CWGC GRRF and COB Reports

[Cheshire22]

I’m aware of the Canadians, Australian’s groups which are looking at the GRRF & COB forms. 

 

Is there a British group looking at those reports and making submissions to the CWGC

 

or are the In From The Cold Project group looking at theses reports. 

 

Looking at earlier posts, it seems a worth while project to be involved in.  

 

 

[micks]

There are a number of individuals who have undertaken this project but no established group. The problem that you will have is that many dozens of British cases have already been submitted to the CWGC so you will have to start from cemetery A with a list from David Avery outlining all the reports which he has received.

 

Mick

[Alan24]

I have submitted two such reports of British soldiers to CWGC as an individual i.e. not part of any group.

Sorry to say there was very little interest from David Avery at CWGC.

 

I believe that with so many documents on line being looked at by people like us, there should be many opportunities to make connections and solve cases which were never possible before.

 

Just my personal opinion.

 

regards

 

Alan.

[thetrenchrat22]

Hi,

 

I've submitted a number of cases, over the last couple of years and about 4 or 5 which had already been submitted to the CWGC or I had been made aware of, that other people were looking at the same case.

 

I think its a good idea, that a group of researchers is set up in the UK, to look at the GRRF's and also COB's to try and give an unknown a name. 

 

As the IFTC project is already up and running, could they take on this aspect on to run along side, to which is a very successful project.

 

Alan.

[laughton]

As a Canadian, I think this can be "International" rather than country specific.  Both my grandfathers served in the CEF and then as officers in the BEF. I started with CEF UNKNOWNS as we have a more focused war contribution and access to all the records, as they were not lost in the WWII bombings. While I was working on CEF cases I saw a LOT of good leads for BEF cases and would post the concept but not do the research. After a while I realized that they were not being picked up as cases to research, so I signed up to get the war diaries and started on some British cases. The best thing is that if forced me to learn more about the British Regiments and where they were throughout the war. It is highly addictive!! I am still on the learning curve on the BEF cases.

 

I have the list of submissions to late November 2017 from David Avery, so I can check if the cases you want to research have had a report submitted. Just yesterday, I asked David for an update on that list. I hope to have that soon. He makes me a "redacted list" which has just the UNKNOWN, CEMETERY and CASE NUMBER. I do not know who submitted the report. I am not allowed to post the list but am allowed to respond to those that ask "Is  the case about Mr. X in cemetery Y on the list"?

 

The British cases that have caught my attention when going through the COG-BR documents are catagorized here:

 

I have the CEF and the BEF reports that I have submitted, or named to others, on my web site here:

 

http://laughton.ca/publications/unknown-project/

 

You will see that list is broken down into CANADIAN and COMMONWEALTH. The reason for that is that the Canadian cases go to OTTAWA and the other cases go to MAIDENHEAD. Our Candian cases do not go to the MOD.

 

I have a separate post on the production and sharing of the COG-BR files. If you have not seen that, I can look it up or you can search for "Canadians Sharing Resources", or something like that. For those not fully up to snuff on computers and databases, I will also fetch the files from a cemetery when asked. If you are looking at a specific cemetery and have the name of one (1) soldier that has a GRRF and COG-BR, that speeds up the process considerably.

 

At my March presentation to the CWGC I also suggested that we establish a private researchers "REVIEW PANEL" to help the CWGC expedite the process. We have the basics of that in Canada but can do more, so that several researchers familiar with the "PROCESS" can review another researchers file and offer constructive guidance, critique and comments. I share all my work OPENLY but not everyone does that, so we never know who is doing what. I have done a few direct reviews for the CWGC and so far it has worked well. You need to have some "tact" to do that type of work so it does not come across as offensive criticism of another researchers work. Experience is the best learning tool.

 

I am open to assisting anyone with any aspect at any time.

 

Richard Laughton

Milton Ontario CANADA

rlaughton@cefresearch.ca

 

 

[ss002d6252]

Quote

He makes me a "redacted list" which has just the UNKNOWN, CEMETERY and CASE NUMBER.

Any particular reason given as to why they redacted it , out of curiosity ? Personally I think all submissions received should be viewable in full (without the submitters details, of course).
 

Quote

I have a separate post on the production and sharing of the COG-BR files. If you have not seen that, I can look it up or you can search for "Canadians Sharing Resources", or something like that. For those not fully up to snuff on computers and databases, I will also fetch the files from a cemetery when asked. If you are looking at a specific cemetery and have the name of one (1) soldier that has a GRRF and COG-BR, that speeds up the process considerably.

A very useful process.

Craig

[thetrenchrat22]

10 hours ago, ss002d6252 said:

Any particular reason given as to why they redacted it , out of curiosity ? Personally I think all submissions received should be viewable in full (without the submitters details, of course).
 

A very useful process.

Craig

 

Craig, 

 

i’ve not seen a list, I believe the redacted bit is the personal details of the person who submitted the case i.e. name and address.  

 

As for all the other parts of the list, that are shown, I can only guess at

 

case number

cemetery name 

plot, Row, Grave Number, etc

[Cheshire22]

Hi

 

thank you for all your replies, I’m sorry in getting back to you.  

 

I have been looking at forming a group, who will look at the GRRF and COB details for unknown British soldiers only. 

 

 

 

I think that the name should be ‘Unknown British Soldier’ Project or in short the ‘UBS’ Project 

 

does anybody, have any further comments or ideas in helping in forming this group 

 

 

[Chris_Baker]

A laudable but obviously vast field of research. My only advice would be to tackle it in small steps. Maybe take a small cemetery or group of small cemeteries and concentrate just on that, at least until you have gathered sufficient resource and expertise to expand from there.

 

UBS as a choice of name (for a website, for example) might not be a good idea unless you wish to be sued by a very large bank!

 

Edited 31 May , 2018 by Chris_Baker