making notes

[Alecras234]

Hi im reading a soldiers diary which im finding very interesting,   it follows James Hyndson of  the 1st Battalion the loyal north lancashire regiment from their barracks near Aldershot to Mons and then to the first battle of ypres.    I was thinking could i mark on a map where the regiment moved to each day?   Mark his home town and where he started his journey then mark out where the regiment moved to each day.   Is there a way i could do this digitally?

[ajsmith]

you could use Google Earth explained here https://support.google.com/earth/answer/148072?hl=en

[chaz]

If you go onto one of the other sites, forces war records or find my past, one of them has Orbats that you can follow . Long time since I used them so not sure which. 

[Alecras234]

where do i go from here to plan the march they did please?

[chaz]

https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/maps/search

 

from the search box

https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/maps/search

[Alecras234]

this is what ive done so far on google earth.  I want to mark out each place the regiment marched to and from.  Should i just put a marker on the various towns and villages?  They sailed from Southampton to Le Havre then went by train to Le Nouvion.

 

[WhiteStarLine]

On 27/07/2020 at 06:45, Alecras234 said:

 Is there a way i could do this digitally?

Not only is Google Earth a great platform to continue with your approach, but you can extend this by opening from Google Earth to Google Maps and getting directions, if you ever want to follow his footsteps.  Plus, once you save the Google Earth file as KML, then there are dozens of other mapping programs that let you import the KML.

 

I did the same with my grandfather's sea voyage, based on the noon day logs.  It was a long voyage of 69 days back then.  Keep up the good work!

 

 

 

[Alecras234]

Hello mate that's exactly what i want to do but i've never used google earth before.Can you please help me with mapping his journey?   The regiment were based in North camp near Aldershot, the regiment marched to South Farnborough station, sailed from Southampton to Le Havre where they camped the night,  got on a train the next morning to Le Nouvion and marched on into Belgium.  Please can you help me?

[WhiteStarLine]

Very happy to help - just need a day to finish off a few things.

[WhiteStarLine]

Still working on it, but it is taking shape.  Here is the first cut Google Earth and the overall map - he covered a lot of ground!  You will be able to click on each location and zoom in and follow his journey.

 

 

 

 

[Alecras234]

How are you doing it, so i can have a go, is it google earth or google maps? What those folders down the left of the screen?  im sorry but i've never used this to draw out a regiment's march, where do i start?

Edited 31 July , 2020 by Alecras234

[WhiteStarLine]

There are several ways and because I do a bit of this, I have an Excel template that does all the hard work.  This (to me) is incredibly easy - it took only 10 minutes to get post #10 completed after I had place names, latitude and longitude.  There is a much longer way by starting Google Earth and finding and adding each entry, then saving them.  I haven't done this for many years and would never go back.

 

Step 1: Find the name of each place, in chronological order.

Step 2: Record the latitude and longitude (using Google Earth, or your favourite search engine, or Google Maps, or geonames.org.

Step 3: In Excel, have the name, date (optional), latitude and longitude in separate columns.

Step 4: Concatenate the cells (I'll give you the syntax).

Step 5: Copy into Notepad.

Step 6: Add the KML header lines and footer line.

Step 7: Save as lancashire.kml or any other name.

Step 8; Double-click on the file name in Windows Explorer.

 

Here is the list of places he visited, in chronological order:

 

North Camp Aldershot, South Farnborough station, Southampton, Le Havre, Rouen, St Denis (Paris), Amiens, Cambrai, Le Nouvion, Esqueheries, Avense, La Fontaine, Mauberge, Villers-sire-Nicole, Givry, Havay, Fiegnies, Mabaix, Le Grand Fayette, Guise, Soissons, Villers Cotteretts, Collomiers, Priez, Bourg, Moulin, Vendresse, Troyon, Cerny-en-Laonnois, Paissy, Fismes, St Denis (Paris), Amiens, Abbeville, Boulogne, Calais, Cassels, Steenvorde, Poperinghe, Boesinghe, St Jean, Pilckem, Bixchoote, Ypres, Hooge, Veldhoek, Polygon Wood, Guleveldt, Veldhoek, Vlamatinghe, Westoutre.

