90 years of Remembrance
An overview of some aspects of the First World War archives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva
In March 2009 Peter Barton (First World War historian and co-secretary of this Group)in order to carry out research into the identities of World War I casualties discovered at Fromelles was given access to World War I records held by the International Committee of the Red Cross at their headquarters in Geneva. He was able to examine records that had lain virtually untouched since 1918, and estimates that there could be 20 million sets of details, carefully entered on card indexes, or written into ledgers.
See Piecing together the past
Now he has prepared an illustrated 48 page report to give an overview of his research.
The ICRC archives occupy over 27 linear kilometres of shelf space, of which some 400 metres relate to WWI. The ICRC wish to begin digitisation of some of the First World War holdings - lists of missing and dead - during the autumn of 2009. It is hoped that completion will take place by the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of WWI in 2014.
Contact Peter Barton
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission have set up a dedicated website for those who wish to trace the families of men who died at Fromelles.
In June 2008 excavation of WW1 graves commenced on a series of mass grave pits at Fromelles Field in northern France. The pits were thought to contain the remains of up to 400 British and Australian soldiers killed in the disastrous attack on German lines during the 1916 Battle of Fromelles. The excavation work was carried out by a team from the Glasgow University Archaeological Division under Dr Tony Pollard.
BBC video footage of Peter Barton describing the importance of the find.
Also Current Issues page on this website.
On July 19 2008, the 92nd anniversary of the Battle at Fromelles, Peter Barton, together with Lord Faulkner of Worcester, Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group, were present at a commemoration ceremony held to honour the fallen at Fromelles Field.
The sculpture "Cobbers" (known as the Diggers Memorial) in the Australian Memorial Park commemorates the Australian casualties of July 19 1916, in total over 5000.
Who are we?
The All-Party Parliamentary War Heritage Group, chaired by Lord Faulkner of Worcester, has over 90 members.
Co-secretaries are Peter Barton, historian & author of several books on WW1 in association with the Imperial War Museum & Professor Peter Doyle, a military terrain specialist.
Contact details
Chairman
Co-secretaries:
Peter Barton
Peter Doyle
Some useful links
Project at Westminster
Project at Westminster from the May 2008 newsletter of The War Graves Photographic Project. See rest of the newsletter here.
