CEF Study Group - Recommended Websites - 1 Sept 2010

Florida State Archives, Memory Project World War I
The World War I service cards provide name; age; serial number; race; place of birth; and residence; for service men and women who were either from Florida or who entered service in Florida. The data base and scanned images amount to over 40,000 entries. [CEF Study Group – Sept 2006]
http://floridamemory.com/Collections/wwi/

National WWI Museum - Former Liberty Memorial Museum
This website features new National WWI Museum (formerly the Liberty Memorial Museum and Memorial) from Kansas City, Missouri, USA. The website features short discussions on the Great War from the American perspective. [Recommended by better ole - GWF][CEF Study Group – Dec 2006]
http://www.libertymemorialmuseum.org
 
Association for World War Archaeology - Flanders
Association for World War Archaeology or “Actiegroep voor Wereldoorlogarcheologie” was established by a group of archaeologists who have recently been dealing intensively with World War archaeological heritage in Western Flanders. Following the formation of a new “World War I department” within the Flemish Heritage Institute (VIOE), the A.W.A. became its research center. It is very detailed and sets a new example of Internet-based information for both the casual reading and the serious researcher. [CEF Study Group - Updated Aug 2010]
http://www.a-w-a.be/

International Red Cross [ICRC] and the First World War
On 12 October 1914 the ICRC began setting up a system for processing prisoner of war information. An index card for each prisoner was classified by nationality, in files which also contained requests for information. As soon as a piece of information was matched with a request, the Agency was able to send a reply to the family or the place of origin of the prisoner of war concerned. During the war the Agency made out 4,805,000 index cards and dispatched 1,854,914 parcels and consignments of collective relief. In some cases, Great War researchers are able to obtain information from the ICRC. [CEF Study Group - Sept 2005]
http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/iwpList74/2FDBD82390D1CD18C1256B66005E78E4
 
Canadian Book of Remembrance
The Books of Remembrance contain the names of Canadians who fought in wars and died either during or after them. All the books are kept in the Memorial Chamber located in the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill. The purpose of creating a site that displays these books on the Internet is to make them more accessible to the public. Quite aptly named are these testaments to Canada's past, for by their very title they remind us to never forget the foundations of courage on which Canada is built. [CEF Study Group]
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/books/bww1

The Canadian Virtual War Memorial
This site contains a registry of information about the graves and memorials of more than 116,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders who served valiantly and gave their lives for their country up to present-day. All Canadian soldiers are listed on this virtual memorial. [CEF Study Group]
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/virtualmem

As a comment, is there anything equivalent for the German soldiers lost in the Great War?
 
Sir Douglas Haig's Despatches as British Commander-in-Chief, 1916-1919
When Douglas Haig was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the British Armies operating in France and Flanders in December 1915 he was expected to follow in the tradition of his predecessors with the periodical submittal of despatches from the Front, each detailing the progress of his armies' campaigns since the last such report. Haig thus ensured delivery of eight despatches covering British operations from December 1915 until the war's close in November 1918. [First World War.com website][CEF Study Group]
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/haig_despatches.htm

Sir Douglas Haig's 1st Despatch (St Eloi), 19 May 1916
Primary Documents from FirstWorldWar.com website. [Mike Duffy website]
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/haigsteloidespatch.htm

Sir Douglas Haig's 2nd Despatch (Somme), 23 December 1916
Primary Documents from FirstWorldWar.com website. [Mike Duffy website]
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/haigsommedespatch.htm

Sir Douglas Haig's 3rd Despatch (Hindenburg Line Retreat), 31 May 1917
Primary Documents from FirstWorldWar.com website. [Mike Duffy website]
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/haighindenburgdespatch.htm

Sir Douglas Haig's 4th Despatch (1917 Campaigns), 25 December 1917
Primary Documents from FirstWorldWar.com website. [Mike Duffy website]
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/haigcampaign1917despatch.htm

Sir Douglas Haig's 5th Despatch (Cambrai Operations), 20 February 1918

Primary Documents from FirstWorldWar.com website. [Mike Duffy website]
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/haigcambraidespatch.htm

Sir Douglas Haig's Despatch 6 - Great German Offensive, 20 July 1918
Primary Documents from FirstWorldWar.com website. [Mike Duffy website]
(not yet published on-line)

