Linking experiences of World War One - User contributions [en-gb]

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2019-03-26T22:46:31Z

Mia: This site is now read only

* navigation
** mainpage|Home
* This site is now read-only
** Researching World War One records|Researching World War One records
** World War One:About|About this project
** FAQ and help|Frequently asked questions and site help
** http://www.miaridge.com/contact/|Contact

* Older pages for reference
** How you can help|How you can help

* Unit pages that need related diaries, letters
** American units in World War I|American units in World War I
** Australian units in World War I|Australian units in World War I
** British units in World War I|British units in World War I
** British colonial units in World War I|British colonial units in World War I
** Canadian units in World War I|Canadian units in World War I
** French units in World War I|French units in World War I
** Indian units in World War I|Indian units in World War I
** Italian units in World War I|Italian units in World War I
** New Zealand units in World War I|New Zealand units in World War I
** Portuguese units in World War I|Portuguese units in World War I
** South African units in World War I|South African units in World War I

* Diary pages that need links to units
** lists of personal diaries, letters, memoirs|personal diaries, letters, memoirs
** official unit diaries and histories|official unit diaries and histories

* wiki stuff
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MediaWiki:Sidebar

2019-03-26T22:45:52Z

Mia: This site is now read only

* navigation
** mainpage|Home
** This site is now read-only
** Researching World War One records|Researching World War One records
** World War One:About|About this project
** FAQ and help|Frequently asked questions and site help
** http://www.miaridge.com/contact/|Contact

* Older pages for reference
** How you can help|How you can help

* Unit pages that need related diaries, letters
** American units in World War I|American units in World War I
** Australian units in World War I|Australian units in World War I
** British units in World War I|British units in World War I
** British colonial units in World War I|British colonial units in World War I
** Canadian units in World War I|Canadian units in World War I
** French units in World War I|French units in World War I
** Indian units in World War I|Indian units in World War I
** Italian units in World War I|Italian units in World War I
** New Zealand units in World War I|New Zealand units in World War I
** Portuguese units in World War I|Portuguese units in World War I
** South African units in World War I|South African units in World War I

* Diary pages that need links to units
** lists of personal diaries, letters, memoirs|personal diaries, letters, memoirs
** official unit diaries and histories|official unit diaries and histories

* wiki stuff
** recentchanges-url|recentchanges
** randompage-url|randompage
** helppage|help
* SEARCH
* TOOLBOX
* LANGUAGES

MediaWiki:Sidebar

2019-03-26T22:43:25Z

Mia: Undoing attempt to strikethrough text

* navigation
** mainpage|Home
** How you can help|How you can help
** Researching World War One records|Researching World War One records
** World War One:About|About this project
** FAQ and help|Frequently asked questions and site help
** http://www.miaridge.com/contact/|Contact

* Unit pages that need related diaries, letters
** American units in World War I|American units in World War I
** Australian units in World War I|Australian units in World War I
** British units in World War I|British units in World War I
** British colonial units in World War I|British colonial units in World War I
** Canadian units in World War I|Canadian units in World War I
** French units in World War I|French units in World War I
** Indian units in World War I|Indian units in World War I
** Italian units in World War I|Italian units in World War I
** New Zealand units in World War I|New Zealand units in World War I
** Portuguese units in World War I|Portuguese units in World War I
** South African units in World War I|South African units in World War I

* Diary pages that need links to units
** lists of personal diaries, letters, memoirs|personal diaries, letters, memoirs
** official unit diaries and histories|official unit diaries and histories

* wiki stuff
** recentchanges-url|recentchanges
** randompage-url|randompage
** helppage|help
* SEARCH
* TOOLBOX
* LANGUAGES

MediaWiki:Sidebar

2019-03-26T22:42:20Z

Mia: Striking out 'how to help' bits

* navigation
** mainpage|Home
** <s>How you can help|How you can help</s>
** Researching World War One records|Researching World War One records
** World War One:About|About this project
** FAQ and help|Frequently asked questions and site help
** http://www.miaridge.com/contact/|Contact

* <s>Unit pages that need related diaries, letters</s>
** American units in World War I|American units in World War I
** Australian units in World War I|Australian units in World War I
** British units in World War I|British units in World War I
** British colonial units in World War I|British colonial units in World War I
** Canadian units in World War I|Canadian units in World War I
** French units in World War I|French units in World War I
** Indian units in World War I|Indian units in World War I
** Italian units in World War I|Italian units in World War I
** New Zealand units in World War I|New Zealand units in World War I
** Portuguese units in World War I|Portuguese units in World War I
** South African units in World War I|South African units in World War I

* <s>Diary pages that need links to units</s>
** lists of personal diaries, letters, memoirs|personal diaries, letters, memoirs
** official unit diaries and histories|official unit diaries and histories

* wiki stuff
** recentchanges-url|recentchanges
** randompage-url|randompage
** helppage|help
* SEARCH
* TOOLBOX
* LANGUAGES

Main Page

2019-03-26T22:36:41Z

Mia: This is the end, my friends!

= Site now read-only =
'''This site is now in 'read-only' mode - no further edits can be made. The project that inspired this site finished in 2014, and the last substantial contributions were some time ago now. Read-only mode makes it easier to maintain the site without worrying about spam bots. As the site represents the work of several other people, keeping the content available means the data is available to build upon and re-use.'''

'''- [http://miaridge.com/ Mia], March 2019'''

== In their own words: collecting experiences of the First World War ==
This project aims to provide context for an individual's experience of WWI by linking to personal narratives written by people in the same situation. By the end of this project, someone who wants to research a soldier in WWI but doesn't know a thing about how armies were structured should be able to find a personal account from someone in a similar role written at about the same time and place. We'll never really know what it was like for those who experienced the First World War, but we can come closer to understanding it by collecting the words they left behind.

Our aim is find a personal narrative - a diary, letters, memoirs or images - for each military unit in the British and allied armies. Populating the lists of battalions and linking the numerous personal and official diaries, letters, memoirs, etc already online is a huge task and it can only be done with your help.

The Finnish WarSampo project has a similar vision to ours, and this [https://pro.europeana.eu/page/issue-7-lodlam#warsampo-publishing-and-using-lod-about-wwii write-up, WarSampo: Publishing and Using Linked Open Data about the Second World War, is a great overview of how and why linked data can help us understand world wars].

== <s>Have you got a few free minutes to take on a small research challenge?</s> ==
Getting started is easy:

# Take one of the [[Lists of personal diaries, letters, memoirs|personal diaries, letters or memoirs listed]]
# Match its author with a regiment or battalion.
# Send in the results [https://mia2.typeform.com/to/dkhC4B via this form] or edit the wiki directly to add their diary to the relevant battalion or regiment page

You can see the difference that contributors so far have made on pages listed in [[:Category:units with personal narratives|units with personal narratives]].

Anyone can [http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/Special:RequestAccount request an account for this wiki] (but not you, spam bots!) to help out. If you get stuck, just [http://www.miaridge.com/contact/ drop me a line]; I'm [http://twitter.com/mia_out @mia_out] on twitter.

Use the links on the left for:
* [[World_War_One:About|More about this project]].
* [[FAQ and help|Frequently asked questions and site help]]
* [[How you can help]]
* Direct links to specific armies' battalions and regiments

You can find more pages by drilling down through these categories:

* [[:Category:Units|Units]] arranges units by type.
* [[:Category:Places|Places]] arranges pages geographically. You can find units by the [[:Category:countries|countries]] they belonged to.
* [[:Category:Themes|Themes]] arranges pages by other themes, such as women's history.
* [[:Category:Sources|Sources]] is about documents you can use or that need linking to units.
* [[:Category:To do|To do]] lists pages that give details of things that need doing, and sub-categories of pages that need specific improvements.
* [[:Category:Help|Help]] pages give more information about how to use the site.

These are some example pages that show what you can do here and how useful the site can be (but they still need some improvements):

* [[1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, British Army]]
* [[2nd Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers, British Army]]
* [[1/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, British Army]]
* [[Australian and New Zealand Army Corps]]

== Thanks and recent contributions ==
[[User:VLeachman|VLeachman]] has done lots of work adding documents to NZ unit pages, and found some great connections.

[[Special:Contributions/Jasonmarkwebber|Jasonmarkwebber]] worked on the [[3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards, British infantry]] page.

[[Special:Contributions/B3rn|B3rn]] has been doing great work on Australian units, particularly medical units which weren't previously listed.

Huge thanks to various New Zealanders who sent me lists of units from the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces! It's been an immense help with [[New Zealand battalions in World War I]].

Finally, [[Special:Contributions/GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] has done brilliant work, not only contributing information about specific battalions but also helping work out the requirements for structured data about battalions, regiments and other military units in the British Army, and most recently on importing records for hundreds of US infantry regiments.

Someone suggested a document via the [https://mia2.typeform.com/to/dkhC4B form] which was part of correspondence between two men, so their suggested added personal accounts to an Australian and a British battalion with just one link! Thanks to them pages for the [[1/4th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment, British infantry]] and [[5th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force (AIF)]] now exist and have links to documents created by a soldier in each battalion.

You can also [http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/index.php?namespace=0&title=Special%3ARecentChanges view pages recently edited on this wiki].

[[Category:Help]]
[[Category:To do]]

http://www.cendari.eu/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/header_logo.png This project is part of a Transnational Research Fellowship with the [http://www.cendari.eu/research/first-world-war-studies/ CENDARI project] at Trinity College Dublin's [http://www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/ Long Room Hub]. Further information is available on the [http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/index.php?title=World_War_One:About 'about' page of this wiki].

Talk:HMAS AE1

2017-12-24T11:58:13Z

Mia:

Looks like the link I added is paywalled - I only managed to get a preview of it the first time I went there. Would be good to find an alternative version of the story and pictures that everyone can get.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 08:49, 22 December 2017 (PST)

: Good point - I've added two links likely to be available in the longer term --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:58, 24 December 2017 (PST)

HMAS AE1

2017-12-24T11:57:40Z

Mia: /* Related media */ Added proper heading for Guardian story

{{Infobox military unit
| country = Australia
| service = Royal Australian Navy
| type = Ship
| specific_type = Submarine
| size_at_full_strength =
| start_date =
| created =
| alternate_unit_names =
| end_date =
| disbanded =
}}



== Personal narratives ==


== Related media ==


* [http://news.navy.gov.au/en/Dec2017/Fleet/4389 News story from the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) website] about the discovery of the wreck of AE1, including photos from underwater camera.
* [https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/dec/21/australian-navy-world-war-one-ae1-submarine-found-103-years-after-it-vanished Guardian: Australian navy world war one AE1 submarine found 103 years after it vanished] is another version of the story.

== Official sources ==

=== {{War diary heading}} ===


{{War diary needed}}

=== Unit histories ===

* [https://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_10759.asp Australian War Memorial]

=== Other official documents ===


== Other sources ==




{{DEFAULTSORT:AE1}}
[[Category:Units needing personal narratives]]
[[Category:Units with related media]]
[[Category:Royal Australian Navy]]

== References ==

<references />

HMAS AE1

2017-12-24T11:57:06Z

Mia: /* Related media */ Replaced paywalled article with two references likely to be permanently available

{{Infobox military unit
| country = Australia
| service = Royal Australian Navy
| type = Ship
| specific_type = Submarine
| size_at_full_strength =
| start_date =
| created =
| alternate_unit_names =
| end_date =
| disbanded =
}}



== Personal narratives ==


== Related media ==


* [http://news.navy.gov.au/en/Dec2017/Fleet/4389 News story from the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) website] about the discovery of the wreck of AE1, including photos from underwater camera.
* [https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/dec/21/australian-navy-world-war-one-ae1-submarine-found-103-years-after-it-vanished News story at The Guardian] is another version of the story.

== Official sources ==

=== {{War diary heading}} ===


{{War diary needed}}

=== Unit histories ===

* [https://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_10759.asp Australian War Memorial]

=== Other official documents ===


== Other sources ==




{{DEFAULTSORT:AE1}}
[[Category:Units needing personal narratives]]
[[Category:Units with related media]]
[[Category:Royal Australian Navy]]

== References ==

<references />

Lists of personal diaries, letters, memoirs

2017-12-15T13:41:28Z

Mia: /* Related Media */ Added link to Historypin WWI info

The letters, diaries, memoirs etc listed below could be linked to specific military units, but each name needs to be researched to find out exactly which unit they were in at the time. '''Can you help? Pick a name or document below, and try to find their military records to show which battalion they were in.'''

Here are some resources on [[researching World War One records]] to get you started.

== Individual items ==
These names need to be matched to individual units so they can be added to its page. '''If you can find out which units these people were in, and [https://mia2.typeform.com/to/dkhC4B send in your links] to have them added to the wiki.''' If you're working on someone's record, you can also edit the wiki to add a note saying so. Remove the name below once it's been added to a regiment or battalion page.

* [http://blogs.bl.uk/untoldlives/2017/11/testimony-from-the-trenches-personal-journeys-of-ww1.html blog post about Alfred Forbes Johnson]. His papers and photos are now British Library Add MS 89235. He served in the Artists Rifles (which battalion?) and Royal Garrison Artillery (which unit?).

* [http://ufdc.ufl.edu/wwi Diary of Albert Huet] in the French infantry. [http://www.crid1418.org/temoins/2016/03/12/huet-albert-1897-1977/ This biography] gives the regiments he served in.

* Petty Officer Hans Heinz Harmes-Emden [http://www.awm.gov.au/people/P3818/#collection-items Australian War Memorial - Anzac Connections - collection items]
** German navy: SMS Emden (1908)

* Bodleian Library, Oxford, [http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwmss/wmss/online/blcas/kings-african-rifles.html MSS. Afr. s. 1715] (168A) (Box 10): papers of Brigadier M.S. Lush, who served in the Sudan Political Service, 1914-1945.

* Bodleian Library, Oxford, [http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwmss/wmss/online/blcas/kings-african-rifles.html MSS. Afr. s. 1715] (103) (Box 5): papers of Sir Angus Gillan, who served in the Sudan Political Service and took part in the Darfur campaign in 1916.

* [https://archive.org/details/gogetem00will Go, get 'em! The true adventures of an American aviator of the Lafayette flying corps who was the only Yankee flyer fighting over General Pershing's boys of the Rainbow division in Lorraine, when they first went "over the top" by William A. Wellman] Joined a volunteer ambulance unit, then the French Foreign Legion and served as a pilot in the Lafayette Flying Corps. See [[Wikipedia:William_A._Wellman#World_War_I]] for more details.

* [https://archive.org/details/whenchenalsingsm00wyth When Chenal sings the Marseillaise : With the honors of war : Sister Julie by Wythe Williams] (American journalist in France. Not clear from internal evidence which units it covers.)

* [http://lettersfromww1.blogspot.com Letters home from Private Edward Ray Jackson] (Canadian). [http://lettersfromww1.blogspot.co.uk/p/time-line-for-edward-ray-jackson.html Timeline] shows that he served with:
** [[160th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF)]]
** [[1st Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF)]]
** wounded, treated at:
*** 7 Casualty Clearing Station
*** 32 Casualty Clearing Station
*** East Suffolk Hospital, Ipswich
*** Woodcote Convalescent Hospital, Epsom]
*** hospital ship SS Esquibo

* [http://haroldskillingslettersfromww1.blogspot.com Harold Skilling's Letters From World War One]
** Canadian Expeditionary Force
** Royal Flying Corps

* [http://morelettersfromww1.blogspot.com Lieutenant William Milton Skilling]. [http://morelettersfromww1.blogspot.co.uk/p/timeline-for-william-m-skilling.html Timeline] shows that he served with:
** 81st Battery, Canadian Field Artillery
** 40th Battery, 8th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery
** 48th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery
** 32nd Reserve Battalion, CEF
** 15th Reserve Battalion, CEF
** [[180th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, British Army]]
** [[73rd Divisional Ammunition Column, Royal Field Artillery, British Army]]
** [[53rd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, British Army]]
** also treated at No 2 Stationary Hospital and hospital ship [[SS Carisbrook Castle]]

* Louis Barthas (ed. Edward M. Strauss), ''Poilu: The World War I Notebooks of Louis Barthas, Barrelmaker, 1914-1918'' (Yale University Press, 2014, ISBN 978-0300191592) is a translation of the diaries of French soldier Louis Barthas. Served in these regiments of the French Army (see [[Wikipedia:Louis Barthas]]):
** 280th
** 269th
** 248th

* [http://ww1journeys.org/paul-thuns/ Paul Thuns' War-Diary 1914-1918] (served in German army)

* [https://medium.com/@ri_science/letters-to-gwendoline-one-gallipoli-story-told-through-letters-home-9a3f434ec82e Letters to Gwendoline: One story of Gallipoli told through letters home in memory of Anzac Day]
** [[58th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, British Army]]

* [https://www.archive.org/stream/englishwomanserg00sanduoft/englishwomanserg00sanduoft_djvu.txt An English Woman-Sergeant in the Serbian Army] by [[Wikipedia:Flora_Sandes|Flora Sandes]], 'the only British woman officially to serve as a soldier in World War I'.

* The [https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/PR88/165/ letters] of [[Wikipedia:Pearl_Corkhill|Sister Pearl Elizabeth Corkhill, AANS]] could shed light on many locations.

* FIELD HOSPITAL & FLYING COLUMN. Being the Journal of an English Nursing Sister in Belgium & Russia by Violetta Thurstan.

* Charlie, who wrote [http://www.peoplescollectionwales.co.uk/discover/query/Blanche%20Woonton these postcards to Blanche Woonton], served on the British hospital ship [[SS Asturias]].

* Where was [http://www.peoplescollectionwales.co.uk/discover/query/ww1%20letter%20Llewelyn%20Williams Llewelyn Williams] based? (Can't identify from internal evidence: more info needed).

* [//www.awm.gov.au/collection/PR03431/ Bayley, Francis Wilton (Private), 1896-1974]: Imperial Camel Corps (which battalion?)

* Ely, Dinsmore, 1894-1918. '[https://archive.org/details/dinsmoreelyonewh00elyd Diary letters of Dinsmore Ely], edited by his father, Dr. James O. Ely'. Library of Congress via Internet Archive. American pilot.

* [http://www.trentu.ca/admin/library/archives/ffowldswelcome.htm Nursing Sister Helen L. Fowlds]

* [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030019021 Private Papers of Lieutenant L H Riddell]
** pilot in [[Royal Naval Air Service, British]] and [[Royal Air Force, British]]
** prisoner of war in Germany

*DeWitt C. Ellinwood Jr. (ed.), ''Between Two Worlds: A Rajput Officer in the Indian Army, 1905–21. Based on the Diary of Amar Singh of Jaipur'' (University Press of America, 2005, ISBN 0-7618-3113-4). Which unit did Amar Singh serve in?

== Collections of items ==

* The [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search Imperial War Museum catalogue] has details of personal papers, sound recordings, films and objects from the United Kingdom and former British Empire. Sound recordings include interviews with people who experienced the First World War. Many of these interviews can be heard on the site free of charge and reused for non-commercial purposes. The catalogue is searchable and is also indexed by unit.
* c 3000 videos from WWI at [http://www.europeanfilmgateway.eu/node/33/efg1914/multilingual:1/showOnly:video European Film Gateway's EFG1914 project]
* A list of [http://dh.tcd.ie/letters1916/diyhistory/collections/show/18 letters about the First World War on The Letters of 1916 project site]. You can also help transcribe letters at their site.

* A list of memoirs and diaries at [http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/index.htm firstworldwar.com]

* Some [http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/great-war-people/diaries.html diaries listed on the Western Front Association site]

* A massive list of [http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Diaries,_Memorials,_Personal_Reminiscences 'Diaries, Memorials, Personal Reminiscences'] compiled by volunteers of the World War I Military History List (WWI-L). '''Pick a name, find out which unit they were with, and add them to the battalion/regiment page!'''

* [http://search.wellcomelibrary.org/iii/encore/search?formids=target&lang=eng&suite=def&reservedids=lang%2Csuite&submitmode=&submitname=&target=digramc&submit=Search Digitised Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) papers from the Wellcome Library]
: From their blog post '[http://blog.wellcomelibrary.org/2014/06/rediscovering-the-great-war/ (Re)Discovering the Great War]', 'The Wellcome Library has digitized over 130,000 pages of correspondence, personal and field diaries and reports, photographs and memoirs associated with the allied medical services during World War I. Drawn from material presented to the Royal Army Medical Corps Museum and Archive (now the Army Medical Services Museum Trust), the collection covers virtually every sphere of operations including the Balkan Front, the Dardanelles, East Africa, India, Italy, Malta, Mesopotamia and the Middle East, Russia, and South West Africa, as well as the Western and British Home fronts.'

* The Great War Archive contains [http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/db/results.php?CISOBOX1=memoir&CISOFIELD1=objecb&CISOOP1=exact&CISOROOT=%2Fgwa memoirs], [http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/db/results.php?CISOBOX1=letter&CISOFIELD1=objecb&CISOOP1=exact&CISOROOT=%2Fgwa letters] and [http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/db/results.php?CISOBOX1=diary&CISOFIELD1=objecb&CISOOP1=exact&CISOROOT=%2Fgwa diaries], each of which could be linked to an Allied battalion or regiment.

* An archive of transcribed war diary (Kriegstagebuch), letters and blogs includes a list of diaries from [http://www.war-diary.com/ Weltkrieg / The Great War]

* [http://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/ The Wartime Memories Project - The Great War 1914-1918 The Allied Army] contains many personal accounts, mostly second-hand stories related by family members.

* [http://library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-liddle-collection The Liddle Collection], Leeds University Library. Includes personal papers of over 4,000 people who experienced the First World War, and over 750 sound recordings and transcripts of interviews about experiences of the First World War.

* [http://www.kingscollections.org/catalogues/lhcma Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London] hold personal papers of senior British personnel.

* [http://transcribe.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/collections/show/2 Transcribe project at the Royal British Columbia Museum] is a crowdsourced project to transcribe letters and diaries from their archives. The First World War collection includes narratives relating to several Canadian and British units.

