Weekly Casualty List

[gporta]

This summer I had the occasion to visit a library holding copies of the Weekly Casualty List. I couldn't find the data relevant to me, as, unfortunately, I didn't have the time that it would have required (as the dates I had to search were a big vague), but I was amazed at the amount of information contained there.

Of course, as a reference source, is more useful once one knows the basic data about a soldier (i.e.: regiment and regimental number), but I believe that it is a good source to keep in mind, as it deals also with those who were wounded, became prisoners, etc... but survived the war. SDGW, as good a source as it is, is useful only to search those who didn't.

Has anybody ever considered a reprint, or, as it has been done with SDGW, a searchable database in CD format? I think it could be a good idea.

Gloria

[Graham Stewart]

Gloria,

I'm in complete agreement with you on this one and would love to see more of such thing put onto CD or even a Website for us researchers. I wish I had the time, money and dedication to put all of our local newspapers onto CD, especially the earlier ones where you have loads of photo's and lists of casualties, rather than just those who died.

I also feel it's about time many local Record Offices got involved in the producing their 1918 Absent Voters List's, which in some areas such as Gateshead go up to about 1921. If you're a database buff doing an individual regiment you get all of those who never served overseas.

The British Newspaper Library could also chip-in with the Police Gazette's and the thousands of deserters they contain.

As for the NA perhaps they could help by putting wartime A.C.I.'s and Army Orders on line, which would be a great help to people like me and assist in a greater understanding in how the Army actually worked during those years.

At least that's my opinion, because if you don't live in or around London you're starved of information.

Regards,

Graham.

[gporta]

At least that's my opinion, because if you don't live in or around London you're starved of information.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Graham,

Well... imagine when you don't even live in the UK!!

(One option could be to ask the british library for copies -either on paper or microfilm, but that could be awfully expensive, I'm afraid)

I entirely agree with the other sources you have mentioned being more available as well. I believe that there is interest enough for all these documents to be available without the need a pilgrimage.

Gloria

[Michael]

Gloria

I didn't know they existed. Where did you view them ?

Mick

[gporta]

I didn't know they existed. Where did you view them ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Mick,

I didn't know either, until rather recently... So I almost had the impression that these lists are somehow kept in the dark... Indeed, they are not easily searchable, but have a real wealth of information.

The copies I saw were in the British Library, Newspapers section at Colindale (london). 1918 was in microfilms, and 1919 still in paper (binded). They have 1917 as well ( but I ignore the format)

Their website is at: http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/newspapers/welcome.asp

If you search "weekly casualty list" in the Forum, you will also find reference by other members about it it being available at other places: it seems that it was published by "The Times", so any library with a good set of old "Times" issues near you might have it.

Gloria

[Graham Stewart]

Gloria,

On a good day, with a cheap flight I bet you could get to London quicker than I could from here in the UK. It's easier for me to get to Palma, Majorca than it is to get to London and in half the time.

The last time I went to the PRO(as it was), I had to go into digs for three days, because it wasn't worth it for a single days research and they didn't do Saturdays then.

Regards,

Graham

[gporta]

On a good day, with a cheap flight I bet you could get to London quicker than I could from here in the UK. It's easier for me to get to Palma, Majorca than it is to get to London and in half the time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe you, as I had to go from London to Reading this august to visit an archive, and I was shocked by the price of the train ticket: 13 sterling pounds! -ouch, ouch- Here you can travel by train a distance twice as long paying just three euros.

Still, due to lower salaries here (even lower if you're a girl: sad but true), cheap flights are not so cheap, and, as you have stated, to make the best of a trip it is always better to have more than one day to devote to research (and it is not easy to catch two, three, working -or archive/poen- days on a row, I usually have to leave this to the summer holidays... (Yes, odd way to spend one's holidays )

Gloria

[Charles Fair]

I also feel it's about time many local Record Offices got involved in the producing their 1918 Absent Voters List's, which in some areas such as Gateshead go up to about 1921. If you're a database buff doing an individual regiment you get all of those who never served overseas.

The British Newspaper Library could also chip-in with the Police Gazette's and the thousands of deserters they contain.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ditto. Maybe if enough of us mentioned these things to N&MP they might consider that the market would warrant it.

My dream would be to have a database of every person listed in all the surviving AVLs of 1918 and 19. That is probably c 4-5 million names which would cover many men who do not have a MIC. I have been through the AVLs of 7 London boroughs and have only 21 more to go....

Charles

[Michael]

Thanks Gloria. I must have missed those posts. I need to go to Colindale at some stage so I'll check them out.

Mick

[gporta]

Thanks Gloria. I must have missed those posts. I need to go to Colindale at some stage so I'll check them out.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good luck, Mick, I hope you find your men.

Keep in mind that it would be a good thing to order the volumes you want in advance, and also that the usual thing seems to be that the casualties were listed some time after them actually becoming casualties, so you might need to take yor time in examining the lists, which are really latge and written in very small type.

Gloria

[gporta]

Hear, hear!

Maybe if enough of us mentioned these things to N&MP they might consider that the market would warrant it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Excellent idea. Be sure thet the Naval and Military Press will get a post from me soon with the suggestion.

Gloria

[gporta]

...On second thought, British Library has a reproduction service (with a variety of interesting formats). A duplicate of the available reels, while not cheap, it's cheaper than the combined costs of plane, lodgings and Fish n' chips for the time required for a thorough examination (So maybe not a bad idea to start feeding the piggy bank)

Then I'd just have to locate a compatible microfilm-reading contraption in the vicinity... Heigh-ho!

Gloria