Summary
- 967 – Men identified with service number (+1)
- 813 – Confirmed ’08 service numbers (+2)
- 91 – Men identified without service number (unchanged)
- 93 – Portraits (+9)
- 76 – Descendants contacted (+4)
- 53 – Profiles drafted (+1)
The last couple of months, I’ve been back at work full time, so have had much less time to work on the project. That said, progress is still being made as I work through the nominal roll for the second time.
Given limited time, instead of the usual update I thought I’d give a recap on what this web-site is trying to achieve:
Project Objective:
The objective of this site is to remember the approximately 1640 men of the 1st Welsh (Howitzer) Brigade, who volunteered to serve their country between 1908 and 1916. Many of the men served in the First World War in one capacity or another, and a number lost their lives or returned home suffering from long term injuries or illnesses. These were ordinary young men who underwent extraordinary experiences in faraway countries; this site seeks to remember them.
Project Goals:
- To remember the men of the 1st Welsh (howitzer) Brigade, by:
- Identifying the men who served in the Brigade. There is no surviving list (or roll), so it needs to be pieced together using the wide range of surviving sources of information.
- Finding and capturing whatever surviving information is ‘out there’ about these men – both personal and about their military service. There are a wide range of sources, from the on-line family history websites to the National Archives, but the most interesting and informative one is usually the descendants of the men who often have fascinating and unique information to share.
- Telling the story of the Brigade to bring to life the places and situations that the men would have experienced.
One question that I’ve been asked is what would you really like to find. The answer isn’t easy as every piece of information that I uncover – especially from families – is fascinating and an insight into these men and their experiences. However, there are 3 ‘things’ that I would love to find:
- Obviously the first – and most fundamental – would be a surviving Nominal Roll. I have always struggled to believe that such important information could be totally lost. Whilst it may no longer reside with the Ministry of Defence, I’ve always wondered of copies have survived with the Brigades officers, men or Old Comrades Association.
- The second is more photo albums. Individual surviving photos are always a pleasure to see, but surviving albums give a deeper understanding of the day-to-day life of these men. I’m aware of 2 other albums. A prominent member of the Great War Forum referenced an album that was in his possession but sadly he passed away recently before I was able to make contact with him. There are also some photos on a WW1 site called ‘Views from an Ancient Land’ which appear to have been taken by a member of the Brigade, but once again, I’ve been unable to contact the original contributor.
- Finally, I would love to find a diary or memoir of one of the men. The personal experiences of these men, in their own words, would truly bring the site to life.
My apologies that this is so brief and so late. I will endeavor to put together an update on some of the fascinating information that I have uncovered in the coming weeks.