* Sharon Ouditt, ''Women Writers of the First World War: An Annotated Bibliography'' (Routledge, 2014). ISBN 978-0415755498. Includes personal narratives of war experiences, and guides to archive collections.

=== Australian personal narratives ===
The Australian War Memorial's [http://www.awm.gov.au/people/profiles/#ANZACConnections Anzac Connections lists 188 (at the time of writing) 'Biographies including private records and diaries']

The State Library of NSW has a [http://ww1.sl.nsw.gov.au/explore/179/ collection of WWI diaries] and [http://ww1.sl.nsw.gov.au/explore/180 letters] online. Can you link the authors to their [[Australian battalions in World War I|battalion page]]?

The [http://diggersdiaries.org/ SLNSW diaries have been analysed and visualised] by Jaume Nualart Vilaplana as part of his PhD. You can explore them via the [http://diggersdiaries.org/reader.html topics Personal, War, Military life, Travelling and The accidental tourist].

A user list of [http://trove.nla.gov.au/list?id=36319 Great War diaries, letters, reminiscences] on Trove (not all diaries may be available online)

[https://www.historypin.org/en/first-world-war-centenary/memories-for-a-new-generation/her-noble-share/geo/-23.808737,145.433219,4/bounds/-52.964039,125.701774,13.492979,165.164664 State Library of Queensland HistoryPin collection for women in WWI]: 'Honouring the contribution of Queensland women during the First World War, both at the home front and the war front'.

[http://www.anzaclive.com.au/ Anzac Live] has 'interactive' posts based on letters and diaries from various men and women.

=== British and Irish personal narratives ===

* [http://gallipoli.rte.ie/people/eye-witnesses Eyewitness accounts from Irish soldiers and nurses involved with the Gallipoli campaign] from Ireland's National Public Service Broadcaster, RTÉ.

* [http://www.tcd.ie/library/fitasfiddles/ Fit as Fiddles and Hard as Nails] is a collection of Irish soldiers' letters, diaries and memoirs digitized by Trinity College Dublin.

* [http://www.librariesni.org.uk/LibrarymenofWW1/Pages/default.aspx The Library Men of WW1]: a collection of letters from 11 Belfast librarians who served in the British Army.

* [http://cymru1914.org/en/home Cymru 1914, The Welsh Experience of the First World War] includes some diaries, photographs, letters and memoirs

* [http://www.peoplescollectionwales.co.uk/users/2357 Cymry'r Rhyfel Mawr / Welsh Voices of the Great War] on People's Collection Wales

* [http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/share/research/projectreports/welshvoices/ Welsh Voices of the Great War Online]

* [http://www.qdg.org.uk/diaries.php Personal Diaries and letters of Officers and Other Ranks from the 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards]

* [http://www.herefordshirehistory.org.uk/archive/herefordshire-in-the-great-war Herefordshire in the Great War]

* {{Cite TNA|http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C3852|CAB 45}}, official historian's papers, includes personal diaries and letters that were used to write the British Official History.

* [http://worldwar1veterans.blogspot.co.uk/p/veteran-index.html World War 1 Veterans 1914-1918 blog]: a collection of interviews with veterans conducted by Paul Nixon in the 1980s.

=== Canadian personal narratives ===
If you're interested in finding records for Canadian battalions, the [http://www.canadiangreatwarproject.com/WarDiaries/diarySearch.asp Canadian Great War project has a form to search for War Diaries by unit].

[http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/first-world-war/interviews/index-e.html Oral Histories of the First World War: Veterans 1914-1918] based on the CBC's radio broadcast In Flanders Fields, a series of one-on-one interviews with veterans of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, which aired from November 11, 1964 to March 7, 1965. The website is organized into seven themes: Second Ypres, Vimy Ridge, War in the Air, The Somme, Trench Warfare, Passchendaele, Perspectives on War. Contains images, interview audio and transcripts.

=== New Zealand personal narratives ===
[http://www.nzmr.org/troopers.htm Personal Histories of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles] (see also the [http://www.nzmr.org/sitemap.htm sitemap]).

[http://natlib.govt.nz/items?utf8=%E2%9C%93&text=WW100+digitisation+project Diaries listed in the National Library of New Zealand's WW100 digitisation project]

[https://natlib.govt.nz/blog/posts/off-at-last-the-goodbye-would-have-been-too-awful Off at last the goodbye would have been too awful] is a blog post featuring diaries discovered during digitisation at the Alexander Turnbull Library.

[https://natlib.govt.nz/blog/posts/it-s-just-hell-here-now "It's just hell here now"] is an Anzac Day post from the Alexander Turnbull Library that shows what can be learnt from individual diaries.

[http://www.sincewritingyoulast.co.nz/ Since writing you last] is a collection of digitized letters from Invercargill City Libraries and Archives.

=== American personal narratives ===
[http://www.loc.gov/vets/ Veterans History Project]

=== Indian personal narratives ===

* David Omissi (ed.), ''Indian Voices of the Great War: Soldiers' Letters, 1914-1918'', (Palgrave Macmillan, 1999). ISBN 0333751450. Compilation of Indian soldiers' letters.
* [http://searcharchives.bl.uk/IAMS_VU2:IAMS040-000340715 British Library IOR/L/MIL/5/825-828]: Reports of the Censor of Indian Mails in France. These reports contain many extracts of Indian soldiers' letters. Page scans are available through the "Browse this collection" link on the catalogue record page.
* There are lots of references to individual soldiers and Indian Army units mentioned in [http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Sikhs_in_World_War_1 Sikhs in World War 1 on SihkiWiki] - can you find sources for them and link them to the appropriate [[Indian units in World War I|Indian unit]]?

=== French personal narratives ===

* [http://www.loiret14-18.fr/ La centenaire de la Guerre 14-18 dans le Loiret] is a French site that contains lots of narratives, media and other resources.

== Related Media ==

Images and recordings that aren't personal narratives but could be matched to units or used on other pages.

* There's a stash of [http://hdl.handle.net/10462/comp/2948 fantastic photos in The "Cambrian" Album] from the [http://hdl.handle.net/10462/eadarc/5855 OM77-14 2nd Light Horse Association Records 1914-1920] at the State Library of Queensland. The album includes photos from other units - can you help by adding images and links to unit pages?

* India and the Great War has some [http://indiaww1.in/memory.aspx Stories and Memories] that might provide some clues

* [http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/Object/397412 New Zealand's Roll of Honour 1915 The Auckland Weekly News Illustrated List] with the names and photos of 'New Zealand Officers and Men killed or wounded in action in Turkey, The Dardanelles & Gallipoli in 1915'
* Items digitised by Te Papa include the [http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/Object/1366687 Photograph album of Major J.M. Rose, 1st NZEF] - which units are depicted in his photographs?
* The US National Archives has some large collections of WW1 photos, many of which mention unit names in the catalogue descriptions:
** [https://catalog.archives.gov/id/533461 American Unofficial Collection of World War I Photographs, 1917 - 1918]
** [https://catalog.archives.gov/id/533104 British Photographs of World War I, 1914 - 1918]

** See also [https://about.historypin.org/2017/08/01/working-archival-data-metadata-reuse-us-national-archives/ Metadata for reuse from the US National Archives] and [https://github.com/usnationalarchives/wartime-films-project/tree/master/ww1/metadata ww1/metadata]
* Royal Armouries online collections includes [https://collections.royalarmouries.org/first-world-war Arms of the First World War], with photos and catalogue descriptions of weapons.
* [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/listing/object-205015340 Imperial War Museum: A H T Andrew's photos]: a large collection of photos taken while he was a medical officer with [[29th Division, British Army]] at Gallipoli, but also showing many other units.

* Berliner Lautarchiv British & Commonwealth recordings: sound recordings of British prisoners of war in Germany. A selection of 66 of these recordings can be heard at [http://sounds.bl.uk/Accents-and-dialects/Berliner-Lautarchiv-British-and-Commonwealth-recordings British Library Sound Archive website]. These need matching to units.

* [http://www.illustratedfirstworldwar.com/ The Illustrated First World War] website contains a large collection of photos from the archives of the Illustrated London News. Free to view but all rights reserved.

* The Library of Congress has a collection of [http://www.loc.gov/pictures/related/?va=exact&st=gallery&q=World+War%2C+1914-1918--Recruiting+%26+enlistment--United+States.&fi=subject&sg=true&op=EQUAL&loclr=blogpic American recruiting posters], and hundreds of [http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/coll/womphotoj/kirtlandintro.html?loclr=blogpic photos taken by Helen Johns Kirtland], including the Italian front.

* The [http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/ Your Paintings site] has artworks including Ellis Silas [http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/the-last-roll-call-6236 The Last Roll Call] that could be linked to specific units through their artists.

== Research in progress ==
Add notes or links here for diaries you need help researching, missing links from the sites above, etc.

[[Category:Sources]]
[[Category:To do]]

1/6th Battalion, King's Liverpool Regiment, British Army

2017-11-20T14:56:01Z

Mia: /* Related media */ Add TNA audio link

{{wo95import}}


{{Infobox military unit
| country = United Kingdom
| service = British Army
| branch = Territorial Force (British Army)
| type = Infantry
| specific_type = Infantry battalion
| size_at_full_strength = 1,000
| unit_name1 = 6th (Rifle) Battalion King's (Liverpool Regiment)
| unit_name1_start_date = 1/4/1908
| unit_name1_end_date = 1915
| unit_name1_reason_for_change = Renumbering of territorial battalions.
| unit_name2 = 1/6th (Rifle) Battalion King's (Liverpool Regiment)
| unit_name1_ref = {{Cite James|page = 51}}
| unit_name2_start_date = 1915
| unit_name2_end_date = unknown
| start_date = 1/4/1908
| end_date = unknown
| alternate_unit_names = Liverpool Rifles
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| parent = King's Liverpool Regiment, British Army
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = 01/02/1915
| command_end_date = 31/12/1915
| parent = 15th Infantry Brigade, British Army
| parent_level = {{BritishBrigade}}
| relationship_type = Tactical
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = 01/01/1916
| command_end_date = 30/04/1919
| parent = 165th Infantry Brigade, British Army
| parent_level = {{BritishBrigade}}
| relationship_type = Tactical
}}
{{Infobox theatre of war
|ToW_name =
|date_entered_ToW = 01/02/1915
|date_left_ToW = 30/04/1919
|ToW_code = 1
|location =
}}



== Personal narratives ==


== Related media ==

[http://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/voices-of-the-armistice-kings-battalion-liverpool-regiment-in-1918-19/ Audio of extracts read for the Voices of the Armistice project] at the National Archives.

== Official sources ==

=== {{WarDiaryHeading}} ===


*{{War diary TNA|http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7352278|WO 95/1572/3|01/02/1915|31/12/1915}}
*{{War diary TNA|http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7354885|WO 95/2926/2|01/01/1916|30/04/1919}}

=== Unit histories ===

=== Other official documents ===


== Other sources ==


* {{Cite book| first = Helen B.| last = McCartney| title = Citizen Soldiers: The Liverpool Territorials in the First World War| location = Cambridge| publisher = Cambridge University Press| date = 2005| isbn = 9780521848008| url = http://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/history/twentieth-century-european-history/citizen-soldiers-liverpool-territorials-first-world-war}}



{{DEFAULTSORT:King's Liverpool Regiment 006 01}}
[[Category:British infantry battalions]]
[[Category:British units needing name change dates]]
[[Category:All British Army units]]
[[Category:British rifle battalions]]
[[Category:British Army infantry battalions by regimental precedence|008 006 01]]
[[Category:Units needing personal narratives]]

== References ==

<references />

{{DiscoveryData}}

1/5th Battalion, King's Liverpool Regiment, British Army

2017-11-20T14:55:24Z

Mia: /* Related media */ Add TNA audio link

{{wo95import}}


{{Infobox military unit
| country = United Kingdom
| service = British Army
| branch = Territorial Force (British Army)
| type = Infantry
| specific_type = Infantry battalion
| size_at_full_strength = 1,000
| unit_name1 = 5th Battalion King's (Liverpool Regiment)
| unit_name1_start_date = 1/4/1908
| unit_name1_end_date = 1915
| unit_name1_reason_for_change = Renumbering of territorial battalions.
| unit_name2 = 1/5th Battalion King's (Liverpool Regiment)
| unit_name1_ref = {{Cite James|page = 51}}
| unit_name2_start_date = 1915
| unit_name2_end_date = unknown
| start_date = 1/4/1908
| end_date = unknown
| alternate_unit_names =
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| parent = King's Liverpool Regiment, British Army
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = 01/02/1915
| command_end_date = 31/12/1915
| parent = 6th Infantry Brigade, British Army
| parent_level = {{BritishBrigade}}
| relationship_type = Tactical
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = 01/01/1916
| command_end_date = 30/04/1919
| parent = 165th Infantry Brigade, British Army
| parent_level = {{BritishBrigade}}
| relationship_type = Tactical
}}
{{Infobox theatre of war
|ToW_name =
|date_entered_ToW = 01/02/1915
|date_left_ToW = 30/04/1919
|ToW_code = 1
|location =
}}



== Personal narratives ==


== Related media ==

[http://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/voices-of-the-armistice-kings-battalion-liverpool-regiment-in-1918-19/ Audio of extracts read for the Voices of the Armistice project] at the National Archives.

== Official sources ==

=== {{WarDiaryHeading}} ===


*{{War diary TNA|http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7351985|WO 95/1360/3|01/02/1915|31/12/1915}}
*{{War diary TNA|http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7354884|WO 95/2926/1|01/01/1916|30/04/1919}}

=== Unit histories ===

=== Other official documents ===


== Other sources ==




{{DEFAULTSORT:King's Liverpool Regiment 005 01}}
[[Category:British infantry battalions]]
[[Category:British units needing name change dates]]
[[Category:All British Army units]]
[[Category:British Army infantry battalions by regimental precedence|008 005 01]]
[[Category:Units needing personal narratives]]

== References ==

<references />

{{DiscoveryData}}

Talk:Naming conventions for British units

2017-11-09T18:10:29Z

Mia:

I used to prefer "UK" as the page name suffix for British units because:

* it's very short.
* "British" doesn't seem to sit well with Irish regiments.

After 2 years' experience of using the site I've noticed some problems with "UK":

* it doesn't seem to sit very well with units that are named after a geographical area outside the UK, eg "Suez Canal Defences" or "Lines of Communication Palestine".
* it looks too similar to "US", which I think we should keep.
* it could be confusing because category names always use "British", and "UK" is omitted from page names if the unit name already includes the word "British".

Now I think it might be better to use:

* "British Army" where a unit was in the Army for most or all of its existence (this still solves the Irish problem).
* "British" where a unit was never in the Army or changed services and was outside the Army for a significant part of its career (eg [[63rd (Royal Naval) Division, UK|63rd (Royal Naval) Division]], Volunteer Training Corps units, air units that switched from RFC or RNAS to RAF in 1918).

It's still possible to change this using [[Special:ReplaceText]] but it's not something to be done lightly. Does anyone have any thoughts on this issue? --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 09:09, 8 January 2017 (PST)

: If there are no last-minute objections or suggestions for improvements, I'll have time to implement the changes suggested above later this week. I'm also thinking that for the sake of consistency and ease of use, there should always be a comma after the word 'Battalion' in page names. I seem to remember that was the usual practice when this wiki started but I went against it with British battalions because common usage everywhere else seemed to be to not use a comma after 'Battalion'. Now I think it's easier if the same conventions apply to all page names instead of varying by nationality and unit type. People who are familiar with conventional names of British battalions will find them more easily anyway if I create redirects that omit the word 'Battalion', which is already on my to do list.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 11:31, 6 November 2017 (PST)

:: Sounds good to me! --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:10, 9 November 2017 (PST)

Main Page

2017-09-25T08:41:20Z

Mia: Added link to WarSampo: Publishing and Using Linked Open Data about the Second World War as related vision

== In their own words: collecting experiences of the First World War ==
This project aims to provide context for an individual's experience of WWI by linking to personal narratives written by people in the same situation. By the end of this project, someone who wants to research a soldier in WWI but doesn't know a thing about how armies were structured should be able to find a personal account from someone in a similar role written at about the same time and place. We'll never really know what it was like for those who experienced the First World War, but we can come closer to understanding it by collecting the words they left behind.

Our aim is find a personal narrative - a diary, letters, memoirs or images - for each military unit in the British and allied armies. Populating the lists of battalions and linking the numerous personal and official diaries, letters, memoirs, etc already online is a huge task and it can only be done with your help.

The Finnish WarSampo project has a similar vision to ours, and this [https://pro.europeana.eu/page/issue-7-lodlam#warsampo-publishing-and-using-lod-about-wwii write-up, WarSampo: Publishing and Using Linked Open Data about the Second World War, is a great overview of how and why linked data can help us understand world wars].

== Have you got a few free minutes to take on a small research challenge? ==
Getting started is easy:

# Take one of the [[Lists of personal diaries, letters, memoirs|personal diaries, letters or memoirs listed]]
# Match its author with a regiment or battalion.
# Send in the results [https://mia2.typeform.com/to/dkhC4B via this form] or edit the wiki directly to add their diary to the relevant battalion or regiment page

You can see the difference that contributors so far have made on pages listed in [[:Category:units with personal narratives|units with personal narratives]].

Anyone can [http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/Special:RequestAccount request an account for this wiki] (but not you, spam bots!) to help out. If you get stuck, just [http://www.miaridge.com/contact/ drop me a line]; I'm [http://twitter.com/mia_out @mia_out] on twitter.

Use the links on the left for:
* [[World_War_One:About|More about this project]].
* [[FAQ and help|Frequently asked questions and site help]]
* [[How you can help]]
* Direct links to specific armies' battalions and regiments

You can find more pages by drilling down through these categories:

* [[:Category:Units|Units]] arranges units by type.
* [[:Category:Places|Places]] arranges pages geographically. You can find units by the [[:Category:countries|countries]] they belonged to.
* [[:Category:Themes|Themes]] arranges pages by other themes, such as women's history.
* [[:Category:Sources|Sources]] is about documents you can use or that need linking to units.
* [[:Category:To do|To do]] lists pages that give details of things that need doing, and sub-categories of pages that need specific improvements.
* [[:Category:Help|Help]] pages give more information about how to use the site.

These are some example pages that show what you can do here and how useful the site can be (but they still need some improvements):

* [[1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, UK]]
* [[2nd Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers, UK]]
* [[1/5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, UK]]
* [[Australian and New Zealand Army Corps]]

== Thanks and recent contributions ==
[[User:VLeachman|VLeachman]] has done lots of work adding documents to NZ unit pages, and found some great connections.

[[Special:Contributions/Jasonmarkwebber|Jasonmarkwebber]] worked on the [[3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards, British infantry]] page.

[[Special:Contributions/B3rn|B3rn]] has been doing great work on Australian units, particularly medical units which weren't previously listed.

Huge thanks to various New Zealanders who sent me lists of units from the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces! It's been an immense help with [[New Zealand battalions in World War I]].

Finally, [[Special:Contributions/GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] has done brilliant work, not only contributing information about specific battalions but also helping work out the requirements for structured data about battalions, regiments and other military units in the British Army, and most recently on importing records for hundreds of US infantry regiments.

Someone suggested a document via the [https://mia2.typeform.com/to/dkhC4B form] which was part of correspondence between two men, so their suggested added personal accounts to an Australian and a British battalion with just one link! Thanks to them pages for the [[1/4th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment, British infantry]] and [[5th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force (AIF)]] now exist and have links to documents created by a soldier in each battalion.

You can also [http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/index.php?namespace=0&title=Special%3ARecentChanges view pages recently edited on this wiki].

[[Category:Help]]
[[Category:To do]]

http://www.cendari.eu/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/header_logo.png This project is part of a Transnational Research Fellowship with the [http://www.cendari.eu/research/first-world-war-studies/ CENDARI project] at Trinity College Dublin's [http://www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/ Long Room Hub]. Further information is available on the [http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/index.php?title=World_War_One:About 'about' page of this wiki].

1/4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, British Army

2017-09-25T08:34:42Z

Mia: Added description of diaries site

{{wo95import}}


{{Infobox military unit
| country = United Kingdom
| service = British Army
| branch = Territorial Force (British Army)
| type = Infantry
| specific_type = Infantry battalion
| size_at_full_strength = 1,000
| unit_name1 = 4th Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
| unit_name1_start_date = 1/4/1908
| unit_name1_end_date = 1915
| unit_name1_reason_for_change = Renumbering of territorial battalions.
| unit_name2 = 1/4th Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
| unit_name2_start_date = 1915
| unit_name2_end_date = unknown
| start_date = 1/4/1908
| end_date = unknown
| alternate_unit_names =
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| parent = Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = 01/04/1915
| command_end_date = 31/03/1919
| parent = 145th Infantry Brigade, UK
| parent_level = {{BritishBrigade}}
| relationship_type = Tactical
}}
{{Infobox theatre of war
|ToW_name =
|date_entered_ToW = 01/04/1915
|date_left_ToW = 31/10/1917
|ToW_code = 1
|location =
}}
{{Infobox theatre of war
|ToW_name =
|date_entered_ToW = 01/11/1917
|date_left_ToW = 31/03/1919
|ToW_code = 2
|location =
}}



== Personal narratives ==


== Related media ==


== Official sources ==

=== {{WarDiaryHeading}} ===


*{{War diary TNA|http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4557404|WO 95/4251|01/11/1917|31/03/1919}}
*{{War diary TNA|http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7354624|WO 95/2764/1|01/04/1915|31/10/1917}}

[http://www.oxfordandbucks.co.uk/ Transcript of whole diary]. Description on the transcription site: 'These transcripts (PDF's) of the War Diaries for the 1/4th Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, provide a day to day historical account of the Battalions activities on the Western Front from April 1915 until November 1917, and then in Italy until March 1919.'