 

Compile longitude and latitude.  Six digits is enough:

North Camp Farnborough	-0.74795	51.27585
Railway	-0.75573	51.29661
Port of Southampton	-1.41994	50.89122
Le Havre	0.114084	49.4842
Rouen	1.056068	49.44132
Gare de Saint-Denis	2.350234	48.94386
Amiens Railway Station	2.30982	49.88993
Cambrai Railway Station	3.24129	50.177
Le Nouvion	3.785	50.01722

 

Using Excel's concatenate feature, each line looks like this - don't worry, it is all automated.  Latitude follows longitude:

<Placemark><name>North Camp Farnborough</name><Point><coordinates>-0.747945,51.275855</coordinates></Point><LookAt><longitude>-0.747945</longitude><latitude>51.275855</latitude><altitude>40000</altitude><heading>0</heading><tilt>0</tilt><altitudeMode>absolute</altitudeMode></LookAt></Placemark>

 

Copy into Notepad and add a header

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2" xmlns:gx="http://www.google.com/kml/ext/2.2">
  <Document>
    <name>Loyal North Lancashire Regimental Journey, Farnborough to Ypres, 1914</name>
    <!--
    The long, long trail from England to the Battle of First Ypres in 1914
    -->
    <open>1</open>
    <description>
      In Google Earth, click on each placemark to sail to that point.
    </description>

 

Paste in your series of lines starting with Placemark

 

At the bottom of Notepad add a footer

  </Document>
</kml>

 

Save and Load

 

Now, click each location in turn and Google Earth will "fly" from one to another.

 

Check each one as I know I have at least 3 errors where I have mixed up towns and one town, Paissy, had at least 2 possibilities.  I'm sure I got the wrong one!  I could not find these locations:

Avense

Bourg

Collomiers

Le Grand Fayette

Mabaix

St Jean

 

 

Edited 31 July , 2020 by WhiteStarLine
longitude before latitude in Google Earth!

[WhiteStarLine]

The two files you need are Excel to do the hard work and the finished KML file.  This site won't let me upload Excel, so PM me for a copy.  If you know Excel, I've concatenated two columns to avoid Excel's 256 character limit.

 

North Camp Farnborough -0.7479551.27585

="<Placemark><name>"&A2&"</name><Point><coordinates>"&ROUND(B2,6)&","&ROUND(C2,6)&"</coordinates>"

="</Point><LookAt><longitude>"&ROUND(B2,6)&"</longitude><latitude>"&ROUND(C2,6)&"</latitude><altitude>40000</altitude><heading>0</heading><tilt>0</tilt><altitudeMode>absolute</altitudeMode></LookAt></Placemark>"

 

Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.kml

[Alecras234]

Hi im sorry mate, im disabled and takes me a while to  understand things.   I'm none the wiser, you say excel makes it easier thats what i like it being made simple.    Are there videos on youtube showing what you're doing?     So i open google earth, then what, find North camp Aldershot and mark it?   I've opened the attachment where places are marked, how did you do that please?   Thank you for doing it.

Edited 31 July , 2020 by Alecras234

[WhiteStarLine]

7 hours ago, Alecras234 said:

Hi im sorry mate, im disabled and takes me a while to  understand things.   I'm none the wiser

Hi, no issue, very happy to help, so let's try another approach.  Your post from Tuesday showed you correctly identifying Southampton using Google Maps.  Let's continue with that.

 

Here is a link to a Google Maps version of the same thing.  I used it to test the instructions of how you can do the same thing yourself.  The instructions Google give worked for me first time loading the KML file you downloaded last night, but if you have any troubles, sing out.  See just underneath the screenshot.

 

When you have got this working, PM me and I will email you the Excel spreadsheet and you can take over doing this yourself.  Just click on my avatar and follow the option to message me.

 

By the way I assume you have the day-by-day account published by James Hyndson.  Wasn't that the most condescending Forward to the book given by his brigade or divisional commander!

 

 

Step 2: Import info into the map

1. On your computer, sign in to My Maps.
2. Open or create a map.
3. In the map legend, click Add layer.
4. Give the new layer a name.
5. Under the new layer, click Import.
6. Choose or upload the file or photos containing your info, then click Select.
7. Map features are added automatically.

Just drag my KML file from your computer and drop it onto this dialogue:

 

 

 

[Alecras234]

I understand now about the spreadsheet doing all the hard work.   How do i create the spreadsheet with all the marches on, or are you sending me the spreadsheet?