Sir Douglas Haig's Despatch 7 - Advance to Victory, 21 December 1918
Primary Documents from FirstWorldWar.com website. [Mike Duffy website]
(not yet published on-line)

Sir Douglas Haig's Sir Douglas Haig's Final Despatch, 21 March 1919
Primary Documents from FirstWorldWar.com website. [Mike Duffy website]
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/haiglastdespatch.htm
 
Future of War by Jean de Bloch
Ivan Stanislavovic Bloch (1836 - 1902) (aka Johann von Bloch, Jean de Bloch, Ivan Bliokh) was a Polish banker who published a six volume work, La Guerre Future. These files [in several separate scanned files] are free to the public, but republication should acknowledge the Combat Studies Institute and the Combined Arms Research Library. [CEF Study Group - Dec 2005]
http://cgsc.leavenworth.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/content.asp#future


German Declaration of WarDocument Image
This site provides the image of the German Declaration of War and some additional background. [Wikipedia] [CEF Study Group - Dec 2007]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Kriegserkl%C3%A4rung_Erster_Weltkrieg.jpg
 
The Russo-Japanese War Research Society
The Russo-Japanese War Research Society is an on-line study group dedicated to the research and documentation of the Russo-Japanese War 1904-05. Their goal is the quality presentation of articles and archives relating to the war as well as the pre and post war periods. They also offer a free on-line message board, a store where you can buy historic and collectible items, and a book store. [CEF Study Group - Nov 2005]
http://www.russojapanesewar.com/index.html


WWI Eastern Front Foto - Nachlass eines Soldaten
This unique website presents the private photographs of both a German officer and German military archive photographs of the Eastern Front during the Great War. Most would appear to be unpublished and without notation. The images are unfamiliar and compelling and can be viewed individually or part of a slide show. Recommended for something quite different. [A Jens-Olaf Walter's Website][CEF Study Group - August 2006]
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65817306@N00/sets/486575/show/
 
Shot At Dawn - Execution of Soldiers in the Great War
A comprehensive website with details on many soldiers who were executed for various offenses during the Great War, detailed articles, biographies, a list of Commonwealth soldiers executed, discussions on pardon of some officers and an extensive list of other websites. [CEF Study Group - Jan 2010]
http://www.shotatdawn.info


Canadians Executed During WWI
While just over 300 British soldiers were executed for capital offences during WWI, 25 Canadians were also executed. This section of the website provides details on the 25 Canadians who were executed by firing squads. A Stephen Stratford website. [Recommendation by Richard Laughton & Pierre][CEF Study Group - Jan 2010]
http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/canadians.htm
 
Talbot House
On the 11th December, 1915 Chaplain Philip Clayton opened a "soldiers' house". The large home of the Coevoet family in Poperinge . Belgium was transformed into "Every Man's Club", where all soldiers were welcome, regardless of rank - it was called Talbot House. [CEF Study Group – Nov 2007]
http://www.talbothouse.be/en/
 
The Royal Canadian Regiment and the First World War
The Royal Canadian Regiment (The RCR) is Canada's senior Regular Force Infantry Regiment. Formed in 1883, it has garrisoned communities from Halifax to Victoria and has served in virtually every military campaign undertaken by the country. This First World War section of this website provides background on its Victoria Cross recipients, transcribed war diaries, Battalion Officers, an extensive Honour Roll of members, notes on offensives, Nominal Rolls of Officers, a detailed list of Courts-Marshal and some written histories. [CEF Study Group – Updated Aug 2010][Recommended by Regimental Rogue]
http://www.theroyalcanadianregiment.ca/regimental_history.htm

The Royal Canadian Regiment - Battle Honours [Unofficial Website]
The November Company, 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiments unofficial Web Site contains a comprehensive summary of the wide range of Battle Honours of this older Canadian military unit from Saskatchewan [1885] to Korea [1950][CEF Study Group]
http://novembercoy.tripod.com/BattleHonours.htm

The Royal Canadian Regiment - the First World War
The Royal Canadian Regiment (The RCR) is Canada's senior Regular Force Infantry Regiment. Formed in 1883, it has garrisoned communities from Halifax to Victoria and has served in virtually every military campaign undertaken by the country. [CEF Study Group - Updated Aug 2010]
http://www.theroyalcanadianregiment.ca/history/1914-1919/1914_1919.htm
 