=== Unit histories ===

=== Other official documents ===


== Other sources ==

[http://www.oxfordandbucks.co.uk/Roll_of_Honour.htm Roll of Honour]

[http://www.oxfordandbucks.co.uk/Roll_of_Honour.htm Others who served]

[http://www.oxfordandbucks.co.uk/gallery/gallery.html Gallery]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry 004 01}}
[[Category:British infantry battalions]]
[[Category:British units needing name checks]]
[[Category:All British Army units]]
[[Category:British Army infantry battalions by regimental precedence|043 004 01]]
[[Category:Units needing personal narratives]]
[[Category:Units with transcribed war diaries]]

== References ==

<references />

{{DiscoveryData}}

Royal Engineers, British Army

2017-09-03T22:33:49Z

Mia: /* Related media */ Added link to http://www.1914-1918.net/re_rlwy_cos.htm

{{Infobox military unit
| country = United Kingdom
| service = British Army
| branch =
| type = Engineering
| specific_type = Corps (administrative)
| size_at_full_strength = none
| start_date =
| created =
| unit_name1 = Corps of Royal Engineers
| unit_name1_start_date =
| unit_name1_end_date =
| alternate_unit_names = RE, the Sappers
| end_date =
| disbanded =
}}

{{Corps record office
| ro_location = Chatham
| ro_code = RE
}}



== Personal narratives ==

=== 2nd Lt Alfred Boxall MC RE, 262nd Railway Company, Royal Engineers ===
A [http://www.europeana.eu/portal/en/record/2020601/contributions_4288.html biography of Alfred Boxall on Europeana 1914-1918].

== Related media ==

The Long, Long Trail website has a page on [http://www.1914-1918.net/re_rlwy_cos.htm The RE Railway Construction Companies].

== Official Sources ==

=== {{War diary heading}} ===


{{War diary none admin}}

=== Unit histories ===

=== Other official documents ===


== Other sources ==




{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Engineers}}
[[Category:Units needing personal narratives]]
[[Category:British Army]]
[[Category:All British Army units]]
[[Category:British corps (administrative)]]
[[Category:British engineering units]]

== References ==

<references />

Royal Engineers, British Army

2017-09-03T22:31:36Z

Mia: /* Personal narratives */ Added biography for Alfred Boxall

{{Infobox military unit
| country = United Kingdom
| service = British Army
| branch =
| type = Engineering
| specific_type = Corps (administrative)
| size_at_full_strength = none
| start_date =
| created =
| unit_name1 = Corps of Royal Engineers
| unit_name1_start_date =
| unit_name1_end_date =
| alternate_unit_names = RE, the Sappers
| end_date =
| disbanded =
}}

{{Corps record office
| ro_location = Chatham
| ro_code = RE
}}



== Personal narratives ==

=== 2nd Lt Alfred Boxall MC RE, 262nd Railway Company, Royal Engineers ===
A [http://www.europeana.eu/portal/en/record/2020601/contributions_4288.html biography of Alfred Boxall on Europeana 1914-1918].

== Related media ==


== Official Sources ==

=== {{War diary heading}} ===


{{War diary none admin}}

=== Unit histories ===

=== Other official documents ===


== Other sources ==




{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Engineers}}
[[Category:Units needing personal narratives]]
[[Category:British Army]]
[[Category:All British Army units]]
[[Category:British corps (administrative)]]
[[Category:British engineering units]]

== References ==

<references />

Talk:50th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF)

2017-09-02T18:52:15Z

Mia: Thanks

An Echo in My Heart is a great find! Thanks [[User:GavinRobinson|Gavin]]

Template talk:Infobox military unit

2017-05-09T22:51:44Z

Mia: Thank you!

== Countries and branches ==

Some questions/thoughts as a starter for ten: --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:23, 19 November 2014 (PST)

* We'll need a list of country names to ensure consistency e.g. United Kingdom, Britain, Great Britain? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:23, 19 November 2014 (PST)

::"British Army" is always the name of the branch/service, but "United Kingdom" is the best name for the country because it included the whole of Ireland at that time. Data for locations/theatres may need to divide "home" service into Great Britain and Ireland to cater for the Easter Rising.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 12:44, 19 November 2014 (PST)

::: We probably don't actually need the country as the army is really the important differentiator (and the country someone fought with doesn't necessarily match where they are 'from'). If there are no objections I'll take out 'country' --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Country has turned out to be useful because there are some service names that don't make the country explicit (eg Royal Navy or Royal Air Force) and some units were recruited outside the country that the service belonged to (eg Isle of Man and Channel Islands were outside the UK but raised some units for the British Army). --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

* What's the best label for the 'regular/territorial' field? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:23, 19 November 2014 (PST)

::Not sure. Wikipedia sometimes uses "branch" for this but more often for the same thing as you're using branch for. What you're calling branch is called "service" at IWM Lives.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 12:44, 19 November 2014 (PST)
::: Service probably works, which would free 'branch' for regular/territorial. Another option would be 'category'. These overloaded terms are going to make the documentation more important but hopefully I can include labels in the infoboxes to make it easier. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 14:35, 19 November 2014 (PST)
:::: I've tweaked the template to include 'service' vs 'branch', and added 'unit' to record brigade, division, regiment, battalion etc while I was at it. The regular/territorial thing might be a bit messy, especially as it seems to have changed over time (and only applied in the UK anyway) but we'll see how it goes. When it's settled I'll update all the documentation to match --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 14:57, 19 November 2014 (PST)

:::::The distinction between Regular Army, Territorial Force and Special Reserve was stable from 1908 to 1919, although very rarely a unit could change from one to another (the only example I know is from 1913). The US National Guard is more or less analogous to the Territorials.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:16, 21 November 2014 (PST)
:::::: I'm mostly offline for the next few days but I'll try to find out if the same applies to Canada etc, unless you know offhand? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:09, 21 November 2014 (PST)
:::::::I'm not sure if Canada had anything like that, but I'm fairly sure that if it did, it would be a separate service from the CEF and not a subordinate branch. Similarly, Australia may have had some part-time home units that were separate from the AIF.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 12:31, 21 November 2014 (PST)

:::::::: Canada had 'Reserve' and 'Permanent' Force regiments. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:55, 5 December 2014 (PST)

::::::::: The concept that we're describing as 'branch' is much more widespread than we used to think. Most countries have something that needs to be represented in this way. The current list of branches and services is in the documentation for this template. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

=== Qualifying branch names with service names ===

The branch names currently in use (see template documentation for up to date list) are potentially ambiguous because they depend on the value of the country and/or service parameters, eg "Regular Army" could be British or American, "Territorial Force" could be British or New Zealand. I'm thinking about changing the branch names so that they're explicitly qualified with the names of their parent service, eg "Regular Army (British Army)". I think this would make the structured data cleaner, especially when there are multiple values, and would allow wikilinking the value to a page that explains what it is. Not an urgent thing but I'm noting it here so I don't forget. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 09:11, 25 February 2017 (PST)

: I think it's a good idea - thanks! --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 25 February 2017 (PST)

Here's a provisional list of branch names qualified by service and/or country. I think some are distinctive enough that they don't need qualifying.

* country = Australia
** service = Australian Army
*** branch = Australian Imperial Force
*** branch = Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force
*** branch = Citizen Military Force (Australian Army)
*** branch = Permanent Force (Australian Army)
** service = Royal Australian Navy
* country = Canada
** service = Canadian Army
*** branch = Canadian Expeditionary Force
*** branch = Permanent Force (Canadian Army)
*** branch = Non-Permanent Active Militia (Canadian Army)
** service = Royal Canadian Navy
* country = India
** service = Indian Army
** service = Indian Imperial Service Troops
** service = Indian Volunteer Corps
** service = Indian Defence Force
* country = New Zealand
** service = New Zealand Army
*** branch = Permanent Force (New Zealand Army)
*** branch = Territorial Force (New Zealand Army)
*** branch = New Zealand Expeditionary Force
* country = Portugal
** service = Portuguese Army
*** [branches unknown]
** service = Portuguese Navy
* country = South Africa
** service = South African Overseas Expeditionary Force
** service = Union Defence Force (South Africa)
*** branch = Active Citizen Force (South Africa)
*** branch = Coastal Garrison Force (South Africa)
*** branch = Permanent Force (South Africa)
* country = United Kingdom
** service = British Army
*** branch = New Army (British Army)
*** branch = Regular Army (British Army)
*** branch = Special Reserve (British Army)
*** branch = Territorial Force (British Army)
*** branch = Volunteer Force (British Army)
** service = Volunteer Training Corps
** service = Royal Air Force
** service = Royal Marines
** service = Royal Navy
*** branch = Regular Navy
*** branch = Royal Naval Reserve
*** branch = Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
** service = First Aid Nursing Yeomanry
* country = United States
** service = US Army
*** branch = National Army (US Army)
*** branch = National Guard (US Army)
*** branch = Regular Army (US Army)
** service = US Marine Corps
** service = US Navy

Also not sure what to do with the Royal Navy branches, or whether any Royal Navy units (as opposed to individual personnel) even had branches. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 11:24, 4 April 2017 (PDT)

==Types, levels and unusual units==

I see we now have [[No 3 Australian General Hospital‎]]. It should be quite easy to adapt the infobox to deal with this and all sorts of obscure units. A hospital is effectively a unit, it has war diaries and is part of the tactical hierarchy (in this case, its parent would be Lines of Communication, Western Front). The current way of dividing a unit name into type and level is perfectly logical for infantry but doesn't work for hospitals. It also risks confusion where the same level has different names (eg infantry battalion vs cavalry regiment) or the same name can mean different levels (eg infantry regiment vs cavalry regiment).

I suggest keeping the general type (infantry, cavalry, medical, engineering etc) but maybe changing the field name from "type" to something like "role" or "general type". The second field would be more useful and flexible if it was a specific type, eg:

*[[Infantry battalion]]
*General Hospital
*Field Ambulance
*Field Company
*Field Survey Company
*Tunnelling Company
*etc

These can link to pages explaining exactly what each type of unit is/does.
--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:16, 25 November 2014 (PST)

:: 'Type' was always a problematic name (going back to [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-d0Klq8zauOCNucM4F5E0RiivmH012oDfR-wI0bjIdo/edit?usp=sharing Notes towards modelling information about World War One Battalions] so 'role' seems a much better fit to me.

:: Are you suggesting a different name for 'level' - 'specific type' or something - to cope with that wider range of cases? Terms like 'regiment' and 'battalion' already seem so variable (e.g. between different countries, and within countries) that they always require further context to make sense of them. This would also be a perfect time for linking out to established vocabularies to provide exactly the right interpretation of 'regiment'. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 16:40, 3 December 2014 (PST)

:::I'm proposing getting rid of "level" and replacing it with something like "specific type". I think this would be less work to begin with and would be much more flexible and expandable. "Infantry Regiment" would be one specific type, "Cavalry Regiment" would be a different specific type, each linking to a page that explains what it is. The "Infantry Regiment" page would also have to explain that a British infantry regiment is a different thing from a French/German/American infantry regiment.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:29, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Ok, let's try it. I've got some Australian engineering units I want to try so this would be a good test. I've changed it on http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/Template:Infobox_military_unit and http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/Template:Battalion --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:10, 4 December 2014 (PST)

::::: Specific type seems to be working quite well, especially now that the infobox automatically links to the relevant definition page. With the content we've got now it should be more obvious how this works and why it's likely to be useful. The main drawback is that filling in the specific type definition pages is a lot of work and we're a bit behind with it, but that information needs to be somewhere anyway. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Service Names==

For the values of the "service" field, I recommend using the actual name of the service rather than general terms like Army, Navy etc. Strictly speaking, the AIF isn't the Australian Army, and the CEF isn't the Canadian Army. Also it might be necessary to treat some or all of the following as services in their own right: Red Cross, Volunteer Training Corps, military nursing services, other women's services, various voluntary ambulance units.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:16, 25 November 2014 (PST)

:: Does that mean deviating from how it's used on Wikipedia? (Which isn't necessarily a biggie). --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 16:40, 3 December 2014 (PST)

:::Yes, it would deviate from Wikipedia. There are likely to be lots of cases where the needs of a general encyclopedia are different from a more specialised project like this. Wikipedia dodges a lot of the issues I've raised because its coverage isn't very detailed.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:23, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Is there any way to add a controlled vocabulary? Freetext could get messy. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:17, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:::::I suspect enumerated values would need some sort of extension that lets users enter template data through a form. It would be good to control names of countries, services, branches, general roles, theatres of war, realationship types. But specific_type is probably best left open because it needs to be flexible, and populating the enumerated list would be hard.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:34, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:::::: Agreed.--[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

::::::: Some of the things I used to think about service names were wrong but the documentation of this template is up to date. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

== Alternate and variant names ==
Making a note that this is discussed on [[Talk:British battalions and regiments in World War I]] where [[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) suggested:
*full name: the longest form of the name, including full regiment name and any optional words
*short name: the full name shortened according to the same rules as the page title
*any other alternative names

Names are also discussed on [[Template talk:Infobox command structure]] in 'Canonical names for battalions that change regiments?' and 'Unit name changes and restructures'.

My feeling is that stable names (alternate forms, short and long versions) should be in this core infobox, but name changes related to organisational changes (mergers, restructures etc) should be in separate, repeatable infoboxes. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 17:27, 3 December 2014 (PST)

:I think the main infobox will only be able to accommodate names that didn't change. If there were any changes, whether related to organisational changes or not, it will have to refer readers to separate infoboxes. As always, the British are awkward because some unit names didn't change during the war, some changed without any organisational changes, and some changed as a result of organisational changes.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:16, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:: Did nicknames change? ie do they belong in the 'relatively stable names that can go in the main infobox' camp or in the 'temporally-specific repeatable infoboxes' camp? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:17, 4 December 2014 (PST)

I reckon the maximum number of official names a British unit would have in this period is 3 (but I could be wrong: my expectations have been confounded a lot recently). Some Wikipedia infoboxes allow multiple values for the same sort of thing by numbering the parameter names, so you could have:

*name1 =
*name1_start_date =
*name1_end_date =
*name2 =
*name2_start_date =
*name2_end_date =
*name3 =
*name3_start_date =
*name3_end_date =

Maybe start with 4 or 5 to be safe, or just expand it in future if necessary. This would make it possible to keep all the changes of official name in the main infobox and get rid of the need for a separate repeatable infobox for name changes. Are there any drawbacks to doing it that way?

I've gone off the idea of showing standardised short names because they're an awkward halfway house between full names and page names. They might cause more confusion than they help.

As for nicknames, maybe have another parameter in the main infobox called something like alternative_names which could contain free text giving a comma separated list of other names. These could also include alternative official identifiers such as the old numbers of British line infantry regiments or letter codes of record offices. I would avoid calling it "nickname" because that's too narrow and might invite all sorts of obscure and derogatory slang.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 09:25, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:: So it's an 'Other names' infobox? I'd add in a free text line for 'reason for change' for each pair but otherwise that looks good. As long as alternate names (including nicknames) are searchable I can't see a need to include them in separate fields. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

:::I meant it as a possible way of including all names in the main infobox (military_unit). If there's any separate infobox for names it would be better to have a repeatable one for each name. I think people will expect to see at least one name in the main infobox, so keeping them all there would be good if it can be done.

:::Often there isn't a particular reason for name changes: they just decided to change the system of naming certain units without changing anything else.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 08:36, 9 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Ok, I've updated [[Template:Infobox military unit]] ([http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/index.php?title=Template%3AInfobox_military_unit&diff=874&oldid=713 diff]) to include alternate names and allow for up to five official name changes. I suspect we'll run into a few quirks in how this works so the infobox structure or documentation might need tweaking once there's a body of examples of it in use. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:18, 11 December 2014 (PST)

:::::That looks good. I've just thought that provided all the names are together in this infobox, is there a need to duplicate dates? Could you just have unit_name1, unit_namechange_date1, unit_name2 etc? And start of first name and end of last name should coincide with years active. Or is it better to keep it explicit?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:43, 13 December 2014 (PST)

:::::: Thinking ahead to future queries, it's probably better to keep it explicit to make searches for date ranges easier; we also can't assume that anyone editing the records is interested in the names either side so they might not add entries for every name change which would make dependencies tricky.

:::::: I haven't actually finished the infobox template changes but the infoboxes can be used anyway now the overall structure is set. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 05:08, 13 December 2014 (PST)

:::::: Current practice for naming conventions is documented on the pages in [[:Category:Naming conventions]]. Any further discussions on that topic should probably be on the talk page for the relevant country, eg [[Talk:Naming conventions for British units]]. Duplicating dates for name changes was actually a good call because there are some odd cases where a unit was temporarily broken up and later re-formed with a different name, but is conventionally treated as the same unit (I can't remember examples off the top of my head but this definitely happened with at least one British division). I'm not sure why I suggested numbered parameters for unit names as it doesn't seem like a good idea now. If we change to form-based editing in future it would be much more convenient for unit names to be in a repeatable sub-template. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

== Reviewing previously created pages to update data structures ==
For now, this is mostly a note to make that it will have to be done at some point. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:17, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:Most pages should be up to date but there could be a few Canadian or New Zealand units created early on that need checking. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Dates Active==

Will there be cutoff dates for the start and end of the First World War era, or will this reflect the whole existence of a unit? If there are cutoff dates, how to indicate that a unit started before or ended after?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

: My notes on the original 'modelling' doc say 'If no start or end dates, assume it was applicable throughout the war'. It would be best to state it explicitly in the infobox, especially for automated imports. Would 'predates the war' and 'postdates the war' work in those circumstances? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 06:53, 6 December 2014 (PST)

::How are dates formatted? Would it cause problems if a parameter value contained text that isn't part of a date? If not then "before 4/8/1914" and "after 31/12/1919" might be good to start with. These dates might be refined in future.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:17, 6 December 2014 (PST)

::: The original Wikipedia templates seem to cope with text strings or dates (and the underlying code is PHP which should be able to tell the difference). --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

==Size at full strength==

How precise does this need to be?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

: Indicative/approximate only - it's mostly for people new to WWI research or to the organisation of units by a particular country --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 06:12, 6 December 2014 (PST)

==Disbanded==

Does this duplicate end_date?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

: I think it needs to go into 'unit changes', but I haven't sorted out whether one infobox format should deal with organisational changes as well as name changes as they are often, but not always linked. In the interests of not over-thinking things it might be best to have one infobox for 'unit changes' that can record name changes, disbanding, forming, etc --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 06:51, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:: We're now using the 'disbanded' field for a free text description of where and how the unit was disbanded. There's a similar one for 'created'. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Automatic wikilinks==

It might be useful if the template automatically turns the values of these parameters into wikilinks:

*country
*service
*type
*specific_type
--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:: I'll do it with the others (assuming I have time before the end of the week/my fellowship here) --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:22, 8 December 2014 (PST)

:::Doesn't matter when, as long as I know not to put link markup in myself. (That goes for anywhere else I've suggested this too.)--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 08:29, 9 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Some of this is now done. Some fields need multiple values, which is harder to do now the infoboxes aren't using Lua, but array maps would do it if we start using forms for editing. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

== Suggested list of types ==

This is a suggested list of values for the "type" field:

* Administration [for record offices and similar; could also cover Pay Corps]
* Air [planes, airships, balloons]
* Armoured [tanks and armoured cars]
* Artillery [including trench mortars]
* Cyclists [currently classed as mounted but might be better as their own thing]
* Engineering [anything involving construction, demolition or repairs]
* Formation [for division level and above because they contain diverse unit types even if nominally infantry or cavalry]
* Infantry
* Logistics [anything involving procuring or issuing supplies, or operating transport]
* Machine guns
* Medical [including nursing, dental and sanitary services, but not veterinary]
* Mounted [can cover cavalry, mounted infantry and camel troops]
* Police [for military or colonial police units]
* Ship
* Signals
* Training [currently used for officer cadet battalions]
* Veterinary

Not sure what to do with units that released gas from cylinders. Having a separate type for chemical weapons is awkward because lots of gas was delivered by artillery shells.

Anything else missing?
--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:50, 12 June 2015 (PDT)

== Citation parameters ==

We're already testing a citation parameter to automatically generate ref tags for the command structure infobox - see [[Template talk:Infobox command structure#Parameter for citation?]]. That uses one parameter to generate one footnote to cover the whole infobox, but this infobox is more complicated. It contains too much data for one footnote to be adequate as it wouldn't be clear which source relates to which fact, but a separate footnote for each parameter might be overkill and too much repetition. I'm thinking we could group facts together to be covered by a parameter-generated footnote. Maybe:

* one covering all of country, service, branch, type, specific_type and size
* one for start date and created
* one for end date and disbanded
* one for each official name, also including that name's start and end dates and reason for change
* one for all alternate names

--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:38, 22 January 2017 (PST)

: It seems like the same sources are used for many statements, so grouping them together makes sense. If a particular statement is complicated then it could be discussed in the body of the article, with additional footnotes added to those sentences as on Wikipedia articles. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:20, 30 January 2017 (PST)

: By the way, I haven't commented on individual suggestions you've made over January 2017 but they all broadly seem like positive steps - thank you! --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:20, 30 January 2017 (PST)

There's now a demo of what I suggested above using {{tl|infobox military unit2}} and [[1/5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, UK]]. It seems to work but I'm not sure about the best place to put the footnote that covers all of country, service, branch, type etc. so it's obvious that it refers to all of those but nothing else. Maybe a third column spanning all those rows would be better than in its own row as it is now. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 11:17, 19 February 2017 (PST)

: Does HTML still have colspan for tables? A row underneath each grouping would allow more specific labels than 'Sources for above' (e.g. Sources for overview, sources for start dates). Ideally it'd be in slightly less prominent type so it doesn't break up the table too much, but is there for people who like the reassurance of sources. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 02:33, 20 February 2017 (PST)

:: Wikitables can use CSS properties for rowspan and colspan - there's an example in the current version of the infobox where it says "For more information on what infobox fields mean". Next time I have enough spare time I'll try to demo two versions: one with footnotes in rows underneath and one with them in a column on the right, then we can compare them directly. Do you have any suggestions for how to make the type less prominent without causing problems for visually impaired readers? --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 09:06, 25 February 2017 (PST)

::: That's a good question! It shouldn't affect screenreaders (assuming they're better at tables than they used to be), and others may have their text size increased so smaller text should still be legible, which may be a reason to use a smaller size rather than a slightly lighter colour? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:24, 25 February 2017 (PST)

:::: I've now done this with {{tl|infobox military unit2}}, [[User:GavinRobinson/Test unit]] and [[1/5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, UK]]. It seems to work well but the text size might need some adjustment. If there are no problems with having the citations in rows underneath I probably won't bother trying the alternative I suggested with another column on the right as I now think it would be harder to implement and understand. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 11:44, 2 April 2017 (PDT)

::::: Thanks for that! The font is a little small but otherwise I think it works well. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:22, 3 April 2017 (PDT)

:::::: I've changed the font from 60% to 80%. Does that look right or would 90% be better? --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:33, 4 April 2017 (PDT)

::::::: I've now made the changes to the live infoboxes. The font size for the footnote rows in the table might still need changing but it's controlled by the class .sourcerow in [[MediaWiki:Common.css]] so it doesn't require editing the templates. We'll also need to find and move any existing footnotes in infoboxes but I'll get onto that when I have time.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:38, 23 April 2017 (PDT)

:::::::: All existing footnotes in infoboxes now moved to new parameters.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 11:07, 8 May 2017 (PDT)

::::::::: Nice work - thanks Gavin! --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 15:51, 9 May 2017 (PDT)

== Tracking progress ==

We need better ways of representing how complete, accurate and well-referenced the data on a unit page is as this would help us to know how far the project has progressed, make it easier for volunteers to understand what needs doing, and provide better documentation for people who want to reuse the data. There are currently some templates and categories that do some of this, but not very well and they don't cover everything (eg {{tl|wo95import}} or [[:Category:British units needing name checks]]).