 

Ash

[WhiteStarLine]

Hi Ash,

 

Either download the Excel spreadsheet from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZXG7SWqVprp6kfBOY7u9YzQaa-kXOQJ6/view?usp=sharing.

 

Or, paste in these values into 3 columns in Excel.  The blank lines are where I could not identify a location:

 

Place	Lon	Lat
North Camp Farnborough	-0.74795	51.27585
South Farnborough Station	-0.75573	51.29661
Port of Southampton	-1.41994	50.89122
Le Havre	0.114084	49.4842
Rouen	1.056068	49.44132
Gare de Saint-Denis	2.350234	48.94386
Amiens Railway Station	2.30982	49.88993
Cambrai Railway Station	3.24129	50.177
Le Nouvion	3.785	50.01722
Esquéhéries	3.74639	49.98389
La Fontaine	3.51667	50.63333
Maubeuge Railway Station	3.96634	50.27251
Villers-sire-Nicole	4.01379	50.33911
Givry	4.53694	49.48927
Havay	3.98366	50.36118
Fiegnies (Feignies)	3.876752	50.29107
Guise	3.552745	49.8972
Soissons Railway Station	3.33833	49.36917
Villers-Cotterêts	3.035657	49.22018
Priez	3.252743	49.13082
Moulin	3.56667	50.71667
Vendresse	3.66722	49.42722
Troyon	4.932444	48.99901
Cerny-en-Laonnois	3.66778	49.44333
Paissy	3.681886	49.42555
Fismes	3.667431	49.31255
Gare de Saint-Denis	2.350234	48.94386
Amiens Railway Station	2.30982	49.88993
Abbeville	1.817628	50.10023
Gare de Boulogne	1.607844	50.71416
Gare de Calais Ville	1.846983	50.94952
Cassels	2.481074	50.79456
Steenvorde	2.58244	50.81046
Poperinghe	2.6875	50.85488
Boesinghe	2.854583	50.89568
Pilckem	2.88562	50.89979
Bixchoote (Bikschote)	2.86479	50.92557
Ypres	2.86733	50.85704
Hooge	2.92377	50.83747
Veldhoek	3.36023	51.1944
Polygon Wood (near)	2.98333	50.85
Guluveldt [Geluveld]	2.99343	50.83511
Veldhoek	3.36023	51.1944
Vlamatinghe	2.82024	50.85485
Westouter, Heuvelland	2.737682	50.79716

 

 

[Alecras234]

i tried this

[Michelle Young]

Looking like  you've got the hang of it Ash. Well done. 

[Alecras234]

i still don't know what i've done, import a spreadsheet that you sent to me.    What happens now, or is that it?   How do i trace the regiments footsteps?   is it the regiment we're following or is it a battalion?       If i wanted to do this again sometime,   what would i have to do?  That drag files here to attach is there now.   Weird.

 

Ash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Michelle Young]

That's one for White Star Line to answer, it's a dark art to me! 

[depaor01]

Brilliant info Whitestarline. I need to do similar for my grand uncle's travels before he was captured at Shell Trap Farm. Also my interrailing in 1989 

And great question Alecras.

Do carry on...

Dave

[WhiteStarLine]

Hi Alecras, this is looking really good.  To fix the errors, paste in the KML or PM the file to me by pasting it into a Private Message.

 

In answer to your earlier question, every location is from Hindson's account.  So it relates to his battalion.  The same principle applies to every regiment, battalion, individual etc that you follow.  Find the location then find the latitude and longitude.

Edited 3 August , 2020 by WhiteStarLine
update answer to 2nd question

[Alecras234]

Google earth error  

Open of file "D:\Documents\lancashire.kml" failed: Parse error at line 11, column 18:

 

im not sure i've saved a kml file, how do i check? i right clicked the file and opened properties, it says its a kml file.

Edited 4 August , 2020 by Alecras234

[WhiteStarLine]

Hi, you are close Ash but we're going round in circles a bit.  

 

26 minutes ago, Alecras234 said:

Open of file "D:\Documents\lancashire.kml" failed: Parse error at line 11, column 18:

 

This says that it is a kml file and that there is an error on line 11 at column 18.  Please now:

 

12 hours ago, WhiteStarLine said:

paste in the KML or PM the file to me by pasting it into a Private Message

 

Thanks.