Artillery in the First World War
This well done website provides background on field, heavy, super heavy, trench, fortress, self-propelled and air and navy artillery. In addition, information is provided on the roles and effects of artillery, some good schematics of actions, reference texts and some additional website links. [Recommendation by Guns1418 from Burgundy France][CEF Study Group - June 2006]
http://www.passioncompassion1418.com/decouvertes/english_fusees_artillerie.html

An Illustrated Treatise on Ammunition and Ordnance - British 1880-1960
The aim of this reference website is to provide accurate colour/marking details to historical researchers, re-enactors and film makers as well as bonafide collectors of militaria. The following topics are presented: Artillery, Fuzes, Bombs, Small Arms, Rockets, Pyrotechnics, Grenades, Mortars, Labels, Packaging, Boxes, Naval Guns, Cannon, Uniforms, Historical Imagery and Illustrations, all from Contemporary Military Publications. [CEF Study Group - June 2006]
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/stephen.johnson/arms/
 
Pickelhaube Guide - Kaiser's Bunker Website
This sub-set of the larger Kaiser's Bunker website provides information and images related to the Germanic form of dress helmet known as the Pickelhaube. Information relates to general characteristics of rank, helmet classifications, the anatomy of the Pickelhaube, Issue Stamps, Kokarden, Front Plates, Spike and Spike Base information, Chinscales and Chinstraps, the Perlring, Visor Trim, and numerous other features of this type of helmet. [The Kaiser's Bunker is listed elsewhere on this list][CEF Study Group - Sept 2010]
http://www.kaisersbunker.com/pt/

Pickelhaube - Wikipedia Website
"Frederick William IV introduced the Pickelhaube for use by the majority of Prussian infantry on October 23, 1842 by a royal cabinet order. The use of the Pickelhaube spread rapidly to other German principalities. Oldenburg adopted it by 1849, Baden by 1870, and in 1887, the Kingdom of Bavaria was the last German state to adopt the Pickelhaube. During the second half of the 19th century, the armies of a number of nations besides Russia (including Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Portugal, Norway, and Sweden) adopted the Pickelhaube or something very similar. The Pickelhaube also influenced the design of the British army Home Service helmet, as well as the custodian helmet worn by police in England and Wales to this day." [CEF Study Group - Sept 2010]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickelhaube

Imperial German Orders, Medals and Decorations
The website provides some history to orders and decorations, various views of a larger number of German Orders, information on fake castings, and important facts about medal collecting. The author also provide some personal family history on his Grandfather as a reluctant soldier. [Andreas M. Schulze Ising Website][CEF Study Group - Sept 2010]
http://www.medalnet.net/default.htm
 
Researching a German Soldier
This website provides several avenues for researching a German soldier from the Great War. With the loss of many records from the Second World War - there are extra challenges for the researcher. There are several direct and indirect recommendations including the use of postcards, letters, the Militärpaß (official record), Soldbuch (health and vaccinations), Death Cards and links for a German forum with English speakers, libraries and archive links. [A Daniel J. Stern Website][CEF Study Group - Sept 2010]
https://sites.google...ebus13prussian/
 
Formal U.S. Declaration of War with Germany, 6 April 1917
U.S. President Woodrow Wilson from the United States outlined the case for declaring war upon Germany in a speech to the joint houses of Congress on 2 April 1917. The text below is the formal declaration of war which followed four days later, on 6 April 1917. [Firstworldwar.com website][CEF Study Group – Feb 2007]
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/usofficialawardeclaration.htm


The Last Hundred Days of the War - Sir Arthur Currie Speech
For those wishing to obtain more background on General Currie upon his return to Canada and just prior to the campaign by Sir Sam Hughes and others to discredit him; here is the major speech presented to a joint meeting of the Empire Club of Canada and the Canadian Club in Massey Hall on 29 August 1919. In addition, this site has over 100 other speeches on the Great War - most are somewhat bombastic but provide an indication of the thought and temperament of the time. [CEF Study Group - Updated Aug 2010]
http://speeches.empireclub.org/60222/data?n=5
 