I'm thinking maybe we could add some extra parameters to this infobox that would have Yes/No values to indicate whether facts are complete, accurate and cite reliable sources. The template could also use these values to assign categories similar to [[:Category:Units with personal narratives|Units with personal narratives]] and [[:Category:Units needing personal narratives|Units needing personal narratives]].

They could be grouped something like this:

* one covering all of country, service, branch, type, specific_type and size
* one for start date, created, start date of first name, start date of first relationship
* one for end date, disbanded, end date of last name, end date of last relationship
* one for all name changes, including dates and reason for change
* one for all command relationships except start of the first and end of the last
* one for all theatres of war (except maybe start of the first and end of the last if they coincide with creation or disbanding)

This is slightly different from the grouping for footnotes but they're designed to do different things. The first of everything seems to go together because units will often have the same date and source for creation, first name and first command relationship.

I'm not sure how to display the data from these new fields in the infobox clearly. Any suggestions?

Is the list above too many extra parameters and too much detail? Could we get away with just one for the main infobox, one for all relationships and one for all theatres? Or would that be not enough detail? --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:38, 22 January 2017 (PST)

: Good questions! It depends how they're to be used, and how easy it is to spot where additional information is needed beyond the basics for dates, relationships and theatres. In other words, would much be lost between 'units with command relationships' and 'units without command relationships'? Even if it was, if there was always a call to add more detail where necessary, that might be if the purpose is to show where information is needed. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:26, 30 January 2017 (PST)

:: I can think of four use cases with slightly different needs:

# For us to track the overall progress of the project and target efforts to improve the structured data.
# For people researching a soldier or unit, who need to know how far they can trust the information that they read on the page.
# For people who want to re-use large batches of structured data, who might use programs to automatically generate statistics about accuracy and completeness.
# For new volunteers who want to help improve the structured data and so need to know what needs doing.

:: Categories would probably be easiest for 1, and might have some use for 4. Displaying data visually in infoboxes is best for 2. 3 should only need the parameters to exist and be documented, even if the data isn't displayed in the wiki. I think it's likely that 4 will be mostly interested in specific units that they've already researched and so will be able to tell by looking at the existing data what needs improving. There may or may not be a smaller subset of 4 who are willing to improve batches of pages by adding certain facts and references from standard reference books (eg order of battle or army list), and they might benefit from categories. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 01:43, 19 February 2017 (PST)

FAQ and help

2017-05-01T10:59:43Z

Mia: Added note re unable to do personal family history research for people

== What do I do if... ==
==== Someone was in more than one unit ====
If the personal narrative references both units then just add their link to both pages.

==== A link is broken? For example, some of the lists of personal narratives might not work anymore. ====
You could try googling to see if the site has been moved, or was saved on the [[http://archive.org/ Internet Archive]. Failing that, add a note with the name of the author and the site with the broken link to the [[Lists of personal diaries, letters, memoirs|Research in progress]] section in case someone else is later able to find it, and so we can notify the site with the broken link.

== Can you help me research an ancestor's military history? ==
Unfortunately we can't. A good place to start is the [http://www.armymuseums.org.uk/ancestor.htm Army Museum's Ancestor Research & Military Genealogy] site. Searching for relevant posts on the [http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php Great War forum] might provide further clues. The [http://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/ 1914-1918-Online Encyclopedia] provides academic information and references.

== Understanding military terminology, records and research ==
* [[Theatres of War|Official British Army codes for Theatres of War used from 1916 onwards]]
* [[Researching World War One records]]
* [[About private letters, diaries and memoirs]]
* [[British Army Hierarchies]] explains British organisation and terminology
* [[:Category:Type definitions]] and [[:Category:Specific type definitions]] contain lists of pages (not yet complete) explaining what certain types of unit were and what they did

=== Citing military records and historians ===

Specific reference templates have been added for some common sources. More will be added later. These can be used in footnotes with <nowiki><ref></nowiki> tags or in the body of the page.

* To cite part of a unit's official war diaries to support a fact, use {{tl|Cite war diary}}
* To cite non-war diary documents from the UK National Archives use {{tl|Cite TNA}}
* To cite E.A. James, ''British Regiments 1914-1918'', use {{tl|Cite James}}
* To cite Chris Baker's website, ''The Long, Long Trail'', use {{tl|Cite TLLT}}
* To cite A.F. Becke, ''Order of Battle of Divisions'', use {{tl|Cite Becke}}
* To cite British Army Orders, use {{tl|Cite AO}}
* To cite British Army Council Instructions or War Office Instructions, use {{tl|Cite ACI}}
* To cite the British Army Lists use:
** {{tl|Cite Army List M}} for the Monthly Army List
** {{tl|Cite Army List Q}} for the Quarterly Army List
** {{tl|Cite Hart}} for Hart's Annual Army List
* To cite the Australian Official History, use {{tl|Cite OH Australian}}
* To cite the American Order of Battle, use {{tl|Cite OB US}}

=== Referring to a unit's war diaries ===

These templates are used under the war diary heading of a unit's page to give information about whether a unit has war diaries, and if so, where they can be found:

* For official war diaries at the UK National Archives use {{tl|War diary TNA}}
* For official war diaries at the Australian War Memorial, use {{tl|War diary AWM}}. These are mostly Australian and New Zealand, but also include some British and Indian units.
* If a unit or formation doesn't have a war diary because it never served in a theatre of war, use {{tl|War diary none}}
* For administrative organisations that didn't have an operational role, use {{tl|War diary none admin}}

== Editing existing pages ==
To edit a page, whether to fix some text or add a link, you'll need to request an account. Once your account is approved, just click 'Edit'.
* [//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Link#Wikilinks How to create links on a wiki]

== Creating a new page ==
These tips are taken from [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Starting_a_new_page MediaWiki's Help:Starting a new page].

This site assumes you're creating a new page about a battalion and pre-populates the pages with some headers and description.

Each unit page should have a category for the relevant army and role (i.e. infantry) so supporting pages explaining the structures for each army can be created. More information about categories is below.

=== Starting a new page from a search ===
A quick way to start a new page is to type its title in the search box, and start the search. If there are no matches, it will say (for example) 'There were no results matching the query.

'''Create the page [["Royal Dublin Fusiliers"]] on this wiki!''''

=== Starting a new page from a link ===
Some pages contain links to other pages that don't exist yet. These are called "new page links". To start one of these new pages, you can click on its link.

Links to non-existing pages are common. They are typically created in preparation for creating a new page, and/or to encourage other people to do so. Some people may see the presence of new page links on a page as a sign that the page is broken. However most wikis are intended to be constantly added to, so in this sense a new page link is only an indication that a particular page is needed.

Links to non-existent pages are created the same way as links to already existing pages. For example, adding [[New page name]] in the wiki editor will create a new page link to the page "New page name".

If there isn't already a new page link to the page you want to create, you can always add such a link yourself. You would add the new page link typically in a related page, an index page or your own user page.

=== Adding references and citations ===

The [http://tools.wmflabs.org/makeref/ MakeRef] site is useful for formatting references for use on these pages.

[[:Category:Citation templates]] lists templates that you can use to cite widely used sources more easily. We now have the Wikipedia citation templates such as {{tl|Cite book}}, which are also listed in [[:Category:Wikipedia citation templates]]. These templates automatically create COinS metadata which can be captured by reference management software such as Zotero. If you're using Zotero, you can set it to export references as Wikipedia citation templates, so you can drag and drop references from your Zotero library straight into wiki pages that you're editing.

== Categories used on this site ==

See [[Special:Categories]] for the full list of all categories used on the site. [[Category hierarchies]] explains how the main groups of categories are arranged.

[[:Category:Countries]] arranges pages by country, then by service, then by type.

[[:Category:Units]] arranges unit pages by type then by country.

[[:Category:Units and sources]] includes sub-categories that group pages by linked resources that they have or need.

== Templates used on this site ==

See also [[:Category:Templates]], which groups templates into sub-categories.

Some templates have been set up to help consistently format references and link out to other projects; they're listed above in [[FAQ_and_help#Citing_military_records_and_historians|Citing military records and historians]].

Others help create shortcuts for specific tasks or do various things on the backend of the site. Each template has a documentation page, which is automatically included in the template page. As templates use wiki markup, you might not be able to see the detail of the template itself except in Edit view.

=== Templates to help editors ===

* {{tl|About}} - add extra information about a page if its name is ambiguous.

=== Infoboxes ===
Some discussion of these infoboxes is also on their talk pages [[Template talk:Infobox command structure]] and [[Template talk:Infobox military unit]].

* {{tl|Infobox military unit}} summarises information about an individual military unit or formation, such as a regiment or division
* {{tl|Infobox command structure}}
* {{tl|Infobox theatre of war}} is designed to record information about a specific units' deployment to a specific theatre of war. The infobox can be repeated as necessary to allow for multiple engagements.

=== Other templates ===
* {{tl|Disambiguation page}} - used to automatically add a page to the list of [[:Category:Disambiguation pages]] that exist to help distinguish similar names from each other.
* {{tl|Microformat message}} - microformats help add structure to text so computer programs can do more with them.
* {{tl|Battalion}} - contains the basic structure of a battalion page that's preloaded into new pages
* {{tl|BritishBrigade}} - used in {{tl|Infobox command structure}} [will be obsolete once level names have been finalised]
* {{tl|Tl}} - template [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Tl inherited from Wikipedia]] that shows how the template name would be used in code
* {{tl|Tlx}} - another template [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Tlx inherited from Wikipedia]] that shows how the template name would be used in code
* {{tl|Navbox}} - see [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Template:Navbox MediaWiki documentation]
* {{tl|WPMILHIST Infobox style}}
* {{tl|Wo95import}} and {{tl|DiscoveryData}} are added automatically to imported pages.

[[Category:Help]]

British units in World War I

2017-05-01T10:48:48Z

Mia: Added note re using search to find specific units

{{About|units mainly recruited in the United Kingdom from British subjects. For units recruited by the British Crown or colonial governments outside the UK, India and the major dominions, see [[British colonial units in World War I]]. For example, we class the [[Royal Newfoundland Regiment]], [[West India Regiment]] and [[British West Indies Regiment]] as colonial, not British, as this seems to agree with the definition in the [[Constitution of the Military Forces of the British Crown|Manual of Military Law]]. If you're not sure where to look for a specific unit, use the website search. This can also help you find specific units under variant names.}}

See '''[[How you can help|how you can help]]''' to find out how you can help collect experiences of those in the First World War in their own words; you can also help by filling in the battalions for each regiment. A good source is the Long, Long Trail's page for [http://www.1914-1918.net/regiments.htm the British infantry of 1914-1918] and on [http://www.1914-1918.net/britdivs.htm The British Divisions of 1914-1918]. Chris Baker, the site's owner, has kindly given permission to use information from the site. We now have pages for most infantry battalions, but please feel free to get stuck in if you spot a gap!

Here's a list of [http://web.archive.org/web/20050404041821/http://regiments.org/regiments/uk/lists/ba1918.htm REGIMENTS and CORPS of the BRITISH ARMY in 1918] (via the Internet Archive as the site appears to have been down for some years).

'''If you've got a diary, letters or other personal narratives you want to add now:'''

*if the page for the author's unit already exists, you can add it straight to the page. See below for which British units do and don't currently have pages.
*if the page for the author's unit doesn't yet exist, you can create it.
*if you don't want to create a page or you don't know which unit the author belonged to, you can add the narrative to [[Lists of personal diaries, letters, memoirs]].

To create a new page:

Type the name of the unit, add ", UK" to the end if it's a British unit, then make it into a wiki link by putting two square brackets around the name of the regiment or battalion, like this:

<nowiki>[[1st Battalion Example Regiment, UK]]</nowiki>

This makes it into a red link [[1st Battalion Example Regiment, UK]]; you can click on any red-linked page name to create that page. You can also create a page by entering its name in the search box. If it doesn't already exist, you can click on the red link in the search results.

See also [[naming conventions for British units]].

== British Army ==

The British Army consisted of land forces raised in the United Kingdom apart from the Royal Marines and the Royal Naval Division. It had these branches:

* Regular Army
* New Army
* Territorial Force
* Special Reserve
* Volunteer Force

Most regiments and corps included a mixture of units from each branch.

Every British army unit that has a page on this site should be listed in [[:Category:All British Army units]].

See also [[British Army Hierarchies]] for more information about the structure of the Army.

=== Higher formations ===

These are tactical formations above division level:

* [[:Category:British corps (tactical)]] has pages for every corps except and Tank Corps headquarters. These were the next level above divisions.
* [[:Category:British armies]] has pages for all the armies on the Western Front and at Salonika and Gallipoli. These were the next level above corps.
* [[:Category:British Empire GHQs]] contains expeditionary forces and other formations that had the general headquarters in a theatre of war. Some pages have been added but several theatres are still missing.

=== Infantry ===

==== Infantry regiments ====

We now have a page for every infantry regiment of the British Army. The table below shows links to the pages and the regiments' full names. It can be sorted by names or order of precedence. The website search can also help you find specific units under variant names.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Page Name
!Full Name
!Precedence
|-
|[[Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, UK]]
|Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders)
|091
|-
|[[Bedfordshire Regiment, UK]]
|Bedfordshire Regiment
|016
|-
|[[Black Watch, UK]]
|Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
|042
|-
|[[Border Regiment, UK]]
|Border Regiment
|034
|-
|[[Cambridgeshire Regiment, UK]]
|Cambridgeshire Regiment
|199 04
|-
|[[Cameron Highlanders, UK]]
|Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
|079
|-
|[[Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), UK]]
|Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
|026
|-
|[[Cheshire Regiment, UK]]
|Cheshire Regiment
|022
|-
|[[Coldstream Guards, UK]]
|Coldstream Guards
|000 02
|-
|[[Connaught Rangers, UK]]
|Connaught Rangers
|088
|-
|[[Devonshire Regiment, UK]]
|Devonshire Regiment
|011
|-
|[[Dorsetshire Regiment, UK]]
|Dorsetshire Regiment
|039
|-
|[[Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, UK]]
|Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
|032
|-
|[[Durham Light Infantry, UK]]
|Durham Light Infantry
|068
|-
|[[East Kent Regiment, UK]]
|Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
|003
|-
|[[East Lancashire Regiment, UK]]
|East Lancashire Regiment
|030
|-
|[[East Surrey Regiment, UK]]
|East Surrey Regiment
|031
|-
|[[East Yorkshire Regiment, UK]]
|East Yorkshire Regiment
|015
|-
|[[Essex Regiment, UK]]
|Essex Regiment
|044
|-
|[[Gloucestershire Regiment, UK]]
|Gloucestershire Regiment
|028
|-
|[[Gordon Highlanders, UK]]
|Gordon Highlanders
|075
|-
|[[Grenadier Guards, UK]]
|Grenadier Guards
|000 01
|-
|[[Hampshire Regiment, UK]]
|Hampshire Regiment
|037
|-
|[[Herefordshire Regiment, UK]]
|Herefordshire Regiment
|199 07
|-
|[[Hertfordshire Regiment, UK]]
|Hertfordshire Regiment
|199 06
|-
|[[Highland Cyclist Battalion, UK]]
|Highland Cyclist Battalion
|199 09
|-
|[[Highland Light Infantry, UK]]
|Highland Light Infantry
|071
|-
|[[Honourable Artillery Company (Infantry), UK]]
|Honourable Artillery Company (Infantry)
|199 02
|-
|[[Household Battalion, UK]]
|Household Battalion
|000 00
|-
|[[Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion, UK]]
|Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion
|199 11
|-
|[[Irish Guards, UK]]
|Irish Guards
|000 04
|-
|[[Kent Cyclist Battalion, UK]]
|Kent Cyclist Battalion
|199 10
|-
|[[King's Liverpool Regiment, UK]]
|King's (Liverpool Regiment)
|008
|-
|[[King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, UK]]
|King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
|004
|-
|[[King's Own Scottish Borderers, UK]]
|King's Own Scottish Borderers
|025
|-
|[[King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, UK]]
|King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry)
|051
|-
|[[King's Royal Rifle Corps, UK]]
|King's Royal Rifle Corps
|060
|-
|[[King's Shropshire Light Infantry, UK]]
|King's (Shropshire Light Infantry)
|053
|-
|[[Lancashire Fusiliers, UK]]
|Lancashire Fusiliers
|020
|-
|[[Leicestershire Regiment, UK]]
|Leicestershire Regiment
|017
|-
|[[Leinster Regiment, UK]]
|Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)
|100
|-
|[[Lincolnshire Regiment, UK]]
|Lincolnshire Regiment
|010
|-
|[[London Regiment, UK]]
|London Regiment
|199 05
|-
|[[Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, UK]]
|Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
|047
|-
|[[Manchester Regiment, UK]]
|Manchester Regiment
|063
|-
|[[Middlesex Regiment, UK]]
|Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment)
|057
|-
|[[Monmouthshire Regiment, UK]]
|Monmouthshire Regiment
|199 03
|-
|[[Norfolk Regiment, UK]]
|Norfolk Regiment
|009
|-
|[[North Staffordshire Regiment, UK]]
|Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment)
|064
|-
|[[Northamptonshire Regiment, UK]]
|Northamptonshire Regiment
|048
|-
|[[Northern Cyclist Battalion, UK]]
|Northern Cyclist Battalion
|199 08
|-
|[[Northumberland Fusiliers, UK]]
|Northumberland Fusiliers
|005
|-
|[[Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, UK]]
|Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
|043
|-
|[[Rifle Brigade, UK]]
|Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
|199 01
|-
|[[Royal Berkshire Regiment, UK]]
|Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment)
|049
|-
|[[Royal Dublin Fusiliers, UK]]
|Royal Dublin Fusiliers
|102
|-
|[[Royal Fusiliers, UK]]
|Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
|007
|-
|[[Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, UK]]
|Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
|027
|-
|[[Royal Irish Fusiliers, UK]]
|Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers)
|087
|-
|[[Royal Irish Regiment, UK]]
|Royal Irish Regiment
|018
|-
|[[Royal Irish Rifles, UK]]
|Royal Irish Rifles
|083
|-
|[[Royal Munster Fusiliers, UK]]
|Royal Munster Fusiliers
|101
|-
|[[Royal Scots Fusiliers, UK]]
|Royal Scots Fusiliers
|021
|-
|[[Royal Scots, UK]]
|Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment)
|001
|-
|[[Royal Sussex Regiment, UK]]
|Royal Sussex Regiment
|035
|-
|[[Royal Warwickshire Regiment, UK]]
|Royal Warwickshire Regiment
|006
|-
|[[Royal Welsh Fusiliers, UK]]
|Royal Welsh Fusiliers
|023
|-
|[[Royal West Kent Regiment, UK]]
|Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment)
|050
|-
|[[Royal West Surrey Regiment, UK]]
|Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
|002
|-
|[[Scots Guards, UK]]
|Scots Guards
|000 03
|-
|[[Seaforth Highlanders, UK]]
|Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's)
|072
|-
|[[Sherwood Foresters, UK]]
|Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment)
|045
|-
|[[Somerset Light Infantry, UK]]
|Prince Albert's (Somerset Light Infantry)
|013
|-
|[[South Lancashire Regiment, UK]]
|Prince of Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment)
|040
|-
|[[South Staffordshire Regiment, UK]]
|South Staffordshire Regiment
|038
|-
|[[South Wales Borderers, UK]]
|South Wales Borderers
|024
|-
|[[Suffolk Regiment, UK]]
|Suffolk Regiment
|012
|-
|[[Welsh Guards, UK]]
|Welsh Guards
|000 05
|-
|[[Welsh Regiment, UK]]
|Welsh Regiment
|041
|-
|[[West Riding Regiment, UK]]
|Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
|033
|-
|[[West Yorkshire Regiment, UK]]
|Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment)
|014
|-
|[[Wiltshire Regiment, UK]]
|Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment)
|062
|-
|[[Worcestershire Regiment, UK]]
|Worcestershire Regiment
|029
|-
|[[York and Lancaster Regiment, UK]]
|York and Lancaster Regiment
|065
|-
|[[Yorkshire Regiment, UK]]
|Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment)
|019
|}

Also administratively part of the infantry:

* [[Army Cyclist Corps, UK]]
* [[Royal Defence Corps, UK]]

Regiment pages show each regiment's parent record office. Record offices also have their own pages, listed in [[:Category:British Army record offices]].

