Best War Memorial Book format?

[Skipman]

Does anyone have a view on the best War Memorial Book. By that I mean a book detailing the service etc of a given War Memorial. I imagine there are quite a number. Has anyone one ever read more than one. I ask because I'm kind of ready to start writing one and wonder which format might work the best. I had an idea to do it like a diary day on day but think with over 60 men that might get a bit confusing.

 

Mike

[BarbaraG]

Not a book but possibly an idea for format which has probably been used by others in similar ways might also be adapted for the task. Nottingham Great War Roll of Honour, which I frequently refer to is very good for presenting information and might offer ideas. 

I’m currently interested in those who served from Sneinton, Nottingham as the WW1 Memorial was probably destroyed.

e.g. https://secure.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/RollOfHonour/People/Details/29912

https://secure.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/RollOfHonour/People/Details/28123

[Skipman]

Thanks Barbara. A website certainly has certain advantages but a book has always been the aim.

 

Cheers Mike

[Malcolm Linham]

Mike 

 

 I have several books of this type of local towns and villages. I think the best one I have is " In the company of heroes " by William Blanning which covers the men of the Radstock Area.

It was first published in 2006 by William Blanning , there is no ISBN =number that I can find.

Hope this helps 

Malcolm 

 

[Ron da Valli]

Here is a link to my book about the names on Rhyl war memorial. Use the look inside feature to see what style I have used, just to give you an idea. 

Regards, Darryl

Rhyl Lads In Foreign Fields: Rhyl's Great War: Amazon.co.uk: Porrino, Mr Darryl: 9798795970790: Books

[Skipman]

Excellent. thank you Malcolm and Darryl.

 

Mike

[rolt968]

I have collected a number of War Memorial books over the years. I am still undecided about what format my own will take. The big problem is trying to predict who isgoing to read it! Indeed I am at present seriously considering producing each in two formats -one readable by normal people and the other "academic".

You might like to look at Meigle's WW1 Dead: Fallen of the First World War as Commemorated on the Village War Memorial by Rae Taylor. I think it is quite a good compromise between the two. There should be a copy in the AK Bell Library if not your local library.

One plea: Even if you don't reference them on detail could you please find a way of listing the military sources which are available for each individual man.

RM

[Skipman]

Many thanks Rolt that's useful. I will see if I can get a copy at the Library. Regarding who reads it. To be honest, I'm not too fussed. I reckon about 100-150 will buy a copy and a gradual drip over the years. I would be happy with that. All I want is it to be as accurate as I can make it. As for academics, I'm not aiming it at them though I would like to think they won't find too many faults in it. If the local school used it to further educate pupils on the part men and women from their area played in the Great War, I would be delighted with that. Re sources. I have a note of the source beside every scrap of information I have found. Over 3 million words to be brutally culled.

 

Mike

[Rockford]

Hello,

I've been researching and writing up the men listed on the war memorials in my home village - one civic, one workplace - it started as a an idea years ago, but has been an interesting 'lockdown' project - and the National Archives making things like War Diaries and RAF Operation Books freely available online has definitely helped!

I'm about halfway through and my approach as been similar to the one that Darryl highlighted for his own work.  When I saw this post, I thought I'd share how I'm tackling it.

After a couple of introductory pages giving a bit of history and photos of the memorials, with a summary of the village itself at the start of WW1, I've then just started working my way through the men, in the order they are listed on the memorial.  For each man, I've tried to locate a photograph in the local paper and/or a report of their death, and then included a bit of their history - birthplace, census records for 1891 - 1911, pre-war occupation, family context, some social history etc (it's a mining community, so there is a load of information available about living & working conditions etc.) then a bit about their service - when they enlisted, where they joined their battalion when posted overseas and then a summary of the action or fighting in which they were killed or wounded.  Each entry ends with details of where they are buried or commemorated.

I've drawn on information from the British Newspaper Archive, as well as Ancestry and the National Archives, CWGC, SNWM, IWM, NAM etc.  I've also tried to differentiate between each entry by including a bit of additional detail for colour - for example, one soldier was the son of the local publican, so there's a bit of information in his section about the pub and a couple of 'incidents'  reported in the local press.  Some lost fathers or brothers to workplace accidents, so I've included a bit about that, another man's father was a junior football cap for Scotland, so he's included as well.  I thought this would make it interesting to a wider audience - at the moment, the intention is to give a copy to the local history library, rather than publish - but you never know!