A Dictionary of Great War Slang by Paul Hinckley
The argot of the British soldier seems to be largely derived from a legacy of Indian and Arabic dialect words picked up and passed on from the previous campaigns in India and Egypt, coupled with the Tommies' rather awkward pronunciation of some of the commoner French words and phrases. This mixture made for a colourful and interesting blend. Learn the meanings of "iddy umpty", "a maiden's prayer" and to "wet one's stripes" from this website. [Recommendation by Brett Payne – Update by Avidgenie][CEF Study Group – Updated June 2007]
http://www.cit.gu.edu.au/~davidt/z_ww1_slang/index_bak.htm
 
Regional and Regimental Affiliations of the Canadian Expeditionary Force
The following tables from www.canadiansoldiers.com present a clear outline of the many military units which formed the Canadian Corps during the Great War. Readers not familiar with the Canadian Corps and its sub-units are advised to visit this website first to familiarize themselves. [Also See Part 5][CEF Study Group - July 2006]
http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/organization/fieldforces/cef/cefaffiliations.htm

*Russians & Ukrainians in the C.E.F. 1914-1919
This website complements research on a pending book of the same title. What role was played by Ukrainians in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War? Men from Ukraine and other regions of Imperial Russia enlisted in Canada. The tale of Ukrainians forced into internment camps has been told and now it is time to talk about the men who fought for Canada. This website includes material on the 41st French-Canadian Battalion, the 3rd Pioneer (48th Victoria) Battalion, the 29th Vancouver (Tobin's Tigers) Battalion and the Canadian Forestry Corps. Contact and interviews with descendants of these veterans is needed for the forthcoming book. There is also a section on how to research a soldier from the CEF. [A Peter Broznitsky website][CEF Study Group – Aug 2010]
http://www.russiansinthecef.ca/index.shtml

Canadian Military History Journal
Canadian Military History is a "journal-in-a-magazine-format" published by the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies since 1992. Presently in its 15th volume, CMH continues to fulfill its original mandate, this being to explore all aspects of Canada's military history, from the earliest days through to the twenty-first century. Particular emphasis is given to the First and Second World Wars. [CEF Study Group - Updated - Sept 2010]
http://www.wlu.ca/lcmsds/cmh/cmhindex.html
 
Stevenage at War
This website is dedicated to the memory the men and women of Stevenage, Aston, Benington and Walkern [UK] who served and lost their lives in both world wars. The website features the alphabetical listing of soldiers killed in the Great War and the Second World War. These name listings are cross-indexed by each municipal memorial or cenotaph. The listings themselves generally include: name, rank, regimental number, age, military unit, photograph of the soldier or headstone, short biography, short summary of the action leading to death, date of death, cemetery of interment and medal entitlement. This simple formatted website includes a large amount of basic information for both the general historian and serious military researcher. [CEF Study Group - July 2006]
http://www.stevenageatwar.com/nsindex.html


Barwick in Elmet and Scholes War Memorial Site
Two Villages on the Eastern Fringes of Leeds.
This simple website commemorates and offers short biographies of the men from Barwick in Elmet, and Scholes who were lost in both world wars. The website, if you search, also offers a poignant reminder of a modern day parents' loss – past and present, many others have experienced and understand. [CEF Study Group - July 2006]
http://www.pro-patria-mori.co.uk/


Ypres Graveyard Photos
Website is still under construction but shows promise both in terms of format and content. [CEF Study Group]
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~dccfarr/photos.htm
 
Australian War Memorial
The website provides sections on Australian Military History, First World War Official Histories, Australian Military Units and Military Organizational and Structure. [CEF Study Group]
http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/index.htm


ANZAC
This website features the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps - the Anzacs. Naturally, it includes much information on Gallipoli. There are also sections on the Prelude to War, the Red Baron [who killed him], interesting sections recorded poems and images and Lance Corporal/Sapper William Dalton Lycett's detailed personal diary. [CEF Study Group - Oct 2005]
http://www.anzacs.net/Airaces.htm