==== Infantry battalions ====

'The battalion was the basic tactical unit of the infantry of the British Army in the Great War of 1914-1918. At full establishment it consisted of 1,007 men of whom 30 were officers. It comprised a Battalion Headquarters and four Companies.'[http://www.1914-1918.net/whatbatt.htm]

We now have pages for nearly every British infantry battalion known to have existed. There might be some provisional battalions and Royal Defence Corps battalions missing: these
will need to be added manually if any can be identified.

We don't yet have any information about Royal Defence Corps protection companies.

See also [[#Volunteer Training Corps]] below.

There are too many battalions to list on this page (already more than 1,700), but there are several ways you can find them:

The regiment pages shown in the table above should list all battalions known to have been part of a regiment.

The following categories list British infantry battalions:

* [[:Category:British infantry battalions]]: all British infantry battalions that have pages, listed alphabetically by regiment, then in order of battalion numbers. Includes Army, Royal Navy and Royal Marines.
** Also has sub-categories listing certain battalions by uniform distinctions and special roles, but these are not yet complete.
* [[:Category:British Army infantry battalions by regimental precedence]]: British Army infantry battalions only, listed in order of regimental precedence as shown in the above table, then in order of battalion numbers.

You can also use the search box to find battalions that already have pages. You don't always have to enter the name exactly as it appears in the page title: alternative names will often show up as redirects or part of the page text.

==== Infantry brigades ====

We now have a page for nearly every British infantry brigade that has war diaries. These pages are listed in [[:Category:British infantry brigades]].

Please feel free to add any missing brigades.

==== Infantry divisions ====

We now have pages for every British infantry division, including the divisions of the original Fourth New Army that were broken up in April 1915. These pages are listed in [[:Category:British divisions]].

=== Cavalry ===

We now have pages for more or less every British cavalry and yeomanry unit. You can find them in [[:Category:British mounted units]] and its sub-categories.

==== Cavalry administrative units ====

These are the administrative corps and record offices of the British cavalry, including regular, yeomanry and Special Reserve regiments:

*[[Household Cavalry, UK]]
** [[Hyde Park 1st Life Guards Record Office, UK]]
** [[Windsor 2nd Life Guards Record Office, UK]]
** [[Regents Park Royal Horse Guards Record Office, UK]]
*[[Canterbury Cavalry Record Office, UK]]
**[[Corps of Dragoons, UK]]
**[[Corps of Lancers, UK]]
*[[York Cavalry Record Office, UK]]
**[[Corps of Hussars, UK]]

==== Cavalry divisions and corps ====

* [[Cavalry Corps, UK]]
* [[1st Cavalry Division, UK]]
* [[2nd Cavalry Division, UK]]
* [[3rd Cavalry Division, UK]]
* the numbers 4th and 5th were used by Indian divisions
* [[1st Mounted Division, UK]]
* [[2nd Mounted Division, UK]]
* [[3rd Mounted Division, UK]]
* [[4th Mounted Division, UK]]
* [[Yeomanry Mounted Division, UK]]

==== Cavalry brigades ====

See [[:Category:British cavalry and mounted brigades]] for regular cavalry and yeomanry mounted brigades.

==== Cavalry and yeomanry regiments ====

Cavalry and yeomanry (ie Territorial cavalry) regiments and independent squadrons are listed in these categories:

* [[:Category:British cavalry units]] lists all cavalry regiments and squadrons that have pages alphabetically by regiment name, including regular cavalry, yeomanry, Special Reserve and corps cavalry regiments.
* [[:Category:British cavalry by regimental precedence]] lists regular cavalry and yeomanry regiments by order of precedence.
* [[:Category:British yeomanry by county]] lists yeomanry regiments alphabetically by county, which is not always the same as regiment name.

==== Sources ====

*{{Cite TLLT|http://www.1914-1918.net/cavalry.htm|The British cavalry regiments of 1914-1918}} lists British regular and special reserve cavalry regiments, with further reading.
*{{Cite TLLT|http://www.1914-1918.net/yeomanry.htm|The British Yeomanry of 1914-1918}} lists British yeomanry regiments (these were the Territorial branch of the cavalry).
*{{Cite TLLT|http://www.1914-1918.net/TF_renumbering_yeomanry.htm|Renumbering of the Territorial Force Yeomanry in 1917}} lists which administrative corps each regiment belonged to.

==== Imperial Camel Corps ====

* [[Imperial Camel Corps]]
* [[Imperial Camel Brigade]]
* [[2nd Battalion Imperial Camel Corps]]

=== Machine Gun Units ===

We now have pages for all British machine gun units that have war diaries. Any that don't have war diaries will need to be added manually.

Most units belonged to [[Machine Gun Corps, UK]], consisting of:

* [[Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), UK]]:
** independent machine gun companies attached to infantry brigades and divisions (1916-18): see [[:Category:British machine gun companies]]
** machine gun battalions attached to divisions (1918): see [[:Category:British machine gun battalions]]
* [[Machine Gun Corps (Cavalry), UK]]
** machine gun squadrons attached to cavalry brigades: see [[:Category:British machine gun squadrons]]
* [[Machine Gun Corps (Motors), UK]], formerly part of [[Royal Field Artillery, UK]] and known as the Motor Machine Gun Service.
** see [[:Category:British motor machine gun batteries]] and [[:Category:British motor machine gun brigades]]
* [[Machine Gun Corps (Heavy), UK]] operated the first tanks and became [[Tank Corps, UK]]
* [[Machine Gun Training Centre, UK]]

The Guards had their own machine gun units which were administratively separate from the Machine Gun Corps:

* machine gun companies:
** [[1st Guards Machine Gun Company, UK]]
** [[2nd Guards Machine Gun Company, UK]]
** [[3rd Guards Machine Gun Company, UK]]
* [[Guards Machine Gun Regiment, UK]] (formerly Machine Gun Guards):
** [[1st Battalion Guards Machine Gun Regiment, UK]]
** [[2nd Battalion Guards Machine Gun Regiment, UK]]
** [[3rd Battalion Guards Machine Gun Regiment, UK]]
** [[4th Battalion Guards Machine Gun Regiment, UK]]

=== Artillery ===

[[Royal Artillery, UK]] was an arm of the British Army, divided into two corps:

* [[Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery, UK]]; divided into two distinct identities:
** [[Royal Horse Artillery, UK]]
** [[Royal Field Artillery, UK]]
* [[Royal Garrison Artillery, UK]]

The basic unit of the Royal Field Artillery was the brigade, which was roughly equivalent to an infantry battalion.

We now have pages for every Royal Horse Artillery unit that has war diaries. These are listed in [[:Category:British horse artillery units]].

=== Cyclists ===

See [[:Category:British cyclist battalions]] and [[:Category:British cyclist companies]] for cyclist units.

Most of these were administratively under [[Army Cyclist Corps, UK]] but there are some exceptions. The following independent units were also classed as infantry regiments:

* [[Highland Cyclist Battalion, UK]]
* [[Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion, UK]]
* [[Kent Cyclist Battalion, UK]]
* [[Northern Cyclist Battalion, UK]]

The Territorial battalions of some county infantry regiments were equipped as cyclists. All of these battalions have pages and are categorised as cyclist battalions as well as infantry battalions.

Some yeomanry cavalry regiments were converted into cyclists. We haven't yet catalogued these changes but all yeomanry regiments have pages.

=== Other regiments, corps and departments ===

This is a list of other regiments, corps and departments of the British Army.

* [[Army Chaplains Department, UK]]
* [[Army Ordnance Corps, UK]]
* [[Army Ordnance Department, UK]]
* [[Army Pay Corps, UK]]
* [[Army Pay Department, UK]]
* [[Army Service Corps, UK]]
* [[Army Veterinary Corps, UK]]
* [[Labour Corps, UK]]
* [[Military Police, UK]] divided into:
** [[Military Foot Police, UK]]
** [[Military Mounted Police, UK]]
* [[Non-Combatant Corps, UK]]
* [[Royal Army Medical Corps, UK]]
* [[Royal Army Ordnance Corps, UK]]
* [[Royal Engineers, UK]]
* [[Tank Corps, UK]]

==== Women's departments ====

* [[Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service]]
* [[Territorial Force Nursing Service]]
* [[Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps]]

==== Officer Cadet Battalions ====

These battalions were set up to train new officers. They all have pages, listed in [[:Category:British officer cadet battalions]].

== Volunteer Training Corps and Volunteer Force ==

Home defence units similar to the Home Guard in WW2. Initially known as the Volunteer Training Corps and not officially recognised by the War Office. In June 1916, the British Crown declared that volunteer units could be accepted under the terms of the 1863 Volunteer Act, which had never been repealed but had not been used in practice since the old Volunteer Force was converted into the Territorial Force in 1908. From then on, volunteer units accepted by the Crown were part of the Volunteer Force and their names were listed in the official Army Orders when they were accepted.<ref>Units started to be recognised on 17 June 1916, {{Cite AO|203|1916}}</ref> Later in the war, probably in 1918, Volunteer battalions were integrated into British Army regiments. We're not yet sure how far they were administratively integrated, but at the very least they took the name and badge of the parent regiment.

For the purposes of data on this site, Volunteer units that were officially accepted by Army Orders will be treated as a branch of the British Army called "Volunteer Force". If we can identify any units that existed in the VTC but were not accepted by the Crown into the VF, they will be classed as a separate service called "Volunteer Training Corps".

We don't have a definitive list of units, but have started building a list of red links below. Please add any regiments or battalions that you know of. Page names will be based on pre-1918 Volunteer regiment names to disambiguate the units from pre-1908 Volunteer battalions. Ideally the canonical names will be taken from Army Orders listing accepted units.

More units are listed in Army Orders 206, 284, 323 and 374 of 1916. Links to these will be added later.

* [[Carnarvonshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[1st Battalion Carnarvonshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[2nd Battalion Carnarvonshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
* [[Cheshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[6th Battalion Cheshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[Bucklow Mounted Corps, UK]]
* [[Dorsetshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
* [[Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[1st Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[2nd Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[3rd Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[4th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[5th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[6th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[7th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[8th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[9th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[10th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[11th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[12th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
* [[Forfarshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[1/1st Battalion Forfarshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[2/1st Battalion Forfarshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
* [[Hampshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[1st Battalion Hampshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[2nd Battalion Hampshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[3rd Battalion Hampshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[4th Battalion Hampshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
* [[Surrey Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[5th Battalion Surrey Volunteer Regiment, UK]]

For more information see:

* [http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=229702 Great War Forum thread on Volunteer Battalions]
* [https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29910/supplement/815 London Gazette 2910/815] list commissions in a few Volunteer regiments in 1917
* [[Wikipedia:Volunteer Training Corps (World War I)]]

== Royal Navy ==

Branches:

* Regular Navy
* Royal Naval Reserve
* Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

Also included the [[Royal Naval Air Service, UK|Royal Naval Air Service]], which operated aircraft and armoured cars.

=== Royal Navy infantry ===

These infantry units and formations were raised by the Royal Navy but fought on land under Army command.

* [[63rd (Royal Naval) Division, UK]]
* [[1st Royal Naval Brigade, UK]]
* [[188th Infantry Brigade, UK]]
* [[189th Infantry Brigade, UK]]
* [[Anson Battalion, UK]]
* [[Benbow Battalion, UK]]
* [[Collingwood Battalion, UK]]
* [[Drake Battalion, UK]]
* [[Hawke Battalion, UK]]
* [[Hood Battalion, UK]]
* [[Howe Battalion, UK]]
* [[Nelson Battalion, UK]]

== Royal Marines ==

* [[Royal Marine Light Infantry, UK]]
** [[Royal Marine Brigade, UK]]
** [[1st Battalion Royal Marines, UK]]
** [[2nd Battalion Royal Marines, UK]]
** [[Chatham Battalion Royal Marines, UK]]
** [[Deal Battalion Royal Marines, UK]]
** [[Plymouth Battalion Royal Marines, UK]]
** [[Portsmouth Battalion Royal Marines, UK]]
* [[Royal Marine Artillery, UK]]
* [[Royal Marine Engineers, UK]]

RMLI units that were not part of the Royal Naval Division will need to be added manually if any can be identified.

== Royal Air Force ==

Formed in April 1918 from the Royal Flying Corps (part of the Army) and Royal Naval Air Service (part of the Royal Navy).

== Other organisations ==

We need more information about the legal and administrative status of some of these organisations in relation to the British Army.

* [[Voluntary Aid Detachments]] included men's and women's units. Officially recognised by the War Office, but what was its relationship with the Army?
* [[British Red Cross]]
* [[Order of St John]]
* [[Friends Ambulance Unit]]: set up by Quakers and operated with the British Red Cross and Order of St John. [http://fau.quaker.org.uk/ More information]. Was this a recognised Voluntary Aid Detachment or something else?

=== Women's organisations ===

See also [[#Women's departments|women's departments of the British Army]] above.

* [[Women's Hospital Corps]]
* [[Scottish Women's Hospitals]]: not officially recognised by the British War Office but served with other allied nations in several theatres.
* [[The Women's Volunteer Reserve]]
* [[The Women's Legion]]
* [[Almeric Paget Military Massage Corps]]
* [[First Aid Nursing Yeomanry]] (FANY, now the Princess Royal’s Volunteer Corps). Authorised by the British Crown but separate from the Army.
* [[Women's Auxiliary Force]]
* [[Women's Auxiliary Agricultural Corps]]
* [[Women's Forage Corps]]
* [[Women's Forestry Corps]]
* [[Women's Land Army]]

[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:British Army]]
[[Category:British Empire]]

British units in World War I

2017-05-01T10:47:40Z

Mia: /* Infantry regiments */ Added tip to search for variant names

{{About|units mainly recruited in the United Kingdom from British subjects. For units recruited by the British Crown or colonial governments outside the UK, India and the major dominions, see [[British colonial units in World War I]]. For example, we class the [[Royal Newfoundland Regiment]], [[West India Regiment]] and [[British West Indies Regiment]] as colonial, not British, as this seems to agree with the definition in the [[Constitution of the Military Forces of the British Crown|Manual of Military Law]].}}

See '''[[How you can help|how you can help]]''' to find out how you can help collect experiences of those in the First World War in their own words; you can also help by filling in the battalions for each regiment. A good source is the Long, Long Trail's page for [http://www.1914-1918.net/regiments.htm the British infantry of 1914-1918] and on [http://www.1914-1918.net/britdivs.htm The British Divisions of 1914-1918]. Chris Baker, the site's owner, has kindly given permission to use information from the site. We now have pages for most infantry battalions, but please feel free to get stuck in if you spot a gap!

Here's a list of [http://web.archive.org/web/20050404041821/http://regiments.org/regiments/uk/lists/ba1918.htm REGIMENTS and CORPS of the BRITISH ARMY in 1918] (via the Internet Archive as the site appears to have been down for some years).

'''If you've got a diary, letters or other personal narratives you want to add now:'''

*if the page for the author's unit already exists, you can add it straight to the page. See below for which British units do and don't currently have pages.
*if the page for the author's unit doesn't yet exist, you can create it.
*if you don't want to create a page or you don't know which unit the author belonged to, you can add the narrative to [[Lists of personal diaries, letters, memoirs]].

To create a new page:

Type the name of the unit, add ", UK" to the end if it's a British unit, then make it into a wiki link by putting two square brackets around the name of the regiment or battalion, like this:

<nowiki>[[1st Battalion Example Regiment, UK]]</nowiki>

This makes it into a red link [[1st Battalion Example Regiment, UK]]; you can click on any red-linked page name to create that page. You can also create a page by entering its name in the search box. If it doesn't already exist, you can click on the red link in the search results.

See also [[naming conventions for British units]].

== British Army ==

The British Army consisted of land forces raised in the United Kingdom apart from the Royal Marines and the Royal Naval Division. It had these branches:

* Regular Army
* New Army
* Territorial Force
* Special Reserve
* Volunteer Force

Most regiments and corps included a mixture of units from each branch.

Every British army unit that has a page on this site should be listed in [[:Category:All British Army units]].

See also [[British Army Hierarchies]] for more information about the structure of the Army.

=== Higher formations ===

These are tactical formations above division level:

* [[:Category:British corps (tactical)]] has pages for every corps except and Tank Corps headquarters. These were the next level above divisions.
* [[:Category:British armies]] has pages for all the armies on the Western Front and at Salonika and Gallipoli. These were the next level above corps.
* [[:Category:British Empire GHQs]] contains expeditionary forces and other formations that had the general headquarters in a theatre of war. Some pages have been added but several theatres are still missing.

=== Infantry ===

==== Infantry regiments ====

We now have a page for every infantry regiment of the British Army. The table below shows links to the pages and the regiments' full names. It can be sorted by names or order of precedence. The website search can also help you find specific units under variant names.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Page Name
!Full Name
!Precedence
|-
|[[Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, UK]]
|Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders)
|091
|-
|[[Bedfordshire Regiment, UK]]
|Bedfordshire Regiment
|016
|-
|[[Black Watch, UK]]
|Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
|042
|-
|[[Border Regiment, UK]]
|Border Regiment
|034
|-
|[[Cambridgeshire Regiment, UK]]
|Cambridgeshire Regiment
|199 04
|-
|[[Cameron Highlanders, UK]]
|Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
|079
|-
|[[Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), UK]]
|Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
|026
|-
|[[Cheshire Regiment, UK]]
|Cheshire Regiment
|022
|-
|[[Coldstream Guards, UK]]
|Coldstream Guards
|000 02
|-
|[[Connaught Rangers, UK]]
|Connaught Rangers
|088
|-
|[[Devonshire Regiment, UK]]
|Devonshire Regiment
|011
|-
|[[Dorsetshire Regiment, UK]]
|Dorsetshire Regiment
|039
|-
|[[Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, UK]]
|Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
|032
|-
|[[Durham Light Infantry, UK]]
|Durham Light Infantry
|068
|-
|[[East Kent Regiment, UK]]
|Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
|003
|-
|[[East Lancashire Regiment, UK]]
|East Lancashire Regiment
|030
|-
|[[East Surrey Regiment, UK]]
|East Surrey Regiment
|031
|-
|[[East Yorkshire Regiment, UK]]
|East Yorkshire Regiment
|015
|-
|[[Essex Regiment, UK]]
|Essex Regiment
|044
|-
|[[Gloucestershire Regiment, UK]]
|Gloucestershire Regiment
|028
|-
|[[Gordon Highlanders, UK]]
|Gordon Highlanders
|075
|-
|[[Grenadier Guards, UK]]
|Grenadier Guards
|000 01
|-
|[[Hampshire Regiment, UK]]
|Hampshire Regiment
|037
|-
|[[Herefordshire Regiment, UK]]
|Herefordshire Regiment
|199 07
|-
|[[Hertfordshire Regiment, UK]]
|Hertfordshire Regiment
|199 06
|-
|[[Highland Cyclist Battalion, UK]]
|Highland Cyclist Battalion
|199 09
|-
|[[Highland Light Infantry, UK]]
|Highland Light Infantry
|071
|-
|[[Honourable Artillery Company (Infantry), UK]]
|Honourable Artillery Company (Infantry)
|199 02
|-
|[[Household Battalion, UK]]
|Household Battalion
|000 00
|-
|[[Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion, UK]]
|Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion
|199 11
|-
|[[Irish Guards, UK]]
|Irish Guards
|000 04
|-
|[[Kent Cyclist Battalion, UK]]
|Kent Cyclist Battalion
|199 10
|-
|[[King's Liverpool Regiment, UK]]
|King's (Liverpool Regiment)
|008
|-
|[[King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, UK]]
|King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
|004
|-
|[[King's Own Scottish Borderers, UK]]
|King's Own Scottish Borderers
|025
|-
|[[King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, UK]]
|King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry)
|051
|-
|[[King's Royal Rifle Corps, UK]]
|King's Royal Rifle Corps
|060
|-
|[[King's Shropshire Light Infantry, UK]]
|King's (Shropshire Light Infantry)
|053
|-
|[[Lancashire Fusiliers, UK]]
|Lancashire Fusiliers
|020
|-
|[[Leicestershire Regiment, UK]]
|Leicestershire Regiment
|017
|-
|[[Leinster Regiment, UK]]
|Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)
|100
|-
|[[Lincolnshire Regiment, UK]]
|Lincolnshire Regiment
|010
|-
|[[London Regiment, UK]]
|London Regiment
|199 05
|-
|[[Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, UK]]
|Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
|047
|-
|[[Manchester Regiment, UK]]
|Manchester Regiment
|063
|-
|[[Middlesex Regiment, UK]]
|Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment)
|057
|-
|[[Monmouthshire Regiment, UK]]
|Monmouthshire Regiment
|199 03
|-
|[[Norfolk Regiment, UK]]
|Norfolk Regiment
|009
|-
|[[North Staffordshire Regiment, UK]]
|Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment)
|064
|-
|[[Northamptonshire Regiment, UK]]
|Northamptonshire Regiment
|048
|-
|[[Northern Cyclist Battalion, UK]]
|Northern Cyclist Battalion
|199 08
|-
|[[Northumberland Fusiliers, UK]]
|Northumberland Fusiliers
|005
|-
|[[Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, UK]]
|Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
|043
|-
|[[Rifle Brigade, UK]]
|Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
|199 01
|-
|[[Royal Berkshire Regiment, UK]]
|Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment)
|049
|-
|[[Royal Dublin Fusiliers, UK]]
|Royal Dublin Fusiliers
|102
|-
|[[Royal Fusiliers, UK]]
|Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
|007
|-
|[[Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, UK]]
|Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
|027
|-
|[[Royal Irish Fusiliers, UK]]
|Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers)
|087
|-
|[[Royal Irish Regiment, UK]]
|Royal Irish Regiment
|018
|-
|[[Royal Irish Rifles, UK]]
|Royal Irish Rifles
|083
|-
|[[Royal Munster Fusiliers, UK]]
|Royal Munster Fusiliers
|101
|-
|[[Royal Scots Fusiliers, UK]]
|Royal Scots Fusiliers
|021
|-
|[[Royal Scots, UK]]
|Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment)
|001
|-
|[[Royal Sussex Regiment, UK]]
|Royal Sussex Regiment
|035
|-
|[[Royal Warwickshire Regiment, UK]]
|Royal Warwickshire Regiment
|006
|-
|[[Royal Welsh Fusiliers, UK]]
|Royal Welsh Fusiliers
|023
|-
|[[Royal West Kent Regiment, UK]]
|Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment)
|050
|-
|[[Royal West Surrey Regiment, UK]]
|Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
|002
|-
|[[Scots Guards, UK]]
|Scots Guards
|000 03
|-
|[[Seaforth Highlanders, UK]]
|Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's)
|072
|-
|[[Sherwood Foresters, UK]]
|Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment)
|045
|-
|[[Somerset Light Infantry, UK]]
|Prince Albert's (Somerset Light Infantry)
|013
|-
|[[South Lancashire Regiment, UK]]
|Prince of Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment)
|040
|-
|[[South Staffordshire Regiment, UK]]
|South Staffordshire Regiment
|038
|-
|[[South Wales Borderers, UK]]
|South Wales Borderers
|024
|-
|[[Suffolk Regiment, UK]]
|Suffolk Regiment
|012
|-
|[[Welsh Guards, UK]]
|Welsh Guards
|000 05
|-
|[[Welsh Regiment, UK]]
|Welsh Regiment
|041
|-
|[[West Riding Regiment, UK]]
|Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
|033
|-
|[[West Yorkshire Regiment, UK]]
|Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment)
|014
|-
|[[Wiltshire Regiment, UK]]
|Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment)
|062
|-
|[[Worcestershire Regiment, UK]]
|Worcestershire Regiment
|029
|-
|[[York and Lancaster Regiment, UK]]
|York and Lancaster Regiment
|065
|-
|[[Yorkshire Regiment, UK]]
|Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment)
|019
|}

Also administratively part of the infantry:

* [[Army Cyclist Corps, UK]]
* [[Royal Defence Corps, UK]]

Regiment pages show each regiment's parent record office. Record offices also have their own pages, listed in [[:Category:British Army record offices]].

