chrisharley9 Posted 3 May , 2005 Share Posted 3 May , 2005 Does any one know what happens to these when full. Another thread states that they are thrown away when full. http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...showtopic=31568 All The Best Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gem22 Posted 3 May , 2005 Share Posted 3 May , 2005 Chris It's my understanding that they are destroyed when finished with. I had heard (hearsay only) that notice was taken of the number of visitors to the cemetery. I find it difficult to work out what use could be made of such information; bearing in mind that not all visitors sign the book and not all cemeteries have visitors books anyway. Garth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burlington Posted 3 May , 2005 Share Posted 3 May , 2005 This might be the case now BUT in the past the books were used as a measure of how many people were visiting the various sites. See 'Battlefield Tourism- pilgramage and the commemmoration ..... 1919-1939' David W Lloyd.. ISBN 1859731791 Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 3 May , 2005 Share Posted 3 May , 2005 I read the other thread and ws disappointed to hear those books might be thrown away. Imagine what it would be like to find a registar so many years on with a prominent veteran, or perhaps an historian who later significantly contributes to Great War research. I guess in the end it is just a signiture and comment, but it is a bit of history. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 3 May , 2005 Share Posted 3 May , 2005 As a matter of fact a few days ago I intended (but eventually forgot) to contact CWGC Ypres to ask them if the pages of a certain cemetery still exist. Interesting for me since some visitors mention their address and/or email address. And I found it worthwhile to contact (and already have contacted) descendants of a certain soldier I had taken an interest in because he fell in a certain military operation nearby. Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swizz Posted 3 May , 2005 Share Posted 3 May , 2005 I agree with andigger - it would be fascinating to see books from the past. The visitors books for a national battlefield monument (I'd rather not say which one) covering a period from the 1920s through to the 1940s were deposited in a national archive some years ago. Apparently they included the signatures of German soldiers in 1940 and I'm sure there would have been lots of prominent (and not so prominent) names in there too. When I tried to view the books in the archive where they are supposedly held, I was told they were 'missing'... (sigh!). I'm not disputing that they're not there, it's just a pity that they seem to be inaccessible for whatever reason... Swizz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Simon Bull Posted 3 May , 2005 Share Posted 3 May , 2005 I am sure that I was told (I believe by the CWGC) that they now go to the Historiale at Peronne, but I cannot find the source of this, so I do hope that my memory is not playing tricks. I believe that this is a relatively recent thing and before that they were destroyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 3 May , 2005 Share Posted 3 May , 2005 I agree with andigger - it would be fascinating to see books from the past. The visitors books for a national battlefield monument (I'd rather not say which one) covering a period from the 1920s through to the 1940s were deposited in a national archive some years ago. Apparently they included the signatures of German soldiers in 1940 and I'm sure there would have been lots of prominent (and not so prominent) names in there too. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I don't want to give glory to those who nearly drove the world to destruction in WWII, but imagine if some prominent Nazi leaders had visited Tyne Cot or other cemetaries in the 20s... 30s. Hypothetically... what insight could be gained if Hitler (in an extreme example) had taken the time to visit and sign the guest books at a couple of cemetaries through out the Salient. Or imagine this entry at Hermonville..... 3 May 1924 A.Hitler 4 May 1924 W Churchill what if...... Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 3 May , 2005 Share Posted 3 May , 2005 It is my understanding that the ones for the Somme departement go to the Historial Museum at Peronne, as mentioned above by Simon Bull. Indeed, I know someone who was doing a PhD on battlefield tourism who went to look at them. I don't know how far they go back, however, and suspect it is not beyond when the Historial was built. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marco Posted 3 May , 2005 Share Posted 3 May , 2005 I am sure that I was told (I believe by the CWGC) that they now go to the Historiale at Peronne, but I cannot find the source of this, so I do hope that my memory is not playing tricks. I believe that this is a relatively recent thing and before that they were destroyed. I heard (but can not verify) that the CWGC kept (keep?) sending them to Peronne LONG after the study was closed. If true they were probably happy someone did something with them. No idea what Peronne did with them. Regards, Marco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat McLachlan Posted 4 May , 2005 Share Posted 4 May , 2005 Kind of makes you wonder why they bother having the visitors books at all if they are simply destroyed after a few months. I had never bothered to ask, but my assumption was that they were stored somewhere for historical reference. Not the first time I've been wrong, and it won't be the last! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marco Posted 4 May , 2005 Share Posted 4 May , 2005 If original MIC's are on the verge of being destroyed for lack of space than you can imagine whet else can go. Regards, Marco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Simon Bull Posted 4 May , 2005 Share Posted 4 May , 2005 Kind of makes you wonder why they bother having the visitors books at all if they are simply destroyed after a few months. I had never bothered to ask, but my assumption was that they were stored somewhere for historical reference. Not the first time I've been wrong, and it won't be the last! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I very much agree about this. I made contact with the family of the officer who was killed in my grandfather's tank when my grandfather was taken prisoner becuase I noticed a fortuitous entry in a Cemetery visitors' book. I would love to be able to look at the early visitors books from the cemeteries where the men from my village are buried to see whether any relatives signed them. These seem to me to be interesting and valuable historical documents, both in terms of identifying individual visitors and identifying trends in terms of numbers and types of visitors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 7 May , 2005 Author Share Posted 7 May , 2005 many thanks to everyone for their comments All The Best Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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