prepared. Would you agree? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 8 March , 2014 Share Posted 8 March , 2014 They next lot are being released on 14th March according to TNA. MG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 8 March , 2014 Share Posted 8 March , 2014 Thanks Martin, look forward to that. Perhaps, if I'm right, and they are adding new pages, we can work out which units will be available. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 10 March , 2014 Share Posted 10 March , 2014 I've been wrong before, but I think they are available now? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalkEric Posted 10 March , 2014 Share Posted 10 March , 2014 Definitely available now, just downloaded 20th middx which wasn't there yesterday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westkent78 Posted 10 March , 2014 Share Posted 10 March , 2014 Might want to wait until April if the need is not pressing as the prices are going down- only a decrease of 6p per file but still it's something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 10 March , 2014 Share Posted 10 March , 2014 Might want to wait until April if the need is not pressing as the prices are going down- only a decrease of 6p per file but still it's something. The loaf of the War Diaries have simply been cut into thinner slices.... we are paying more for less. There is no way around this hard fact. Personally I think it is a good thing as the money will be put back into paying off the cost of digitisation. MG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maytree4me Posted 13 March , 2014 Share Posted 13 March , 2014 I have tried to sign up, but it keeps saying 'Sign up failed'! Can any one help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraemeClarke Posted 13 March , 2014 Share Posted 13 March , 2014 Morning Im confused by their pricing. I just downloaded the whole 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards for the entire war in 4 parts, yet other payments just give you 6 months from a diary (!!) and therefore a whole diary can cost just short of 30 quid. Maytree, I am not sure what you mean 'sign up', you do not have to sign up. What exactly are you after and I'll try to help, Regards, Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Underdown Posted 13 March , 2014 Share Posted 13 March , 2014 Generally it depends how voluble the original diary keepers were. The chunks should be broadly similar in terms of file size/number of pages. Some units siply wrote more, and it will also depend whether the related appendices happen to have been kept. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now