==== Infantry battalions ====

'The battalion was the basic tactical unit of the infantry of the British Army in the Great War of 1914-1918. At full establishment it consisted of 1,007 men of whom 30 were officers. It comprised a Battalion Headquarters and four Companies.'[http://www.1914-1918.net/whatbatt.htm]

We now have pages for nearly every British infantry battalion known to have existed. There might be some provisional battalions and Royal Defence Corps battalions missing: these
will need to be added manually if any can be identified.

We don't yet have any information about Royal Defence Corps protection companies.

See also [[#Volunteer Training Corps]] below.

There are too many battalions to list on this page (already more than 1,700), but there are several ways you can find them:

The regiment pages shown in the table above should list all battalions known to have been part of a regiment.

The following categories list British infantry battalions:

* [[:Category:British infantry battalions]]: all British infantry battalions that have pages, listed alphabetically by regiment, then in order of battalion numbers. Includes Army, Royal Navy and Royal Marines.
** Also has sub-categories listing certain battalions by uniform distinctions and special roles, but these are not yet complete.
* [[:Category:British Army infantry battalions by regimental precedence]]: British Army infantry battalions only, listed in order of regimental precedence as shown in the above table, then in order of battalion numbers.

You can also use the search box to find battalions that already have pages. You don't always have to enter the name exactly as it appears in the page title: alternative names will often show up as redirects or part of the page text.

==== Infantry brigades ====

We now have a page for nearly every British infantry brigade that has war diaries. These pages are listed in [[:Category:British infantry brigades]].

Please feel free to add any missing brigades.

==== Infantry divisions ====

We now have pages for every British infantry division, including the divisions of the original Fourth New Army that were broken up in April 1915. These pages are listed in [[:Category:British divisions]].

=== Cavalry ===

We now have pages for more or less every British cavalry and yeomanry unit. You can find them in [[:Category:British mounted units]] and its sub-categories.

==== Cavalry administrative units ====

These are the administrative corps and record offices of the British cavalry, including regular, yeomanry and Special Reserve regiments:

*[[Household Cavalry, UK]]
** [[Hyde Park 1st Life Guards Record Office, UK]]
** [[Windsor 2nd Life Guards Record Office, UK]]
** [[Regents Park Royal Horse Guards Record Office, UK]]
*[[Canterbury Cavalry Record Office, UK]]
**[[Corps of Dragoons, UK]]
**[[Corps of Lancers, UK]]
*[[York Cavalry Record Office, UK]]
**[[Corps of Hussars, UK]]

==== Cavalry divisions and corps ====

* [[Cavalry Corps, UK]]
* [[1st Cavalry Division, UK]]
* [[2nd Cavalry Division, UK]]
* [[3rd Cavalry Division, UK]]
* the numbers 4th and 5th were used by Indian divisions
* [[1st Mounted Division, UK]]
* [[2nd Mounted Division, UK]]
* [[3rd Mounted Division, UK]]
* [[4th Mounted Division, UK]]
* [[Yeomanry Mounted Division, UK]]

==== Cavalry brigades ====

See [[:Category:British cavalry and mounted brigades]] for regular cavalry and yeomanry mounted brigades.

==== Cavalry and yeomanry regiments ====

Cavalry and yeomanry (ie Territorial cavalry) regiments and independent squadrons are listed in these categories:

* [[:Category:British cavalry units]] lists all cavalry regiments and squadrons that have pages alphabetically by regiment name, including regular cavalry, yeomanry, Special Reserve and corps cavalry regiments.
* [[:Category:British cavalry by regimental precedence]] lists regular cavalry and yeomanry regiments by order of precedence.
* [[:Category:British yeomanry by county]] lists yeomanry regiments alphabetically by county, which is not always the same as regiment name.

==== Sources ====

*{{Cite TLLT|http://www.1914-1918.net/cavalry.htm|The British cavalry regiments of 1914-1918}} lists British regular and special reserve cavalry regiments, with further reading.
*{{Cite TLLT|http://www.1914-1918.net/yeomanry.htm|The British Yeomanry of 1914-1918}} lists British yeomanry regiments (these were the Territorial branch of the cavalry).
*{{Cite TLLT|http://www.1914-1918.net/TF_renumbering_yeomanry.htm|Renumbering of the Territorial Force Yeomanry in 1917}} lists which administrative corps each regiment belonged to.

==== Imperial Camel Corps ====

* [[Imperial Camel Corps]]
* [[Imperial Camel Brigade]]
* [[2nd Battalion Imperial Camel Corps]]

=== Machine Gun Units ===

We now have pages for all British machine gun units that have war diaries. Any that don't have war diaries will need to be added manually.

Most units belonged to [[Machine Gun Corps, UK]], consisting of:

* [[Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), UK]]:
** independent machine gun companies attached to infantry brigades and divisions (1916-18): see [[:Category:British machine gun companies]]
** machine gun battalions attached to divisions (1918): see [[:Category:British machine gun battalions]]
* [[Machine Gun Corps (Cavalry), UK]]
** machine gun squadrons attached to cavalry brigades: see [[:Category:British machine gun squadrons]]
* [[Machine Gun Corps (Motors), UK]], formerly part of [[Royal Field Artillery, UK]] and known as the Motor Machine Gun Service.
** see [[:Category:British motor machine gun batteries]] and [[:Category:British motor machine gun brigades]]
* [[Machine Gun Corps (Heavy), UK]] operated the first tanks and became [[Tank Corps, UK]]
* [[Machine Gun Training Centre, UK]]

The Guards had their own machine gun units which were administratively separate from the Machine Gun Corps:

* machine gun companies:
** [[1st Guards Machine Gun Company, UK]]
** [[2nd Guards Machine Gun Company, UK]]
** [[3rd Guards Machine Gun Company, UK]]
* [[Guards Machine Gun Regiment, UK]] (formerly Machine Gun Guards):
** [[1st Battalion Guards Machine Gun Regiment, UK]]
** [[2nd Battalion Guards Machine Gun Regiment, UK]]
** [[3rd Battalion Guards Machine Gun Regiment, UK]]
** [[4th Battalion Guards Machine Gun Regiment, UK]]

=== Artillery ===

[[Royal Artillery, UK]] was an arm of the British Army, divided into two corps:

* [[Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery, UK]]; divided into two distinct identities:
** [[Royal Horse Artillery, UK]]
** [[Royal Field Artillery, UK]]
* [[Royal Garrison Artillery, UK]]

The basic unit of the Royal Field Artillery was the brigade, which was roughly equivalent to an infantry battalion.

We now have pages for every Royal Horse Artillery unit that has war diaries. These are listed in [[:Category:British horse artillery units]].

=== Cyclists ===

See [[:Category:British cyclist battalions]] and [[:Category:British cyclist companies]] for cyclist units.

Most of these were administratively under [[Army Cyclist Corps, UK]] but there are some exceptions. The following independent units were also classed as infantry regiments:

* [[Highland Cyclist Battalion, UK]]
* [[Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion, UK]]
* [[Kent Cyclist Battalion, UK]]
* [[Northern Cyclist Battalion, UK]]

The Territorial battalions of some county infantry regiments were equipped as cyclists. All of these battalions have pages and are categorised as cyclist battalions as well as infantry battalions.

Some yeomanry cavalry regiments were converted into cyclists. We haven't yet catalogued these changes but all yeomanry regiments have pages.

=== Other regiments, corps and departments ===

This is a list of other regiments, corps and departments of the British Army.

* [[Army Chaplains Department, UK]]
* [[Army Ordnance Corps, UK]]
* [[Army Ordnance Department, UK]]
* [[Army Pay Corps, UK]]
* [[Army Pay Department, UK]]
* [[Army Service Corps, UK]]
* [[Army Veterinary Corps, UK]]
* [[Labour Corps, UK]]
* [[Military Police, UK]] divided into:
** [[Military Foot Police, UK]]
** [[Military Mounted Police, UK]]
* [[Non-Combatant Corps, UK]]
* [[Royal Army Medical Corps, UK]]
* [[Royal Army Ordnance Corps, UK]]
* [[Royal Engineers, UK]]
* [[Tank Corps, UK]]

==== Women's departments ====

* [[Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service]]
* [[Territorial Force Nursing Service]]
* [[Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps]]

==== Officer Cadet Battalions ====

These battalions were set up to train new officers. They all have pages, listed in [[:Category:British officer cadet battalions]].

== Volunteer Training Corps and Volunteer Force ==

Home defence units similar to the Home Guard in WW2. Initially known as the Volunteer Training Corps and not officially recognised by the War Office. In June 1916, the British Crown declared that volunteer units could be accepted under the terms of the 1863 Volunteer Act, which had never been repealed but had not been used in practice since the old Volunteer Force was converted into the Territorial Force in 1908. From then on, volunteer units accepted by the Crown were part of the Volunteer Force and their names were listed in the official Army Orders when they were accepted.<ref>Units started to be recognised on 17 June 1916, {{Cite AO|203|1916}}</ref> Later in the war, probably in 1918, Volunteer battalions were integrated into British Army regiments. We're not yet sure how far they were administratively integrated, but at the very least they took the name and badge of the parent regiment.

For the purposes of data on this site, Volunteer units that were officially accepted by Army Orders will be treated as a branch of the British Army called "Volunteer Force". If we can identify any units that existed in the VTC but were not accepted by the Crown into the VF, they will be classed as a separate service called "Volunteer Training Corps".

We don't have a definitive list of units, but have started building a list of red links below. Please add any regiments or battalions that you know of. Page names will be based on pre-1918 Volunteer regiment names to disambiguate the units from pre-1908 Volunteer battalions. Ideally the canonical names will be taken from Army Orders listing accepted units.

More units are listed in Army Orders 206, 284, 323 and 374 of 1916. Links to these will be added later.

* [[Carnarvonshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[1st Battalion Carnarvonshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[2nd Battalion Carnarvonshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
* [[Cheshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[6th Battalion Cheshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[Bucklow Mounted Corps, UK]]
* [[Dorsetshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
* [[Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[1st Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[2nd Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[3rd Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[4th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[5th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[6th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[7th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[8th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[9th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[10th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[11th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[12th Battalion Durham Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
* [[Forfarshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[1/1st Battalion Forfarshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[2/1st Battalion Forfarshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
* [[Hampshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[1st Battalion Hampshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[2nd Battalion Hampshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[3rd Battalion Hampshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[4th Battalion Hampshire Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
* [[Surrey Volunteer Regiment, UK]]
** [[5th Battalion Surrey Volunteer Regiment, UK]]

For more information see:

* [http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=229702 Great War Forum thread on Volunteer Battalions]
* [https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29910/supplement/815 London Gazette 2910/815] list commissions in a few Volunteer regiments in 1917
* [[Wikipedia:Volunteer Training Corps (World War I)]]

== Royal Navy ==

Branches:

* Regular Navy
* Royal Naval Reserve
* Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

Also included the [[Royal Naval Air Service, UK|Royal Naval Air Service]], which operated aircraft and armoured cars.

=== Royal Navy infantry ===

These infantry units and formations were raised by the Royal Navy but fought on land under Army command.

* [[63rd (Royal Naval) Division, UK]]
* [[1st Royal Naval Brigade, UK]]
* [[188th Infantry Brigade, UK]]
* [[189th Infantry Brigade, UK]]
* [[Anson Battalion, UK]]
* [[Benbow Battalion, UK]]
* [[Collingwood Battalion, UK]]
* [[Drake Battalion, UK]]
* [[Hawke Battalion, UK]]
* [[Hood Battalion, UK]]
* [[Howe Battalion, UK]]
* [[Nelson Battalion, UK]]

== Royal Marines ==

* [[Royal Marine Light Infantry, UK]]
** [[Royal Marine Brigade, UK]]
** [[1st Battalion Royal Marines, UK]]
** [[2nd Battalion Royal Marines, UK]]
** [[Chatham Battalion Royal Marines, UK]]
** [[Deal Battalion Royal Marines, UK]]
** [[Plymouth Battalion Royal Marines, UK]]
** [[Portsmouth Battalion Royal Marines, UK]]
* [[Royal Marine Artillery, UK]]
* [[Royal Marine Engineers, UK]]

RMLI units that were not part of the Royal Naval Division will need to be added manually if any can be identified.

== Royal Air Force ==

Formed in April 1918 from the Royal Flying Corps (part of the Army) and Royal Naval Air Service (part of the Royal Navy).

== Other organisations ==

We need more information about the legal and administrative status of some of these organisations in relation to the British Army.

* [[Voluntary Aid Detachments]] included men's and women's units. Officially recognised by the War Office, but what was its relationship with the Army?
* [[British Red Cross]]
* [[Order of St John]]
* [[Friends Ambulance Unit]]: set up by Quakers and operated with the British Red Cross and Order of St John. [http://fau.quaker.org.uk/ More information]. Was this a recognised Voluntary Aid Detachment or something else?

=== Women's organisations ===

See also [[#Women's departments|women's departments of the British Army]] above.

* [[Women's Hospital Corps]]
* [[Scottish Women's Hospitals]]: not officially recognised by the British War Office but served with other allied nations in several theatres.
* [[The Women's Volunteer Reserve]]
* [[The Women's Legion]]
* [[Almeric Paget Military Massage Corps]]
* [[First Aid Nursing Yeomanry]] (FANY, now the Princess Royal’s Volunteer Corps). Authorised by the British Crown but separate from the Army.
* [[Women's Auxiliary Force]]
* [[Women's Auxiliary Agricultural Corps]]
* [[Women's Forage Corps]]
* [[Women's Forestry Corps]]
* [[Women's Land Army]]

[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:British Army]]
[[Category:British Empire]]

20th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force (AIF)

2017-04-29T13:06:42Z

Mia: /* Personal narratives */ Added link for Albert Biggs

{{Infobox military unit
| country = Australia
| service = Australian Army
| branch = Australian Imperial Force
| type = Infantry
| specific_type = Infantry battalion
| size_at_full_strength = 1,000
| alternate_unit_names = 20th Australian Infantry Battalion
| start_date =
| end_date =
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| parent = 5th Infantry Brigade, Australian Imperial Force (AIF)
| parent_level = {{BritishBrigade}}
| relationship_type = Tactical
}}



== Personal narratives ==


=== Ernest Baker ===

[https://www.awm.gov.au/people/P10675819/#DigitisedCollection ANZAC Connections] links to letters from [https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/7333338 Ernest William Baker] written between 1914 and 1918. Catalogue description and his service record show that he served in:

* D Company, [[1st Battalion, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force]], Private, service number 1038.
* C Company, [[20th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force (AIF)]], started as Private and rose to Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant, service number 1032.

=== Second Lieutenant Cyril Arnold Pryor ===

* [http://www.awm.gov.au/people/P10675768/#collection-items Australian War Memorial - Anzac Connections - collection items]

=== Chaplain 4th Class Keith Stewart Cresswell Single ===

* [http://www.awm.gov.au/people/P10675750/#collection-items Australian War Memorial - Anzac Connections - collection items]

* [[20th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force (AIF)]]
* [[5th Infantry Brigade, Australian Imperial Force (AIF)]]
* [[14th Field Ambulance, Australian Imperial Force (AIF)]]
* [[14th Field Artillery Brigade, Australian Imperial Force (AIF)]]
* [[2nd Training Battalion, Australian Imperial Force (AIF)]]

=== Albert (or Alfred) Biggs ===
Albert's injuries and recovery are discussed in Dr Emily Brayshaw's [http://theconversation.com/stitching-lives-back-together-mens-rehabilitation-embroidery-in-wwi-76326 Stitching lives back together: men’s rehabilitation embroidery in WWI].

== Related media ==


== Official sources ==

=== {{WarDiaryHeading}} ===


*{{War diary AWM|23|37}}

=== Unit histories ===

*[https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51460/ 20th Battalion at the Australian War Memorial]

=== Other official documents ===


== Other sources ==




{{DEFAULTSORT:Australian Imperial Force Battalion 20}}
[[Category:Units with personal narratives]]
[[Category:Australian infantry battalions]]
[[Category:Australian Imperial Force infantry battalions|20]]
[[Category:Australian Imperial Force|Battalion 20]]
[[Category:Australian Army|Battalion 20]]

== References ==

<references />

Category talk:Units with related media

2017-04-14T09:30:09Z

Mia: Thanks, as always!

I've just moved this from "Units with images" so that it does the same sort of thing as [[:Category:Units with personal narratives]]. I originally intended it to just cover pages that have images displayed in them but now I don't think that's a useful distinction.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 00:52, 13 April 2017 (PDT)

: That makes sense to me. I'm sure they'll mostly be images but the new term works well. Thanks! --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 02:30, 14 April 2017 (PDT)

Template talk:Infobox military unit

2017-04-03T18:22:29Z

Mia: /* Citation parameters */ Nice solution for footnotes!

== Countries and branches ==

Some questions/thoughts as a starter for ten: --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:23, 19 November 2014 (PST)

* We'll need a list of country names to ensure consistency e.g. United Kingdom, Britain, Great Britain? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:23, 19 November 2014 (PST)

::"British Army" is always the name of the branch/service, but "United Kingdom" is the best name for the country because it included the whole of Ireland at that time. Data for locations/theatres may need to divide "home" service into Great Britain and Ireland to cater for the Easter Rising.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 12:44, 19 November 2014 (PST)

::: We probably don't actually need the country as the army is really the important differentiator (and the country someone fought with doesn't necessarily match where they are 'from'). If there are no objections I'll take out 'country' --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Country has turned out to be useful because there are some service names that don't make the country explicit (eg Royal Navy or Royal Air Force) and some units were recruited outside the country that the service belonged to (eg Isle of Man and Channel Islands were outside the UK but raised some units for the British Army). --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

* What's the best label for the 'regular/territorial' field? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:23, 19 November 2014 (PST)

::Not sure. Wikipedia sometimes uses "branch" for this but more often for the same thing as you're using branch for. What you're calling branch is called "service" at IWM Lives.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 12:44, 19 November 2014 (PST)
::: Service probably works, which would free 'branch' for regular/territorial. Another option would be 'category'. These overloaded terms are going to make the documentation more important but hopefully I can include labels in the infoboxes to make it easier. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 14:35, 19 November 2014 (PST)
:::: I've tweaked the template to include 'service' vs 'branch', and added 'unit' to record brigade, division, regiment, battalion etc while I was at it. The regular/territorial thing might be a bit messy, especially as it seems to have changed over time (and only applied in the UK anyway) but we'll see how it goes. When it's settled I'll update all the documentation to match --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 14:57, 19 November 2014 (PST)

:::::The distinction between Regular Army, Territorial Force and Special Reserve was stable from 1908 to 1919, although very rarely a unit could change from one to another (the only example I know is from 1913). The US National Guard is more or less analogous to the Territorials.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:16, 21 November 2014 (PST)
:::::: I'm mostly offline for the next few days but I'll try to find out if the same applies to Canada etc, unless you know offhand? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:09, 21 November 2014 (PST)
:::::::I'm not sure if Canada had anything like that, but I'm fairly sure that if it did, it would be a separate service from the CEF and not a subordinate branch. Similarly, Australia may have had some part-time home units that were separate from the AIF.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 12:31, 21 November 2014 (PST)

:::::::: Canada had 'Reserve' and 'Permanent' Force regiments. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:55, 5 December 2014 (PST)

::::::::: The concept that we're describing as 'branch' is much more widespread than we used to think. Most countries have something that needs to be represented in this way. The current list of branches and services is in the documentation for this template. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

=== Qualifying branch names with service names ===

The branch names currently in use (see template documentation for up to date list) are potentially ambiguous because they depend on the value of the country and/or service parameters, eg "Regular Army" could be British or American, "Territorial Force" could be British or New Zealand. I'm thinking about changing the branch names so that they're explicitly qualified with the names of their parent service, eg "Regular Army (British Army)". I think this would make the structured data cleaner, especially when there are multiple values, and would allow wikilinking the value to a page that explains what it is. Not an urgent thing but I'm noting it here so I don't forget. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 09:11, 25 February 2017 (PST)

: I think it's a good idea - thanks! --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 25 February 2017 (PST)

==Types, levels and unusual units==

I see we now have [[No 3 Australian General Hospital‎]]. It should be quite easy to adapt the infobox to deal with this and all sorts of obscure units. A hospital is effectively a unit, it has war diaries and is part of the tactical hierarchy (in this case, its parent would be Lines of Communication, Western Front). The current way of dividing a unit name into type and level is perfectly logical for infantry but doesn't work for hospitals. It also risks confusion where the same level has different names (eg infantry battalion vs cavalry regiment) or the same name can mean different levels (eg infantry regiment vs cavalry regiment).

