Hi Mike, I think for a first shot it is really showing promise and will be welcomed by family members, historians and researchers. A majority will not have a detailed cause of death (correct?) and family photos so as Kyt intimated, there should be a distinctive generalised template to fill the page which can be deleted and replaced with photo(s) without losing the effectiveness. I am excited by the thought of this massive project moving to the Internet and only wish I had more time to assist. Can you please provide a timeline of the marketing/advertising strategy that you envisage taking place. When things start to move and you are aware of what photos you do and do not have we can make some suggestions as to how these can be achieved. There is project officer I am in touch with in Australia for the Australian War Graves Photographic Archive. Are you aware of this organisation? There is also another one I found on the net in the Netherlands who has a large archive of Commonwealth photos. Cheer Geoff
Hi Mike I think you've made a good start and commend you on your dedication. I'm still struggling to find the time to get photos of RAAF headstones for Spidge in my hometown! I'm a bit of a stickler for writing (try hard, qualified, free lance journo) so thought I might tidy up the text for that entry you listed. Just offering my limited skills to the project. Hope that's okay. Here's the first version: Son of Charles and Ada Blundell; husband of Violet Bertha Blundell. George was killed in action at sea while aboard the ship MV Marmura, which was a Dutch Merchant oil tanker on convoy to the Houston via New York to Halifax. Two torpedoes hit the engine room and the ship was set alight and broke in two. She was sunk in position 29.00 N-76.20 W. which is 240 miles off the coast of Florida. Forty-nine crewmembers lost their lives that night. The U Boat that sank her was U502 which was sunk later that year, and was the first U Boat to be sunk by a Wellington. All hands were lost (52) in the Bay of Biscay. And here's my "edit": Son of Charles and Ada Blundell; husband of Violet Bertha Blundell. George was killed in action at sea while aboard the MV Marmura, a Dutch Merchant oil tanker on convoy to Houston via New York to Halifax. Two torpedoes hit the engine room and the ship was set alight before breaking in two. She was sunk in position 29.00 N-76.20 W, 240 miles off the coast of Florida. Forty-nine crewmembers lost their lives that night. The U-boat that sank her was U502 which became the first U-boat to be sunk by a Wellington bomber (July 1942). All hands were lost (52) in the Bay of Biscay. Not much of a change but I hope it might help. Not sure about the "to Houston via New York to Halifax". "...from Halifax"?
Hi Spidge and and Andy, Thanks very much for your input, its much appreciated. Your right Spidge most of them won't have a detailed course of death, for that i'd have to rely on people donating their research like i did with this one. And of course i'd have to have a team of researchers to put in the missing bits. The lady that gave me this information had requested a photo of his memorial which if i remember is on the Portsmouth Naval memorial. Anything that you can help with is a massive help to me. The project is going to have an article in one of the biggest family history magazines in Canada, the middle of next month and will also be appearing in online e-mags in France, Belguim, Holland and the US. If anyone else knows of where it could be advertised let me know and i'll try and get it added. This Australian War Graves Photographic Archive, is it the one run by the Australian Goverment or is it the one run by Matt Smith. If its the one run by the Goverment please put them in touch with me. If its the one run by Matt Smith then its a project very much the same as the BWMP. Is the Dutch one run by Richard Heus? He was a volunteer with the BWMP and a really nice guy, though he was only going to do Dutch casualties when i last spoke to him. Andy, Many thanks for editing the article, perhaps i should send you all of them to proof read before putting them online. Halifax is in Nova Scotia, Canada, where incidently my great great grandmother was born. She went onto marry a British soldier, my great great grandfather who was posted there in around 1865. Many thanks both of you for your input and i'll see how we can make adjustments, with the help of Lee of course. If you can think of anything more then please let me know. Take care Mike
Well done mate! I can only offer my encouragement to you for this massive task. Well done. Regards Hugh
Hello guys, Thanks for the welcome. I suppose I should introduce myself on the correct thread so as not to takeover this one. Regards Hugh ps intro now done
Like i worry about hijacking a thread.... Mike, if there are no photos or family history bits to put into a page, replace them with regimental/ship/Squadron emblems. that'll fill a space nicely and provide colour. Leave them all open so anyone with more images info can get in touch and have these added in and so the genealogical area grows. Will you have links from a casualty's page to maybe a photo of a family grave back home where they are commemorated? Whilst getting the grave photos for you i have come across at least as many commemorations on family graves as actual burials, and those iron crosses in Derbyshire. Found another of them today! Just one thing I would suggest about the banner at the top, change the poppies. Make them more striking and less distorted. Otherwise brilliant.
