borstal Posted 9 December , 2003 Share Posted 9 December , 2003 I wonder if somebody has detailed knowledge which will enable me to complete an Indexing Project? Currently I am engaged on Indexing the only known surviving World War I Recruitment Registers. In true army fashion they are heavily abbreviated, and to make them more user friendly we are attempting to expand the abbreviations. In the main we have been succesful, however one item is causing concern. The abbreviation in question is "RO" Suspicion is that it stands for something like "Royal Ordinance" but a search indicates no unit approaching that name. The matter is further confused in that mixed in with these entries are "AOC" "Army Ordinance Corps" Any suggestions would be helpful, as it helps the overall project to completion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete Wood Posted 9 December , 2003 Share Posted 9 December , 2003 I think it may be Royal Observatory or Routine Order. But others will tell you their ideas, I'm sure. I'm curious by nature so, if you don't mind me asking, who do you work for - and where are these posters located?? How did your company/organistation come to aquire these posters? Are you an indexer (excuse my ignorance for not knowing the correct term) - by profession?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 9 December , 2003 Share Posted 9 December , 2003 How about 'Recruiting Office/Officer' ? If you give us some more of the context, it may help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borstal Posted 9 December , 2003 Author Share Posted 9 December , 2003 I don't think "Recruiting Officer" is a possibility as there is a separate column for that information. The "RO" referred to appears under the assigned Regiment column. Regarding the other question raised, I don't work, this Indexing project is voluntary The Registers referred to in my previous post comprise 44 volumes each with approx 200 pages with on average 12 names to a page. However not all of the Volumes are full, some have only a few pages completed They are compiled in a form of date entry order; Information comprises some or all of the following: Surname, Forename(s), Regiment, Age, Height, Weight, Complexion, Eye Colour, Hair Colour, Distinctive Marks, Birthplace, Date of Attestation, Place of Attestation, Medical Grade or Category, Marital Status, Home Address. So far we have details on nearly 40,000 persons, and estimate that we have about another years work to record the remaining details. The intention is to produce a CD which will be searcheable on the surnames of enlistees. I hope the above explains what we are up to. Look forward to further advice on the abbreviation "RO" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 9 December , 2003 Share Posted 9 December , 2003 Where are these registers at the moment? If you give us the details of one or two RO entries we may be able to work it from there. It is not 'DO' or 'do' is it (ie ditto)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gem22 Posted 9 December , 2003 Share Posted 9 December , 2003 Sorry I can't help with the abbreviation but the project sounds fascinating. Might I suggest that many people on this forum would be interested in the CD particularly if it is searchable by other means as well as surname. My own preference would be for place of attestation and home address. Good luck with the project anyway. Garth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete Wood Posted 9 December , 2003 Share Posted 9 December , 2003 Please forgive my mistake in 'seeing' posters when you had actually written registers. I am obviously even more tired than I care to realise. Sorry, folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 9 December , 2003 Share Posted 9 December , 2003 Sounds like the Surrey registers we discussed a couple of weeks ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borstal Posted 10 December , 2003 Author Share Posted 10 December , 2003 Yes This Indexing Project does relate to the Surrey Regoisters which was a subject of discussion a few weeks ago. As compiler of the database I reckon we have about another years work to enter all the names & details that are being captured. Thereafter I will have work to do in compiling the database & converting to a PDF format etc. I will probably burn the master CD, thereafter it will be up to the Surrey History Trust as to how the CD is made available. As far as I am aware it is the intention to sell to the public, at what price is as yet undecided, but if my input is heeded, then it will probably be in the range £10-£20. I'll try & remember to keep the forum informed. No doubt I will be back before then in an attempt to decipher any more confusing regimental abbreviations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 10 December , 2003 Share Posted 10 December , 2003 It does indeed sound fascinating and useful. Might I suggest that many people on this forum would be interested in the CD particularly if it is searchable by other means as well as surname. My own preference would be for place of attestation and home address. Might I suggest also that it be made searchable by Regiment or unit. I'm one of a large number of people on this forum who are researching a particular unit, and this would be a very useful facility. Good luck with the project. Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borstal Posted 11 December , 2003 Author Share Posted 11 December , 2003 Don't think it will be feasible to add a search by Regiment or Unit. The project was originally devised to enable Family History Researchers to find particular Names. However it has been realised that other researchers will want to do other forms of analysis, so it is likely that the raw database will be included on the CD, so that other people wanting different items will be able to construct their own SQL statements to interrogate the database. Reverting to my original reason for posting, can I again request help regarding regimental abbreviations Two entries of Brothers have the following in the Regimental column "Waiting DCM (NCC)" Any suggestions Both brothers gave their occupaations as Missionary Preachers?? Another entry in Regimental column is "GOCB Cambridge". Again any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 11 December , 2003 Share Posted 11 December , 2003 NCC means Non-Combatant Corps which fits with their professions. There is a thread on the forum about the NCC at the moment. See http://www.1914-1918.org/forum/index.php?s...l=non+combatant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Posted 11 December , 2003 Share Posted 11 December , 2003 Any chance that the brothers were conscientous objectors? It could be possible that it stands for District Court Martial.I have a vague memory from some work I did on Ireland in the 1920s that I have heard the abreviation before.The source was I think Townshend C The Anglo Irish War This is a really wild guess but you may be able to use the date to deduce further information Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Posted 11 December , 2003 Share Posted 11 December , 2003 GOCB may have something to do with 'commissioning board' a lot of officer training went on at the universities. Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pat Posted 11 December , 2003 Share Posted 11 December , 2003 Or could it be General Officer Cadet Battlion? There were a number of these at Cambridge I believe Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 14 December , 2003 Share Posted 14 December , 2003 Another entry in Regimental column is "GOCB Cambridge". Again any suggestions? This is the Garrison Officer Cadet Battalion which was based at Jesus College Cambridge. It was formed sometime between June 1916 and July 1917 and was renamed No. 22 (Garrison) Officer Cadet Battalion in August 1918. (Source: Brig EA James, British Regiments 1914-18, p 119) I'm not exactly sure how it differed from other OCBs but assume fom its title that it was to provide officers for the garrison battalions of the various infantry regiments. These battalions had men who were only fit for garrison duty (on account of health, wounds) either in the UK or overseas. Many of these battalions later became bns of the Royal Defence Corps. Presumably the officers that passed out of GOCB were no longer A1 fit for general service, as were the men of the garrison battalions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 14 December , 2003 Share Posted 14 December , 2003 However it has been realised that other researchers will want to do other forms of analysis, so it is likely that the raw database will be included on the CD, so that other people wanting different items will be able to construct their own SQL statements to interrogate the database. Excellent, I'll certainly have a copy when it is ready! I for one would love to have a look at the raw data. Please could it be included in a simple CSV type format for ease of import into other packages? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 14 December , 2003 Share Posted 14 December , 2003 Any chance that the brothers were conscientous objectors? It could be possible that it stands for District Court Martial.I have a vague memory from some work I did on Ireland in the 1920s that I have heard the abreviation before.The source was I think Townshend C The Anglo Irish War This is a really wild guess but you may be able to use the date to deduce further information Greg You are right, definately "Non Combatant Corps" and "District Court Martial". Some Conscientious Objectors faced more than one DCM as well - see the note on T. Corder Catchpole that I added to the "Mons Star" ribbon thread. Some seventy three WW1 C.O.s died in prison or shortly after release. It is interesting to note that the "Cat & Mouse Act", first introduced to counter the WSPU, was also used on male Conscientious Objectors who went on hunger strike for insisting on what was their legal right. As you are working on Surrey, you might want to double check by looking at the entry for C J Cobb of Croydon. He was a lay preacher who served five prison terms (5 X DCM) for refusing to fight, and died in March 1919, shortly after obtaining a medical release. He died of T.B. following three and a half years in custody, much of it on bread and water. For Family historians: You might like to put a note, next to the brothers entry in your records, stating that their "sheets" can be viewed at the Society of Friends Library in the Euston Road. The Quaker's set up a "Visitation of Prisoners Committee" which had a sheet for every Conscientious Objector. This is probably anyone's best chance of finding information on individual Conscientious Objector's, since the Government saw fit to burn the Conscientious Objectors Tribunal's Records in 1922. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward_N_Kelly Posted 15 December , 2003 Share Posted 15 December , 2003 I wonder if somebody has detailed knowledge which will enable me to complete an Indexing Project? Currently I am engaged on Indexing the only known surviving World War I Recruitment Registers. In true army fashion they are heavily abbreviated, and to make them more user friendly we are attempting to expand the abbreviations. In the main we have been succesful, however one item is causing concern. The abbreviation in question is "RO" Suspicion is that it stands for something like "Royal Ordinance" but a search indicates no unit approaching that name. The matter is further confused in that mixed in with these entries are "AOC" "Army Ordinance Corps" Any suggestions would be helpful, as it helps the overall project to completion. Could "RO" stand for Routine Order ? If it is followed by a series of numbers it would indicate the "RO" that is the authority for the despatch of the soldier to the next posting. A cheat's way when they are handling large numbers of personnel passing through their depot. From memory this would be RO part 2 - promotions, awards, transfers, postings, TDY secondments, qualifications gained and attendance at courses. Part 1 was concerned with administration such as duties, picquet rosters, chnages in "policy" on aspects of camp life, etc). There was a part 3 but cannot remember what it was for..... Edward Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnumbellum Posted 2 December , 2010 Share Posted 2 December , 2010 Reverting to my original reason for posting, can I again request help regarding regimental abbreviations Two entries of Brothers have the following in the Regimental column "Waiting DCM (NCC)" Any suggestions Both brothers gave their occupaations as Missionary Preachers?? It having been established that "DCM (NCC)" means District Court-Martial (Non-combatant Corps)", is there any possibility of disclosing the names of the brothers? It may be that members of the Forum have been looking for them or will have information about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggers Posted 2 December , 2010 Share Posted 2 December , 2010 Borstal's last post on the forum was three years ago so he may not see your request. Why not try a PM? D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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