I suggest keeping the general type (infantry, cavalry, medical, engineering etc) but maybe changing the field name from "type" to something like "role" or "general type". The second field would be more useful and flexible if it was a specific type, eg:

*[[Infantry battalion]]
*General Hospital
*Field Ambulance
*Field Company
*Field Survey Company
*Tunnelling Company
*etc

These can link to pages explaining exactly what each type of unit is/does.
--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:16, 25 November 2014 (PST)

:: 'Type' was always a problematic name (going back to [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-d0Klq8zauOCNucM4F5E0RiivmH012oDfR-wI0bjIdo/edit?usp=sharing Notes towards modelling information about World War One Battalions] so 'role' seems a much better fit to me.

:: Are you suggesting a different name for 'level' - 'specific type' or something - to cope with that wider range of cases? Terms like 'regiment' and 'battalion' already seem so variable (e.g. between different countries, and within countries) that they always require further context to make sense of them. This would also be a perfect time for linking out to established vocabularies to provide exactly the right interpretation of 'regiment'. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 16:40, 3 December 2014 (PST)

:::I'm proposing getting rid of "level" and replacing it with something like "specific type". I think this would be less work to begin with and would be much more flexible and expandable. "Infantry Regiment" would be one specific type, "Cavalry Regiment" would be a different specific type, each linking to a page that explains what it is. The "Infantry Regiment" page would also have to explain that a British infantry regiment is a different thing from a French/German/American infantry regiment.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:29, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Ok, let's try it. I've got some Australian engineering units I want to try so this would be a good test. I've changed it on http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/Template:Infobox_military_unit and http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/Template:Battalion --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:10, 4 December 2014 (PST)

::::: Specific type seems to be working quite well, especially now that the infobox automatically links to the relevant definition page. With the content we've got now it should be more obvious how this works and why it's likely to be useful. The main drawback is that filling in the specific type definition pages is a lot of work and we're a bit behind with it, but that information needs to be somewhere anyway. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Service Names==

For the values of the "service" field, I recommend using the actual name of the service rather than general terms like Army, Navy etc. Strictly speaking, the AIF isn't the Australian Army, and the CEF isn't the Canadian Army. Also it might be necessary to treat some or all of the following as services in their own right: Red Cross, Volunteer Training Corps, military nursing services, other women's services, various voluntary ambulance units.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:16, 25 November 2014 (PST)

:: Does that mean deviating from how it's used on Wikipedia? (Which isn't necessarily a biggie). --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 16:40, 3 December 2014 (PST)

:::Yes, it would deviate from Wikipedia. There are likely to be lots of cases where the needs of a general encyclopedia are different from a more specialised project like this. Wikipedia dodges a lot of the issues I've raised because its coverage isn't very detailed.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:23, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Is there any way to add a controlled vocabulary? Freetext could get messy. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:17, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:::::I suspect enumerated values would need some sort of extension that lets users enter template data through a form. It would be good to control names of countries, services, branches, general roles, theatres of war, realationship types. But specific_type is probably best left open because it needs to be flexible, and populating the enumerated list would be hard.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:34, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:::::: Agreed.--[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

::::::: Some of the things I used to think about service names were wrong but the documentation of this template is up to date. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

== Alternate and variant names ==
Making a note that this is discussed on [[Talk:British battalions and regiments in World War I]] where [[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) suggested:
*full name: the longest form of the name, including full regiment name and any optional words
*short name: the full name shortened according to the same rules as the page title
*any other alternative names

Names are also discussed on [[Template talk:Infobox command structure]] in 'Canonical names for battalions that change regiments?' and 'Unit name changes and restructures'.

My feeling is that stable names (alternate forms, short and long versions) should be in this core infobox, but name changes related to organisational changes (mergers, restructures etc) should be in separate, repeatable infoboxes. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 17:27, 3 December 2014 (PST)

:I think the main infobox will only be able to accommodate names that didn't change. If there were any changes, whether related to organisational changes or not, it will have to refer readers to separate infoboxes. As always, the British are awkward because some unit names didn't change during the war, some changed without any organisational changes, and some changed as a result of organisational changes.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:16, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:: Did nicknames change? ie do they belong in the 'relatively stable names that can go in the main infobox' camp or in the 'temporally-specific repeatable infoboxes' camp? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:17, 4 December 2014 (PST)

I reckon the maximum number of official names a British unit would have in this period is 3 (but I could be wrong: my expectations have been confounded a lot recently). Some Wikipedia infoboxes allow multiple values for the same sort of thing by numbering the parameter names, so you could have:

*name1 =
*name1_start_date =
*name1_end_date =
*name2 =
*name2_start_date =
*name2_end_date =
*name3 =
*name3_start_date =
*name3_end_date =

Maybe start with 4 or 5 to be safe, or just expand it in future if necessary. This would make it possible to keep all the changes of official name in the main infobox and get rid of the need for a separate repeatable infobox for name changes. Are there any drawbacks to doing it that way?

I've gone off the idea of showing standardised short names because they're an awkward halfway house between full names and page names. They might cause more confusion than they help.

As for nicknames, maybe have another parameter in the main infobox called something like alternative_names which could contain free text giving a comma separated list of other names. These could also include alternative official identifiers such as the old numbers of British line infantry regiments or letter codes of record offices. I would avoid calling it "nickname" because that's too narrow and might invite all sorts of obscure and derogatory slang.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 09:25, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:: So it's an 'Other names' infobox? I'd add in a free text line for 'reason for change' for each pair but otherwise that looks good. As long as alternate names (including nicknames) are searchable I can't see a need to include them in separate fields. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

:::I meant it as a possible way of including all names in the main infobox (military_unit). If there's any separate infobox for names it would be better to have a repeatable one for each name. I think people will expect to see at least one name in the main infobox, so keeping them all there would be good if it can be done.

:::Often there isn't a particular reason for name changes: they just decided to change the system of naming certain units without changing anything else.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 08:36, 9 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Ok, I've updated [[Template:Infobox military unit]] ([http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/index.php?title=Template%3AInfobox_military_unit&diff=874&oldid=713 diff]) to include alternate names and allow for up to five official name changes. I suspect we'll run into a few quirks in how this works so the infobox structure or documentation might need tweaking once there's a body of examples of it in use. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:18, 11 December 2014 (PST)

:::::That looks good. I've just thought that provided all the names are together in this infobox, is there a need to duplicate dates? Could you just have unit_name1, unit_namechange_date1, unit_name2 etc? And start of first name and end of last name should coincide with years active. Or is it better to keep it explicit?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:43, 13 December 2014 (PST)

:::::: Thinking ahead to future queries, it's probably better to keep it explicit to make searches for date ranges easier; we also can't assume that anyone editing the records is interested in the names either side so they might not add entries for every name change which would make dependencies tricky.

:::::: I haven't actually finished the infobox template changes but the infoboxes can be used anyway now the overall structure is set. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 05:08, 13 December 2014 (PST)

:::::: Current practice for naming conventions is documented on the pages in [[:Category:Naming conventions]]. Any further discussions on that topic should probably be on the talk page for the relevant country, eg [[Talk:Naming conventions for British units]]. Duplicating dates for name changes was actually a good call because there are some odd cases where a unit was temporarily broken up and later re-formed with a different name, but is conventionally treated as the same unit (I can't remember examples off the top of my head but this definitely happened with at least one British division). I'm not sure why I suggested numbered parameters for unit names as it doesn't seem like a good idea now. If we change to form-based editing in future it would be much more convenient for unit names to be in a repeatable sub-template. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

== Reviewing previously created pages to update data structures ==
For now, this is mostly a note to make that it will have to be done at some point. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:17, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:Most pages should be up to date but there could be a few Canadian or New Zealand units created early on that need checking. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Dates Active==

Will there be cutoff dates for the start and end of the First World War era, or will this reflect the whole existence of a unit? If there are cutoff dates, how to indicate that a unit started before or ended after?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

: My notes on the original 'modelling' doc say 'If no start or end dates, assume it was applicable throughout the war'. It would be best to state it explicitly in the infobox, especially for automated imports. Would 'predates the war' and 'postdates the war' work in those circumstances? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 06:53, 6 December 2014 (PST)

::How are dates formatted? Would it cause problems if a parameter value contained text that isn't part of a date? If not then "before 4/8/1914" and "after 31/12/1919" might be good to start with. These dates might be refined in future.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:17, 6 December 2014 (PST)

::: The original Wikipedia templates seem to cope with text strings or dates (and the underlying code is PHP which should be able to tell the difference). --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

==Size at full strength==

How precise does this need to be?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

: Indicative/approximate only - it's mostly for people new to WWI research or to the organisation of units by a particular country --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 06:12, 6 December 2014 (PST)

==Disbanded==

Does this duplicate end_date?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

: I think it needs to go into 'unit changes', but I haven't sorted out whether one infobox format should deal with organisational changes as well as name changes as they are often, but not always linked. In the interests of not over-thinking things it might be best to have one infobox for 'unit changes' that can record name changes, disbanding, forming, etc --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 06:51, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:: We're now using the 'disbanded' field for a free text description of where and how the unit was disbanded. There's a similar one for 'created'. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Automatic wikilinks==

It might be useful if the template automatically turns the values of these parameters into wikilinks:

*country
*service
*type
*specific_type
--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:: I'll do it with the others (assuming I have time before the end of the week/my fellowship here) --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:22, 8 December 2014 (PST)

:::Doesn't matter when, as long as I know not to put link markup in myself. (That goes for anywhere else I've suggested this too.)--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 08:29, 9 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Some of this is now done. Some fields need multiple values, which is harder to do now the infoboxes aren't using Lua, but array maps would do it if we start using forms for editing. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

== Suggested list of types ==

This is a suggested list of values for the "type" field:

* Administration [for record offices and similar; could also cover Pay Corps]
* Air [planes, airships, balloons]
* Armoured [tanks and armoured cars]
* Artillery [including trench mortars]
* Cyclists [currently classed as mounted but might be better as their own thing]
* Engineering [anything involving construction, demolition or repairs]
* Formation [for division level and above because they contain diverse unit types even if nominally infantry or cavalry]
* Infantry
* Logistics [anything involving procuring or issuing supplies, or operating transport]
* Machine guns
* Medical [including nursing, dental and sanitary services, but not veterinary]
* Mounted [can cover cavalry, mounted infantry and camel troops]
* Police [for military or colonial police units]
* Ship
* Signals
* Training [currently used for officer cadet battalions]
* Veterinary

Not sure what to do with units that released gas from cylinders. Having a separate type for chemical weapons is awkward because lots of gas was delivered by artillery shells.

Anything else missing?
--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:50, 12 June 2015 (PDT)

== Citation parameters ==

We're already testing a citation parameter to automatically generate ref tags for the command structure infobox - see [[Template talk:Infobox command structure#Parameter for citation?]]. That uses one parameter to generate one footnote to cover the whole infobox, but this infobox is more complicated. It contains too much data for one footnote to be adequate as it wouldn't be clear which source relates to which fact, but a separate footnote for each parameter might be overkill and too much repetition. I'm thinking we could group facts together to be covered by a parameter-generated footnote. Maybe:

* one covering all of country, service, branch, type, specific_type and size
* one for start date and created
* one for end date and disbanded
* one for each official name, also including that name's start and end dates and reason for change
* one for all alternate names

--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:38, 22 January 2017 (PST)

: It seems like the same sources are used for many statements, so grouping them together makes sense. If a particular statement is complicated then it could be discussed in the body of the article, with additional footnotes added to those sentences as on Wikipedia articles. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:20, 30 January 2017 (PST)

: By the way, I haven't commented on individual suggestions you've made over January 2017 but they all broadly seem like positive steps - thank you! --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:20, 30 January 2017 (PST)

There's now a demo of what I suggested above using {{tl|infobox military unit2}} and [[1/5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, UK]]. It seems to work but I'm not sure about the best place to put the footnote that covers all of country, service, branch, type etc. so it's obvious that it refers to all of those but nothing else. Maybe a third column spanning all those rows would be better than in its own row as it is now. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 11:17, 19 February 2017 (PST)

: Does HTML still have colspan for tables? A row underneath each grouping would allow more specific labels than 'Sources for above' (e.g. Sources for overview, sources for start dates). Ideally it'd be in slightly less prominent type so it doesn't break up the table too much, but is there for people who like the reassurance of sources. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 02:33, 20 February 2017 (PST)

:: Wikitables can use CSS properties for rowspan and colspan - there's an example in the current version of the infobox where it says "For more information on what infobox fields mean". Next time I have enough spare time I'll try to demo two versions: one with footnotes in rows underneath and one with them in a column on the right, then we can compare them directly. Do you have any suggestions for how to make the type less prominent without causing problems for visually impaired readers? --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 09:06, 25 February 2017 (PST)

::: That's a good question! It shouldn't affect screenreaders (assuming they're better at tables than they used to be), and others may have their text size increased so smaller text should still be legible, which may be a reason to use a smaller size rather than a slightly lighter colour? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:24, 25 February 2017 (PST)

:::: I've now done this with {{tl|infobox military unit2}}, [[User:GavinRobinson/Test unit]] and [[1/5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, UK]]. It seems to work well but the text size might need some adjustment. If there are no problems with having the citations in rows underneath I probably won't bother trying the alternative I suggested with another column on the right as I now think it would be harder to implement and understand. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 11:44, 2 April 2017 (PDT)

::::: Thanks for that! The font is a little small but otherwise I think it works well. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:22, 3 April 2017 (PDT)

== Tracking progress ==

We need better ways of representing how complete, accurate and well-referenced the data on a unit page is as this would help us to know how far the project has progressed, make it easier for volunteers to understand what needs doing, and provide better documentation for people who want to reuse the data. There are currently some templates and categories that do some of this, but not very well and they don't cover everything (eg {{tl|wo95import}} or [[:Category:British units needing name checks]]).

I'm thinking maybe we could add some extra parameters to this infobox that would have Yes/No values to indicate whether facts are complete, accurate and cite reliable sources. The template could also use these values to assign categories similar to [[:Category:Units with personal narratives|Units with personal narratives]] and [[:Category:Units needing personal narratives|Units needing personal narratives]].

They could be grouped something like this:

* one covering all of country, service, branch, type, specific_type and size
* one for start date, created, start date of first name, start date of first relationship
* one for end date, disbanded, end date of last name, end date of last relationship
* one for all name changes, including dates and reason for change
* one for all command relationships except start of the first and end of the last
* one for all theatres of war (except maybe start of the first and end of the last if they coincide with creation or disbanding)

This is slightly different from the grouping for footnotes but they're designed to do different things. The first of everything seems to go together because units will often have the same date and source for creation, first name and first command relationship.

I'm not sure how to display the data from these new fields in the infobox clearly. Any suggestions?

Is the list above too many extra parameters and too much detail? Could we get away with just one for the main infobox, one for all relationships and one for all theatres? Or would that be not enough detail? --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:38, 22 January 2017 (PST)

: Good questions! It depends how they're to be used, and how easy it is to spot where additional information is needed beyond the basics for dates, relationships and theatres. In other words, would much be lost between 'units with command relationships' and 'units without command relationships'? Even if it was, if there was always a call to add more detail where necessary, that might be if the purpose is to show where information is needed. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:26, 30 January 2017 (PST)

:: I can think of four use cases with slightly different needs:

# For us to track the overall progress of the project and target efforts to improve the structured data.
# For people researching a soldier or unit, who need to know how far they can trust the information that they read on the page.
# For people who want to re-use large batches of structured data, who might use programs to automatically generate statistics about accuracy and completeness.
# For new volunteers who want to help improve the structured data and so need to know what needs doing.

:: Categories would probably be easiest for 1, and might have some use for 4. Displaying data visually in infoboxes is best for 2. 3 should only need the parameters to exist and be documented, even if the data isn't displayed in the wiki. I think it's likely that 4 will be mostly interested in specific units that they've already researched and so will be able to tell by looking at the existing data what needs improving. There may or may not be a smaller subset of 4 who are willing to improve batches of pages by adding certain facts and references from standard reference books (eg order of battle or army list), and they might benefit from categories. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 01:43, 19 February 2017 (PST)

MediaWiki talk:Sidebar

2017-04-03T18:18:30Z

Mia: The mysterious disappearing logo

I've just noticed something strange: when I view the wiki while logged-in with Firefox, the logo in the top left corner is the Wikipedia logo, but when I view with Chromium, not logged in, it correctly displays the image of a man on horseback. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 11:48, 2 April 2017 (PDT)

: That is odd! I see the man on horseback whether I'm logged in or not on Firefox. And this is happening on the exact same page? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:18, 3 April 2017 (PDT)

File:PAColl-7171-57.jpg

2017-03-25T19:05:07Z

Mia: Expanded URL to https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22749000

Supplied captions:
Peter Buck, and other World War 1, Pioneer Battalion soldiers, digging a trench in Malta. New Zealand Free Lance : Photographic prints and negatives. Ref: PAColl-7171-57. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22749000

Peter Buck (centre, with hat), and other World War 1 soldiers, Captain Roger Dansey (in front), Captain Hiroti and Lieutenant Tikao (both on right), digging a trench in Malta in 1915. Photographer unidentified.

New Zealand (Māori) Pioneer Battalion

2017-03-25T19:04:33Z

Mia: /* Related media */ Added other supplied caption to identify three other soldiers

{{Infobox military unit
| country = New Zealand
| service = New Zealand Army
| branch = New Zealand Expeditionary Force
| type = Infantry
| specific_type =
| size_at_full_strength =
| start_date =
| created =
| unit_name1 =
| unit_name1_start_date =
| unit_name1_end_date =
| unit_name1_reason_for_change =
| unit_name2 =
| unit_name2_start_date =
| unit_name2_end_date =
| unit_name2_reason_for_change =
| alternate_unit_names = Māori Contingent
| end_date =
| disbanded =
}}



== Personal narratives ==


=== Sir Peter Buck ===
''With the Maori Contingent - Egypt'', 1915. Transcription and handwritten report describing the contingent's experiences in Egypt including a protest by the contingent being posted to garrison duty instead of being sent to the front. <ref name="Buck">[https://tiaki.natlib.govt.nz/#details=ecatalogue.305897 Sir Peter Buck - Documents of biographical interest], Alexander Turnbull Library (MS-Papers-0196-340A).</ref>

== Related media ==

[[File:PAColl-7171-57.jpg|thumbnail|Peter Buck, and other World War 1, Pioneer Battalion soldiers, digging a trench in Malta. New Zealand Free Lance : Photographic prints and negatives. Ref: PAColl-7171-57. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22749000

Peter Buck (centre, with hat), and other World War 1 soldiers, Captain Roger Dansey (in front), Captain Hiroti and Lieutenant Tikao (both on right), digging a trench in Malta in 1915. Photographer unidentified.]]

== Official Sources ==

=== {{War diary heading}} ===


{{War diary needed}}

=== Unit histories ===

=== Other official documents ===


== Other sources ==
* [https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/maori-units-nzef Māori in the NZEF]



[[Category:Units needing personal narratives]]

== References ==

<references />

File:PAColl-7171-57.jpg

2017-03-25T19:04:03Z

Mia: Added the other supplied caption

Supplied captions:
Peter Buck, and other World War 1, Pioneer Battalion soldiers, digging a trench in Malta. New Zealand Free Lance : Photographic prints and negatives. Ref: PAColl-7171-57. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22749000

Peter Buck (centre, with hat), and other World War 1 soldiers, Captain Roger Dansey (in front), Captain Hiroti and Lieutenant Tikao (both on right), digging a trench in Malta in 1915. Photographer unidentified.

New Zealand (Māori) Pioneer Battalion

2017-03-25T19:02:55Z

Mia: /* Related media */ Added https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22749000

{{Infobox military unit
| country = New Zealand
| service = New Zealand Army
| branch = New Zealand Expeditionary Force
| type = Infantry
| specific_type =
| size_at_full_strength =
| start_date =
| created =
| unit_name1 =
| unit_name1_start_date =
| unit_name1_end_date =
| unit_name1_reason_for_change =
| unit_name2 =
| unit_name2_start_date =
| unit_name2_end_date =
| unit_name2_reason_for_change =
| alternate_unit_names = Māori Contingent
| end_date =
| disbanded =
}}



== Personal narratives ==


=== Sir Peter Buck ===
''With the Maori Contingent - Egypt'', 1915. Transcription and handwritten report describing the contingent's experiences in Egypt including a protest by the contingent being posted to garrison duty instead of being sent to the front. <ref name="Buck">[https://tiaki.natlib.govt.nz/#details=ecatalogue.305897 Sir Peter Buck - Documents of biographical interest], Alexander Turnbull Library (MS-Papers-0196-340A).</ref>

== Related media ==

[[File:PAColl-7171-57.jpg|thumbnail|Peter Buck, and other World War 1, Pioneer Battalion soldiers, digging a trench in Malta. New Zealand Free Lance : Photographic prints and negatives. Ref: PAColl-7171-57. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22749000]]

== Official Sources ==

=== {{War diary heading}} ===


{{War diary needed}}

=== Unit histories ===

=== Other official documents ===


== Other sources ==
* [https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/maori-units-nzef Māori in the NZEF]



[[Category:Units needing personal narratives]]

== References ==

<references />

File:PAColl-7171-57.jpg

2017-03-25T19:00:43Z

Mia: Peter Buck, and other World War 1, Pioneer Battalion soldiers, digging a trench in Malta. New Zealand Free Lance : Photographic prints and negatives. Ref: PAColl-7171-57. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22749000

Peter Buck, and other World War 1, Pioneer Battalion soldiers, digging a trench in Malta. New Zealand Free Lance : Photographic prints and negatives. Ref: PAColl-7171-57. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22749000

302nd Machine Gun Battalion, US

2017-03-25T17:28:17Z

Mia: Minor format changes and moved contributed text into a different section

{{Infobox military unit
| country = United States
| service = US Army
| branch = National Army
| type = Machine gun
| specific_type = Machine gun battalion
| size_at_full_strength = 750
| start_date =
| unit_name1 = 302nd Machine Gun Battalion
| unit_name1_start_date =
| unit_name1_end_date =
| unit_name1_reason_for_change =
| alternate_unit_names =
| end_date =
| disbanded =
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| parent = 151st Infantry Brigade, US
| parent_level = Brigade
| relationship_type = Tactical and Administrative
}}



== Personal narratives ==


The following text was added by a visitor. It has been formatted but sources have not been verified:

==== New Haven’s Forgotten Policeman: Officer John Thomas Lee ====
John T. Lee was born in New Haven on April 3, 1891. On July 5, 1916 he was appointed as a supernumerary with the New Haven Police Department, New Haven, Connecticut. He was assigned to probation on December 15, 1916 as a regular officer. On June 15, 1917 he was promoted to Grade E and on December 15, 1917 to Grade D. He was assigned to the Dixwell Avenue Police Precinct # 4 located on Dixwell Avenue at Eaton Street.

