To mark the 90th anniversary of the Armistice, The National Archives has launched a season of podcasts of personal stories from those who served in the First World War.
"Voices of the Armistice" brings the heroism and horrors of war to life as listeners are taken from mobilisation to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, in the words of those who were there.
Being released between now and 11 November the series starts with the tragic story of Britain’s first war casualty, who died of pneumonia in England in the early days of August 1914 while working 20-hour days to prepare for the mobilisation of troops. Telling first-hand the terrifying accounts of gas attacks, life as a prisoner of war and the appalling conditions endured in the trenches, the series feature many hidden gems found in diaries and letters as well as some war diaries and diplomatic despatches. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/armistice.
There’s also been a spate of new books about the Great War, many of them containing diaries written by the men who were there. We’ll be reviewing a few in Ancestors and several titles are available as prizes in our 75th issue competition. However, one title we won’t be including, because it has been published as an e-book, is the war diary and album by Len Smith, a commercial artist in civilian life. It is an amazing visual feast of the humanity of war as it was seen by a lowly private. You can find a selection of images and the chance to buy the book at http://greatwarartist.com.
Don’t be put off by title. The National Archives’ annual Catalogue Day offers a fascinating insight into many of the cataloguing and other projects being undertaken behind the scenes which are making records more easily usable. Taking place on 28 November at Kew, this year’s event is better than ever. Speakers include Amanda Bevan talking about "Registers, indexes and strange old manuscripts: converting trapped data into new catalogue entries", Guy Grannum on the Your Archives wiki and Paul Carter discussing ‘Bread or Blood’: Wages, Unemployment and the Vote: reports from across England and Wales in the early 1830s based on the project to index letters in series HO 52. And best of all it is free. To sign up visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/events/catalogue-day.htm
If you prefer to find your references to BMD certificates using microfilm, you might like to know that the General Register Office’s website has a list of local record offices and libraries which have sets of the registers on microfilm http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/research/groindexes/holders_of_the_gro_indexes.asp#England. And of course I should stress that The National Archives does not have the original large volumes of indexes (which were a familiar sight at the Family Records Centre and before then St Catherine’s House and Somerset House) although a number of people apparently come to Kew every week with this firm belief. My understanding is that these books are enjoying a peaceful retirement in a warehouse somewhere on the South Coast. So stick to the microform and the online services like FreeBMD at http://www.freebmd.org.uk.
The current issue (November number 75) has an article on tracing police ancestors. Alan Moss, of History by the Yard, tells me that there is a page on his website about tracing forebears in the Metropolitan Police. http://www.historybytheyard.co.uk/family_history.htm with lots of useful links to other websits complementing those referred to in the magazine.