I've not tried to give a blow by blow account of the war itself, as others can do this far better than I ever could and there is so much good information already available.  What I have tried to do is give each man's story a personal retelling using the incidents and experiences that are relevant to them.  Obviously, as there are about 50 men included, with about 80% serving in the county regiment (Royal Scots), there is some overlap and some men were killed in the same action, or around the same time.  I've tried to cross reference as much as I can, but I'm still trying to differentiate a bit for each one.  I've got deserters, Boer War veterans, POWs, tunnellers, a DCM, MMs and a 17 year old killed in the train crash at Quintinshill, so they are a really varied group - I felt that giving each man an individual write up was better and allowed each to stand out, rather than a chronological focus on the progress of the war.  However, I'm working with a manageable number to take a more personal approach, if I was looking at many more, an abbreviated personal story within a chronological framework might be a better way of recording them.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the process and have learned so much.  I've also been writing up the names for WW2, and was recently able to share the history of a man in the RAF with his niece, giving her information she did not know, and to my immense gratitude, she also shared photos of him.  I have also discovered family connections to several men that I was unaware of until I started researching.

At the end, I've included a 'deaths by year' summary, and a bibliography of sources I've used, or books etc that have helped me along.  I haven't referenced every birth, marriage or death record, referring instead to having used ScotlandsPeople as a resource for this.  However, where I've used newspaper articles, or specific websites, I've included footnotes throughout the document as needed and useful.

It's not an academic work.  However, as I do that for a day job (unrelated to history or WW2), I've still included references to specific sources, or signposted to where further information might be available.

Hope that's useful,

Brian

Edited 27 January , 2022 by Rockford

[Ron da Valli]

Hello Brian,

                Your explanation of how you record details sounds so much better than mine. I will revisit my Rhyl book and attempt to add similar details. I have a shot at dawn deserter & a murdered soldier in the book. Similarly I don't regard any of my books as academic works, just my humble attempt to make sure they are not forgotten.

Regards,

            Darryl

[Rockford]

Hello Darryl,

I don't think my approach is better, just different.  I've been into family history for years, which is what sparked my interest in the Great War - especially the story of my grandfather's uncle Jimmy Thomson, who lost both legs at Arras and a more distant relation who was the CO of a tunnelling company.  It seems strange, but the men on the memorial have also begun to feel a bit like family, as they were the friends, workmates and neighbours of my own folks, so I think I've just approached it as I have my family history research.

To me, the important bit is that we remember them, whatever format we choose to write them up

Best wishes

Brian

[Ron da Valli]

Spot on Brian.

   I have a few memorial type books written by various people, just to see how I measure up. They are all different in style but the content & sentiment are all the same.

[alf mcm]

I usually add a photo of a casualty's gravestone, where it exists, to their individual biographies. I also show an inscription of what is on the gravestone, since text is not always obvious from a photograph. I add credits to photographs where they are not mine.

If a man was married, then I add some details of what happened to their widow and children, i.e. did widow marry again, when did children marry and who to, where and when died etc.. This then rounds of the soldier's family.

Regards,

Alf McM

[Skipman]

Thanks Alf. I think i will be cautious when adding any existing family info. I know the family of one soldier named on my local Memorial whose father remarried and had another family. I know for a fact that though this information is available should one want to find it they feel it's not my place to broadcast it and I agree with them.

 

Mike

[Rockford]

It's definitely a judgment as to what info to include about wider family members of those we are researching, as you're absolutely right - although lots of info is publicly available, or can be accessed via a subscription, not everybody would necessarily want it broadcast.

In my own research, I've found two of their fathers spent time in prison.  It's interesting from a social history point of view but is is relevant to either man's commemoration? Maybe not.

Best wishes

Brian

[Skipman]

Definitely Brian. I shall tread carefully. there are many examples that would make good reading but I have no idea who most of the men's relatives are. All over the world though I have met a number of them and nicer people you will not meet. I would hate to offend anyone. For example one man was CB for having a few and urinating in the lines. Two brothers had a dreadful upbringing in a most difficult family setting. Two local men committed suicide.  etc etc etc

 

Mike