This document is an amended version of the first Chapter of Tribute to the Fallen, 1914-1920: Men of Alnwick, Amble, Rothbury & Wooler districts (by David Thompson, MLitt; ISBN 978-1-9997905-7-8; Wanney Books; September 2019), to include, for illustrative purposes, three examples of the approach to handling the 170 or so individual stories included in later chapters of the book.
The opening few paragraphs are shown below. The complete Chapter, which runs to 569 KB & 17 pages in WORD format, can be downloaded by following the link at the foot of this page.
‘Tribute to the Fallen, 1914-1920: Men of Alnwick, Amble, Rothbury & Wooler districts’
What’s it all about?
Object; Availability; Legacies from Alnwick District WW1 Centenary Commemoration Group; Online database; The case for an abridged version of the database; An early training fatality: Private William Cameron; General Officers Commanding were not immune: Brigadier General James Foster Riddell; A strange & tragic tale: Private John Edward Grey (alias for William Cole); Ensuring preservation & future accessibility; For those who may want a copy of the database; Analysis by numbers; A concise overview of the First World War (strictly from a British perspective); Research approach adopted; ‘Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919’; Local communities covered by the database; Postal Towns in 1914-1918; About Northumberland Branch of the Western Front Association (WFA); Author; Acknowledgements; &, Not forgetting those who returned.
Object
Underwritten by Northumberland Branch of the WFA, in particular through the generosity of the late Bill Foote, DFC, ‘Tribute to the Fallen, 1914-1920…’ is a book by David Thompson, MLitt, which was published in September 2019 (Wanney Books; ISBN 978-1-9997905-7-8). Its object is to deliver for the reader a clear insight into, & better understanding of, the background of those local men who laid down their lives in the First World War in the service of their country; their origins; parentage; siblings; education; pre-enlistment occupations; their wives & children; service records; & more.
Dave Barras, Northumberland WFA Branch Secretary, articulates what it’s all about:
‘The many stories extracted from the online database for use in later Chapters of this book, supported by an abridged version of the database at the end of the book, provides a comprehensive record of the service & sacrifice of men from the wider Alnwick area during the Great War of 1914-18. As this war has moved out of living memory, it’s important we don’t forget the significant impact that conflict had on our communities & citizens. Our hope is that through these pages readers are able to better place the events of 1914-18 in context & reflect on their impact on our wider community.’