Fifty Australians
Fifty Australians provides a cross-section of Australians – sometimes a leader, a hero, or even a rogue – who saw war and its effects. Some of these men and women gave their lives, others became renowned for their wartime courage or example, while others, affected for better or worse, emerged to face the peace where they would make their own particular mark. Many of the stories come from the Great War. [CEF Study Group - April 2006]
http://www.awm.gov.au/fiftyaustralians/index.asp
 
Poems of the Great War
“The Great War 1914-1918 began as a resource for courses in World War I poetry, a topic now taught in a number of universities. The site has since grown to be of interest to anyone studying World War I. Several years ago Woodruff Library of Emory University purchased fifty volumes of poetry written between 1914 and 1918; none of these books went into second editions, so they are now rather difficult to find except in specialized collections. The Beck Center of Woodruff Library is putting these volumes and others, beginning with the poetry by women, on line as e-texts, thus making available an interesting collection of poetry from a time that witnessed an unparalleled outpouring of war poetry by the men fighting in the trenches, by the poets at home trying to raise the morale of the troops, and by the women who could do little else but volunteer as aids or wait anxiously at home for their sons, husbands, and lovers. The 69 poems are the heart of the site, and readers will appreciate being able to search the poetry by volume, title, author, and even individual lines and words.” [CEF Study Group – Dec 2006]
http://beck.library.emory.edu/greatwar/poetry/contents.php?id=Cunliffe.xml

First World War Poetry Digital Archive

The Digital Archive is an online repository of over 4000 items of text, images, audio, and video for teaching, learning, and research. The heart of the archive consists of collections of primary material from major poets of the period, including Wilfred Owen, Isaac Rosenberg, Robert Graves, Vera Brittain, and Edward Thomas. This is supplemented by a comprehensive range of multimedia artifacts from the Imperial War Museum, a separate archive of over 6,500 items contributed by the general public, and a set of specially developed educational resources. [CEF Study Group – Nov 2008]
http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit
 
Trench Raiding - Wikipedia Website
Trench raiding was a feature of trench warfare which developed during World War I. It was the practice of making small scale surprise attacks on enemy position. Raids were made by both sides in the conflict and always took place at night for reasons of stealth. [CEF Study Group - Sept 2010]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trench_raiding

Peaceful Penetration - Wikipedia Website
Peaceful Penetration was an Australian infantry tactic used during the First World War (though also used by the New Zealanders), which was a cross between trench raiding and patrolling. The aim was similar to trench raiding (namely, to gather prisoners, conduct reconnaissance, and to dominate no man's land), with the additional purpose to occupy the enemy's outpost line (and so capture ground). [CEF Study Group - Sept 2010]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peaceful_Penetration

No man's land - Wikipedia Website
No man's land is a term for land that is not occupied or is under dispute between parties that will not occupy it because of fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dumping ground for refuse between fiefdoms.[1] It is most commonly associated with the First World War to describe the area of land between two enemy trenches that neither side wishes to openly move on or take control of due to fear of being attacked by the enemy in the process.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_man%27s_land
 
World War 1 Photographic Collection - UBC
In the 1930s, the UBC Library received from the British Consulate in Seattle a set of approximately 6,000 photographic prints depicting multi-faceted views of World War I. In 2006, the UBC Library digitized approximately 1,000 images from its collection. Researchers interested in these and other World War I images are encouraged to come to Rare Books and Special Collections to view the rest of the collection and they can also refer to the IWM Photograph Database. [Recommended by Chris Bostwick, CEF Study Group – Oct 2008]
http://angel.library.ubc.ca/cdm4/index_WWI.php?CISOROOT=/WWI

World War I Photograph Album - Henry Eglinton Montgomery Suckley
A small website with about 75 interesting Great War photographs associated with the American Expeditionary Force from the Hudson River Valley Heritage archive collection. [Recommended by Chris Bostwick][CEF Study Group – Oct 2008]
http://www.hrvh.org/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/wilderstein&CISOPTR=819&CISOSHOW=415

World War I Military Maps & Aerial Photography
- McMaster University
Lloyd Reeds Map Collection of World War I Military Maps with an index for 1:5,000 to 1:40,000 Scale maps. Some unique maps and aerial photographs. The reader can also order film and digital copies of the air photographs. [Recommended by Chris Bostwick][CEF Study Group – Updated Aug 2010] http://library.mcmaster.ca/maps/ww1/home.htm
 
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