Lives of the First World War

[Pauline]

Note it is important to only add the facts actually contained in that source. If you know are entering a sign up document and know his fathers name from his birth certificate you can add that fact when adding a birth certificate but not when adding the sign up document.

Yes, I agree - although in some of the example stories the IWM have sent me to check out it seems to have been done otherwise. But maybe that is more down to inexperience in uploading facts than anything else.

But I was thinking that it would probably be OK to add facts from a birth/death certificate to the birth/death registration index, since the reference number there enables anyone else to obtain the certificate. I am not sure how I would reference a certificate other than with the name, date and GRO reference.

Or is there a better way?

 

[Britjan]

But I was thinking that it would probably be OK to add facts from a birth/death certificate to the birth/death registration index, since the reference number there enables anyone else to obtain the certificate. I am not sure how I would reference a certificate other than with the name, date and GRO reference. Or is there a better way?

I would be uncomfortable adding too much detail once I felt I had proved an individual's identity. I hope there will be a mechanism for us to make /receive further bona fide inquiries from(and to) a poster in much the same way as we do through Lost Cousins and other reputable sources. Further to Pauline's comment I think I would add "details upon request" rather than amplify the FMP information that is available to all.

 

[Alexander Bisset]

You are missing the point Britjan. The Lives of the First World War site is meant to be an open platform where users contribute information to share the stories of the people who participated in the First World War. It is NOT an information exchange site to put users in touch with each other, as such the very secrecy that is at the heart of Lost Cousins is by definition not welcome at Lives of the First World War. The idea is to SHARE information and build stories of the individuals by linking previously un-indexed sources such as war diaries, personal family mementos etc.

So making/receiving further enquiries in private and thus bypassing the telling the story of the individual in public would defeat the objective of the site.

 

[Britjan]

You are missing the point Britjan. ..So making/receiving further enquiries in private and thus bypassing the telling the story of the individual in public would defeat the objective of the site.

Actually I don't think I am because generally I expect to be much more a "taker" than a "giver" on this site but what I am talking about is communication before posting/linking. Obviously I did not make that clear but, for example, there are several great pieces of information about a more distant relative that I'd like to add to "remembering" but I've written to the holder of it to ask their permission. I am very aware that when the lives of those who served at home like my munitions worker grandmother are potentially traced from "new" sources I am going to have share everything I know in the faint hope it will throw light on her contribution. By the way I like your suggestion about adding new records at IWM and added my comments in support.

 

[Alexander Bisset]

I take it that the information that the "holder of the information" has is entirely personal and not available from any other source?

 

[Britjan]

I take it that the information that the "holder of the information" has is entirely personal and not available from any other source?

Just got permission to go ahead with quite a lot from the private tree so when I'm done I'll let you all know. Has anybody been looking at the IWM London website? The building is currently closed for renovation and what they are doing looks most interesting. Unfortunately it won't open until after I return to Canada.

 

[Liberty]

.... I expect to be much more a "taker" than a "giver" on this site

Britjan, you do yourself wrong. I have little doubt you will give a great deal more than you take. You are bringing family history expertise and ability to find and interpret info. In time, a lot of people looking at the site will be those trying to see if their relative is there, not experienced family historians. By entering info on the site you will b making available things that they would never have found for themselves.

I have a half-formed plan that, when I have entered my grandparents, their brothers and cousins etc. I will make a start on the men listed on the war memorials in their home towns. There is enough information on the webpages listing those names, plus the Commonwealth War Graves site, for me to able to identify them on censuses, and bulk out the entry on the 'Lives of WW1' site. Obviously, I can't add much information, but if I can expand initials to Christian names, and add date of birth to the basic record, it should make it easier for a relative to find, and add personal knowledge.

 

[Tim]

Just got this in an email from Lives of the First World War, it shows how to add Personal information.

If you don't have a way to prove your knowledge, you can add these as pieces of Personal Knowledge.
1. In the 'Add to Life Story' area, choose the 'Use your Personal Knowledge' button. Tell us how you know about the person.

2. In the list of Evidence, choose the Personal Knowledge entry you just created, and click 'Add Facts from this Evidence'.

3. Click the 'Share a story' button, and add your story. Click 'Continue' followed by 'Save these Facts'. You will see your story added to the page right away.

 

[Britjan]

I have a half-formed plan that, when I have entered my grandparents, their brothers and cousins etc. I will make a start on the men listed on the war memorials in their home towns.

Liberty you will find this idea in various forms, including war memorials, listed as planned if you log in to the forums pages at Lives as a member. "Our" Alex has asked a relevant question which had occurred to me as well. I thought I would start with the tiny group from Saxlingham Nethergate, two of whom are very dear to me, when the opportunity arises.

