Accuracy of IWGC data

[Mike HB]

I'd be grateful for any comments on this. I'm researching the movements and action of my grandfathers unit, 298 Bde RFA, and find that the dates given in the Brigade War Diaries for casualties differ from those on the IWGC database (and from 'Gunner on the Western Front' by a signaller in the same unit). Whilst it's only a day or two, usually, I'd be interested to know whether members think the IWGC is more likely to be reliable than the War Diaries. 

 

thanks

MikeHB

[gmac101]

In researching soldiers on the Galashiels war memorial I've encountered several discrepancies between war diaries and CWGC information.  Which is more reliable is really very dependent on the circumstance, my preference is to stick with the CWGC data as they may have had access to additional information which you do not have in setting the date of death, cause / location etc.  The war diaries were written for many purposes and recording in detail casualties was not one of their primary ones. The Long Long Trail has a short article on the registration of deaths in the section on a soldiers life, which gives some mor information on this.

 

I'm not an expert though and others may have better advice

 

Gavin

 

 

[AOK4]

deleted

Edited 7 January , 2019 by AOK4
I answered in the wrong topic.

[corisande]

You could try cross checking against Soldiers Effects, which will also give a death date

 

then there is always getting the death cert

[ss002d6252]

The 1 day error is usually down to reporting issues - there was a cut off point (often mid-morning) for the last 24 hrs report so if you died after that report you went on the next days' report.

There is also the case that where a unit had been in action for several days it may not be known exactly when a man died  so one record can give a range whilst another will give the first roll call where he didn't show up.

 

Craig

[Mike HB]

Thanks all. I'm trying to cross check the various details involving his battery as best I can to build up a picture of what his war was like - he was wounded towards the end, but survived. He also kept a diary but unfortunately this was left behind in a house move in the 1950s, after his death...….

 

It sounds like CWGC dates are likely to be the more accurate.

 

Mike HB

[ss002d6252]

7 hours ago, Mike HB said:

Thanks all. I'm trying to cross check the various details involving his battery as best I can to build up a picture of what his war was like - he was wounded towards the end, but survived. He also kept a diary but unfortunately this was left behind in a house move in the 1950s, after his death...….

 

It sounds like CWGC dates are likely to be the more accurate.

 

Mike HB

In most cases the cwgc and diary dates should be identical - they tend to vary only where there is a range of possible dates where a man could have died (in which cases some record sets show the range, some use the first date and some use the last date).

 

Craig