 

[Liberty]

Liberty you will find this idea in various forms, including war memorials, listed as planned if you log in to the forums pages at Lives as a member. "Our" Alex has asked a relevant question which had occurred to me as well. I thought I would start with the tiny group from Saxlingham Nethergate, two of whom are very dear to me, when the opportunity arises.

Thanks for this, Britjan. I had not ventured into the forums (oh dear, sounds a bit Frankie Howerd). I was just aware that somebody has put a lot of effort into building up the info on the war memorials I know of, and I felt it ought to be used on this IWM site. This was linked with the fact that my great uncle is down in the list as SC Cooper, and you can maybe imagine how non-unique that is! Hence my wish to at least add Christian names to the records where I could.
on a lighter(?) note -one of my Cooper relatives married a man with the fisrt name 'Major' -Major Duckworth was his name. They had a son called Major Albert, and I was tickled to find him on the IWM site as Sergeant Major Albert Duckworth. Instant promotion at the price of losing a Christian name! And while looking into him I found another soldier with a striking name - Private Butterworth Ashworth Duckworth. As far as I know he is no connection of mine, but I have tagged up some records to go with him.

 

[Alexander Bisset]

Hmmm really disappointed to hear via email today that the creating a community feature will be restricted to "friends" of Lives of First World War for which a premium of £6 a month or £50 a year is to be charged. I can fully understand and agree with charging for searching premium record sources but for using a fundamental feature of the site ie: creating a community that is just wrong.

I've posted a feedback issue here calling for them to review the decision to charge people who have researched war memorials, pals battalions etc and would wish to create communities on the site. If you agree with me that this is an incredibly disappointing decision would you please visit the link and register your votes to highlight the issue.

 

[Tim]

Doh, was just going to post the very same thing!!

 

[Alexander Bisset]

Register your votes for my feedback issue then

 

[Tim]

I gave you 3 votes, only have 7 left now...

 

[Bryman]

on a lighter(?) note -one of my Cooper relatives married a man with the fisrt name 'Major' -Major Duckworth was his name. They had a son called Major Albert, and I was tickled to find him on the IWM site as Sergeant Major Albert Duckworth. Instant promotion at the price of losing a Christian name!

This reminds me of a character in the novel Catch 22 called Major Major Major Major, but that's another story and not to be continued here.

 

[Liberty]

Register your votes for my feedback issue then

Just voted - and added a comment, thus blowing my cover.

 

[Gillian]

I'm a bit late on this discussion but I've encountered a very worrying problem. I spent ages adding details about my father (NB not grandfather or great grandfather!!) to his page. Everything was there nicely, with four photographs and all kinds of information (including a couple of stories). Then I decided to look at the opening Life Stories page to see what had been entered about other people, e.g. Ralph Vaughan Williams, but the page was empty. Strange I thought. So I looked at a few others - all empty. Then I went back to my own (Lieutenant Terence O'Cahir Doherty) - that, too, was now empty. The title partly reflects my change, as originally it read Private and only had Dad's birth date. I changed the Private to Second Lieutenant and added his death date. The death date is now there but not the "Second". Well, that's not important because he did become a lieutenant. What IS important is where everything has gone. I have written to the Lives website, but no reply as yet. What I'm wondering is, has anyone else had a similar experience? Any ideas will be most gratefully received. And Alexander, I've given you a vote.

 

[Liberty]

Gillian, I just looked in case it was blip with you. Your father's entry has him as 2nd Lt (though the result of the search has him as Lt) and there is a nice thumbnail photo of him (good looking chap!), but - as you say - no entries for him. Alexander's GGF is in the same condition, and my GF also seems to have everything 'removed'. This includes in all cases even the original medal card entry. Something going on - fingers crossed it is only temporary!

 

[Gillian]

Thank you very much for that, Liberty. Dare I say I breathed a sigh of relief as at least I now know it wasn't something I did. But I sincerely hope they're working overtime at Lives of the First World War to pinpoint whatever's gone wrong and, above all, to rescue the vast amounts of information floating around somewhere. Of interest re that photo, it's one of only two showing him with two eyes, as his right eye was shot out on the Somme on 15 October 1916. He was then repatriated and, after recovering, spent the rest of the war in Egypt. We're lucky in that we have all the letters he wrote home, mainly to his mother (the lady in my avatar), from the day he enlisted to the day after his eye was shot out. They include two stints in the trenches, first as a private and then as a second lieutenant.

 

[Liberty]

I sincerely hope they're working overtime at Lives of the First World War to pinpoint whatever's gone wrong and, above all, to rescue the vast amounts of information floating around somewhere.

I hope so, indeed. I have been beavering away adding to records (including those of people only geographically connected to my ancestors) flagging up census and birth records, dates of death from the CWG site, etc. The idea was to build up records while viewing entries was free, so that there would be something there when the wider public started looking. I don't really suppose all that is lost, but I am reluctant to do any more of the same until the problem is sorted. I also, like you, have reported it. Maybe it's just information overload from all our hard work.