On March 26, 1918 Officer Lee requested a leave of absence to join the military to fight in World War I. A leave of absence from employment or duty with intention to return during which time remuneration and seniority may or may not be suspended.

John T. Lee saw combat in France while he was assigned to 302d Machine Gun Battalion. While with this unit he was promoted to the position of chief gunner.
On November 14, 1918, John T. Lee’s family was notified that he had been killed in France on October 26, 1918. At the time of his death he was survived by his father, Patrick, five sisters and four brothers, one who served with the 96 Aero Squadron. The family resided at 105 Poplar Street, New Haven.

Sources:
New Haven Police Records, card file 409
Service Records, Conn. Roster 1917-1920 Vol. II 940.41 TC V-2 New Haven Public Library.
New Haven Evening Register, November 14, 1918, New Haven Public Library.

Anthony Griego 2007©

== Related media ==


== Official sources ==

=== {{War diary heading}} ===


{{War diary needed}}

=== Unit histories ===

=== Other official documents ===


== Other sources ==




{{DEFAULTSORT:Machine Gun Battalion 302}}
[[Category:Units needing personal narratives]]
[[Category:All US Army units]]
[[Category:US machine gun battalions]]

== References ==

<references />

User talk:VLeachman

2017-03-18T00:22:44Z

Mia: Thanks!

Hello! I'm loving your work on the NZ force and related units. It's so exciting to see links emerge between named people and different diaries. I wonder if we need an index of people mentioned in documents to reinforce those links?

:: Please let us know if any templates or infoboxes needed to be updated to support information specific to NZ units. I've put some links at [[Talk:New_Zealand_units_in_World_War_I]] --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 05:45, 5 September 2015 (PDT)

Thanks for adding the cyclists! --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 12:56, 25 December 2016 (PST)

Thanks for the Arawa links! --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 17:22, 17 March 2017 (PDT)

Middlesex Regiment, British Army

2017-03-18T00:21:30Z

Mia: /* William James Clachan */ Added link to Arawa

{{wo95import}}


{{Infobox military unit
| country = United Kingdom
| service = British Army
| type = Infantry
| specific_type = Infantry regiment (administrative)
| unit_name1 = Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment)
| unit_name1_start_date = unknown
| unit_name1_end_date = unknown
| start_date = unknown
| end_date = unknown
| alternate_unit_names = 57th Foot, Duke of Cambridge's Own
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| parent = Hounslow Infantry Record Office, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 1st Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 2nd Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 3rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 4th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 5th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 6th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 1/7th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 2/7th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 3/7th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 4/7th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 1/8th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 2/8th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 3/8th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 4/8th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 1/9th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 2/9th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 3/9th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 1/10th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 2/10th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 3/10th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 4/10th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 11th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 12th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 13th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 14th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 15th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 16th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 17th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 18th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 19th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 20th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 21st Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 22nd Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 23rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 24th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 25th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 26th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 27th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 28th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 29th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 30th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 31st Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 32nd Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 33rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 34th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 51st Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 52nd Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 53rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date = unknown
| command_end_date = unknown
| subordinate = 1st Garrison Battalion Middlesex Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}

== Regimental Museums and Archives ==



== Personal narratives ==

=== William James Clachan ===
Captain and also attached 1st King's African Rifles.

[http://tapuhi.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/spydus/NAV/GLOBAL/OPHDR/1/18882 Diary], September 1914 - May 1915, by [http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C137781 Captain William James Clachan (Service No To be confirmed)], Alexander Turnbull Library (MS-0508)

Includes military training in Wellington, New Zealand and transportation on the [[Arawa]] to Alexandria with the NZ Expeditionary Force. Transfer to 5th Battalion Middlesex Regiment for guard duty in England, and to the 4th Battalion Middlesex Regiment for trench warfare in France and Belgium.

[http://natlib.govt.nz/records/23063502 Photograph Album of Middlesex Regiment in Belgium], 1914-1915, photographed by [http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C137781 Captain William James Clachan (Service Nos BR 37/1638, NZEF 10/316)], Alexander Turnbull Library (PA1-o-095)

[http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22523863 Photograph Album of Middlesex Regiment in Belgium and France including time in England recuperating from injury], 1915-1916, photographed by [http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C137781 Captain William James Clachan (Service Nos BR 37/1638, NZEF 10/316)], Alexander Turnbull Library (PA1-o-096)

== Related media ==


== Official sources ==

=== {{WarDiaryHeading}} ===


{{War diary none admin}}

=== Unit histories ===

*{{Cite James|pages = 92-94}}

=== Other official documents ===


==== Medal rolls ====

Campaign medal rolls at the UK National Archives.

{| class="wikitable"
!Medal
!Officers
!Other ranks
|-
|1914 Star
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247101 WO 329/2510]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7246950 WO 329/2467], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437686 WO 329/2468]
|-
|1914-15 Star
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247500 WO 329/2951]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437984 WO 329/2766], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437985 WO 329/2767], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437986 WO 329/2768], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437987 WO 329/2769]
|-
|British War and Victory medals
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437457 WO 329/2239], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437458 WO 329/2240]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436707 WO 329/1489], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436708 WO 329/1490], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436709 WO 329/1491], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436710 WO 329/1492], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436711 WO 329/1493], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436712 WO 329/1494], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436713 WO 329/1495], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436714 WO 329/1496], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436715 WO 329/1497], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436716 WO 329/1498], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436717 WO 329/1499], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436718 WO 329/1500], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436719 WO 329/1501], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436720 WO 329/1502], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436721 WO 329/1503], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436722 WO 329/1504], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436723 WO 329/1505], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436724 WO 329/1506], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436725 WO 329/1507], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436726 WO 329/1508], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436727 WO 329/1509], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436728 WO 329/1510], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436729 WO 329/1511], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436730 WO 329/1512], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436731 WO 329/1513], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436732 WO 329/1514], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436733 WO 329/1515], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4436734 WO 329/1516]
|-
|Territorial Force War Medal
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247945 WO 329/3272]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247762 WO 329/3266]
|}

== Other sources ==


*{{Cite TLLT|http://www.1914-1918.net/msex.htm|The Middlesex Regiment in 1914-1918}}



{{DEFAULTSORT:Middlesex Regiment}}
[[Category:British infantry regiments]]
[[Category:English infantry regiments]]
[[Category:All British Army units]]
[[Category:Home Counties territorial region]]
[[Category:British Army infantry regiments by precedence|057]]
[[Category:Units needing personal narratives]]

== References ==

<references />

{{DiscoveryData}}

Lists of personal diaries, letters, memoirs

2017-03-09T18:45:44Z

Mia: /* Australian personal narratives */ Added Queensland link

The letters, diaries, memoirs etc listed below could be linked to specific military units, but each name needs to be researched to find out exactly which unit they were in at the time. '''Can you help? Pick a name or document below, and try to find their military records to show which battalion they were in.'''

Here are some resources on [[researching World War One records]] to get you started.

== Individual items ==
These names need to be matched to individual units so they can be added to its page. '''If you can find out which units these people were in, and [https://mia2.typeform.com/to/dkhC4B send in your links] to have them added to the wiki.''' If you're working on someone's record, you can also edit the wiki to add a note saying so. Remove the name below once it's been added to a regiment or battalion page.

* Matron Margaret Gray [http://www.awm.gov.au/people/P3583/#collection-items Australian War Memorial - Anzac Connections - collection items]
** [[British Red Cross Hospital, Rouen]]

* Petty Officer Hans Heinz Harmes-Emden [http://www.awm.gov.au/people/P3818/#collection-items Australian War Memorial - Anzac Connections - collection items]
** German navy: SMS Emden (1908)

* Private David Watson Izatt [http://www.awm.gov.au/people/P10675843/#collection-items Australian War Memorial - Anzac Connections - collection items]
** 10 Casualty Clearing Station (British?)
** 15 Casualty Clearing Station (British?)
** [[No 2 Australian General Hospital]]
** [[No 1 Casualty Clearing Station, Australian Imperial Force (AIF)]]

* Sergeant John Robert Cowan Kelly [http://www.awm.gov.au/people/P10677284/#collection-items Australian War Memorial - Anzac Connections - collection items]
** [[30th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force (AIF)]]
** [[Elope Force]] in Russia

* Major Percy Lay [http://www.awm.gov.au/people/P10675871/#collection-items Australian War Memorial - Anzac Connections - collection items]
** [[8th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force (AIF)]]
** [[Dunster Force]] in Persia

* Matron Mary McLean Loughron [http://www.awm.gov.au/people/P10675771/#collection-items Australian War Memorial - Anzac Connections - collection items]
** Red Cross
** [[Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service]] Reserve
** 2 Stationary Hospital Annexe (which country?)

* [http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections/sassoon Siegfried Sassoon's journals] are online at Cambridge Digital Library (but note that his ''Memoirs of an Infantry Officer'' is a fictionalised novel, not his memoirs). Sassoon served in the following units but we still need to know if he served in other units later in the war:
** [[1/1st Sussex Yeomanry, UK]]
** [[3rd Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, UK]]
** [[1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, UK]]

* Margaret Hall, American Red Cross. [https://www.masshist.org/photographs/hall/index.php Photos and narrative at Massachusetts Historical Society].

* [https://archive.org/details/twocoloredwomenw00addi Two Colored women with the American Expeditionary Forces by Addie W. Hunton and Kathryn M. Johnson] is a fascinating account of the YMCA's work and includes photos of named individuals as well as mentions of specific military units.

* Bodleian Library, Oxford, [http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwmss/wmss/online/blcas/kings-african-rifles.html MSS. Afr. s. 1715] (168A) (Box 10): papers of Brigadier M.S. Lush, who served in the Sudan Political Service, 1914-1945.

* Bodleian Library, Oxford, [http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwmss/wmss/online/blcas/kings-african-rifles.html MSS. Afr. s. 1715] (103) (Box 5): papers of Sir Angus Gillan, who served in the Sudan Political Service and took part in the Darfur campaign in 1916.

* [https://archive.org/details/gogetem00will Go, get 'em! The true adventures of an American aviator of the Lafayette flying corps who was the only Yankee flyer fighting over General Pershing's boys of the Rainbow division in Lorraine, when they first went "over the top" by William A. Wellman]

* [https://archive.org/details/whenchenalsingsm00wyth When Chenal sings the Marseillaise : With the honors of war : Sister Julie by Wythe Williams]

* John Terraine (ed.), ''General Jack's Diary'' ISBN 978-0304353200 ([http://www.amazon.co.uk/General-1914-18-Cassell-Military-Paperbacks/dp/0304353205/ Amazon link]). What is Jack's full name and which units did he serve with?

* [http://www.masshist.org/features/saltonstall/nora-saltonstall Letters and photos of Nora Saltonstall] (American Red Cross)

* [http://lettersfromww1.blogspot.com Letters home from Private Edward Ray Jackson] (Canadian)

* [http://haroldskillingslettersfromww1.blogspot.com Harold Skilling's Letters From World War One]
** Canadian Expeditionary Force
** Royal Flying Corps

* [http://morelettersfromww1.blogspot.com Lieutenant William Milton Skilling]
** Canadian Expeditionary Force
** [[Royal Artillery, UK]]
** [[53rd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment, UK]]

* Louis Barthas (ed. Edward M. Strauss), ''Poilu: The World War I Notebooks of Louis Barthas, Barrelmaker, 1914-1918'' (Yale University Press, 2014, ISBN 978-0300191592) is a translation of the diaries of French soldier Louis Barthas. Which unit was he in?

* The [http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/ Your Paintings site] has artworks including Ellis Silas [http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/the-last-roll-call-6236 The Last Roll Call] that could be linked to specific units through their artists.

* [http://www.anzaclive.com.au/ Anzac Live] has 'interactive' posts based on letters and diaries from various men and women.

* [http://gallipoli.rte.ie/people/eye-witnesses Eyewitness accounts from Irish soldiers and nurses involved with the Gallipoli campaign] from Ireland's National Public Service Broadcaster, RTÉ.

* [http://ww1journeys.org/paul-thuns/ Paul Thuns' War-Diary 1914-1918] (served in German army)

* [https://medium.com/@ri_science/letters-to-gwendoline-one-gallipoli-story-told-through-letters-home-9a3f434ec82e Letters to Gwendoline: One story of Gallipoli told through letters home in memory of Anzac Day] (58th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery)

* [http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/Object/397412 New Zealand's Roll of Honour 1915 The Auckland Weekly News Illustrated List] with the names and photos of 'New Zealand Officers and Men killed or wounded in action in Turkey, The Dardanelles & Gallipoli in 1915'

* Items digitised by Te Papa include the [http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/Object/1366687 Photograph album of Major J.M. Rose, 1st NZEF] - which units are depicted in his photographs?

* India and the Great War has some [http://indiaww1.in/memory.aspx Stories and Memories] that might provide some clues

* There are lots of references to individual soldiers and Indian Army units mentioned in [http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Sikhs_in_World_War_1 Sikhs in World War 1 on SihkiWiki] - can you find sources for them and link them to the appropriate [[Indian units in World War I|Indian unit]]?

* There's a stash of [http://hdl.handle.net/10462/comp/2948 fantastic photos in The "Cambrian" Album] from the [http://hdl.handle.net/10462/eadarc/5855 OM77-14 2nd Light Horse Association Records 1914-1920] at the State Library of Queensland. The album includes photos from other units - can you help by adding images and links to unit pages?

* [https://www.archive.org/stream/englishwomanserg00sanduoft/englishwomanserg00sanduoft_djvu.txt An English Woman-Sergeant in the Serbian Army] by [[Wikipedia:Flora_Sandes|Flora Sandes]], 'the only British woman officially to serve as a soldier in World War I'.

* The [https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/PR88/165/ letters] of [[Wikipedia:Pearl_Corkhill|Sister Pearl Elizabeth Corkhill, AANS]] could shed light on many locations.

* FIELD HOSPITAL & FLYING COLUMN. Being the Journal of an English Nursing Sister in Belgium & Russia by Violetta Thurstan.

* Which unit was Charlie, who wrote [http://www.peoplescollectionwales.co.uk/discover/query/Blanche%20Woonton these postcards to Blanche N Wooton], in?

* Where was [http://www.peoplescollectionwales.co.uk/discover/query/ww1%20letter%20Llewelyn%20Williams Llewelyn Williams] based?

* [http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/10107/pg10107.html With British Guns in Italy, by Hugh Dalton]

* [http://justafewlines.net/ Francis Leo O'Meara and Patrick Julian O'Meara] Australian Imperial force: which units?

* [http://www.arthursletters.com Arthur Dease]: French Red Cross

* [http://www.worldwar1luton.com/object/william-owen-war-diary-1916-1917 William Owen War Diary 1916-1917]
** driver in the Royal Field Artillery: which unit?

* [//www.awm.gov.au/collection/PR03431/ Bayley, Francis Wilton (Private), 1896-1974]: Imperial Camel Corps

* [http://www.first-world-war.co.uk/index.htm Thomas Fredrick (Fred) Littler]
**[[1/5th Battalion Cheshire Regiment, UK]]
**Royal Engineers: which unit?

* [http://www.familyletters.co.uk/ Richard, Jim, Ted, Paul, Topher Berryman]. Imperial War Museum catalogue entries for [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030021700 Ted] and [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030020614 Paul] give more details.
**Richard: [[Indian Medical Service]], various hospitals and attached to [[20th Horse, Indian]] (done)
**James: Middlesex Regiment (which battalion?); Royal Fusiliers Public Schools Battalion (which one?)
**Christopher: Middlesex Regiment (which battalion?); Army Service Corps (which unit?)
**Edward: [[2nd Battalion 39th Garhwal Rifles, Indian]] (done)
**Paul: Royal Navy, [[HMS Gloucester]] and [[HMS Malaya]]

* [http://wellcomelibrary.org/player/b19604592#?asi=0&ai=5&z=-0.0083%2C-0.1056%2C0.944%2C1.0838 War diary kept by Captain Neil Cantlie, RAMC, with the 6th Division at the Battle of the Somme, Sept - Oct 1916]
**[[Divisional Medical Services, 6th Division, UK]]

* Ely, Dinsmore, 1894-1918. '[https://archive.org/details/dinsmoreelyonewh00elyd Diary letters of Dinsmore Ely], edited by his father, Dr. James O. Ely'. Library of Congress via Internet Archive. American pilot.

* [http://www.trentu.ca/admin/library/archives/ffowldswelcome.htm Nursing Sister Helen L. Fowlds]

* [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030019021 Private Papers of Lieutenant L H Riddell]
** pilot in Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force
** prisoner of war in Germany

* [http://dh.tcd.ie/letters1916/diyhistory/items/show/1791 Letter from John Adams to his mother Mary Adams, 13 May 1916]

* [http://dh.tcd.ie/letters1916/diyhistory/items/show/1671 Letter from Charles Hezlet to his mother, 26 September 1916]
**Commander of 33rd Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery

* [http://tapuhi.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/spydus/FULL/GLOBAL/OPHDR/551/2732,4 Letter from Joseph Vivian Wilson to Dr D E Currie, 13 June 1917]

*DeWitt C. Ellinwood Jr. (ed.), ''Between Two Worlds: A Rajput Officer in the Indian Army, 1905–21. Based on the Diary of Amar Singh of Jaipur'' (University Press of America, 2005, ISBN 0-7618-3113-4). Which unit did Amar Singh serve in?

== Collections of items ==

* The [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search Imperial War Museum catalogue] has details of personal papers, sound recordings, films and objects from the United Kingdom and former British Empire. Sound recordings include interviews with people who experienced the First World War. Many of these interviews can be heard on the site free of charge and reused for non-commercial purposes. The catalogue is searchable and is also indexed by unit.
* c 3000 videos from WWI at [http://www.europeanfilmgateway.eu/node/33/efg1914/multilingual:1/showOnly:video European Film Gateway's EFG1914 project]
* A list of [http://dh.tcd.ie/letters1916/diyhistory/collections/show/18 letters about the First World War on The Letters of 1916 project site]. You can also help transcribe letters at their site.

* A list of memoirs and diaries at [http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/index.htm firstworldwar.com]

* Some [http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/great-war-people/diaries.html diaries listed on the Western Front Association site]

* A massive list of [http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Diaries,_Memorials,_Personal_Reminiscences 'Diaries, Memorials, Personal Reminiscences'] compiled by volunteers of the World War I Military History List (WWI-L). '''Pick a name, find out which unit they were with, and add them to the battalion/regiment page!'''

* [http://search.wellcomelibrary.org/iii/encore/search?formids=target&lang=eng&suite=def&reservedids=lang%2Csuite&submitmode=&submitname=&target=digramc&submit=Search Digitised Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) papers from the Wellcome Library]
: From their blog post '[http://blog.wellcomelibrary.org/2014/06/rediscovering-the-great-war/ (Re)Discovering the Great War]', 'The Wellcome Library has digitized over 130,000 pages of correspondence, personal and field diaries and reports, photographs and memoirs associated with the allied medical services during World War I. Drawn from material presented to the Royal Army Medical Corps Museum and Archive (now the Army Medical Services Museum Trust), the collection covers virtually every sphere of operations including the Balkan Front, the Dardanelles, East Africa, India, Italy, Malta, Mesopotamia and the Middle East, Russia, and South West Africa, as well as the Western and British Home fronts.'

* The Great War Archive contains [http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/db/results.php?CISOBOX1=memoir&CISOFIELD1=objecb&CISOOP1=exact&CISOROOT=%2Fgwa memoirs], [http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/db/results.php?CISOBOX1=letter&CISOFIELD1=objecb&CISOOP1=exact&CISOROOT=%2Fgwa letters] and [http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/db/results.php?CISOBOX1=diary&CISOFIELD1=objecb&CISOOP1=exact&CISOROOT=%2Fgwa diaries], each of which could be linked to an Allied battalion or regiment.

* An archive of transcribed war diary (Kriegstagebuch), letters and blogs includes a list of diaries from [http://www.war-diary.com/ Weltkrieg / The Great War]

* [http://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/ The Wartime Memories Project - The Great War 1914-1918 The Allied Army] contains many personal accounts, mostly second-hand stories related by family members.

* [http://library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-liddle-collection The Liddle Collection], Leeds University Library. Includes personal papers of over 4,000 people who experienced the First World War, and over 750 sound recordings and transcripts of interviews about experiences of the First World War.

* [http://www.kingscollections.org/catalogues/lhcma Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London] hold personal papers of senior British personnel.

* [http://transcribe.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/collections/show/2 Transcribe project at the Royal British Columbia Museum] is a crowdsourced project to transcribe letters and diaries from their archives. The First World War collection includes narratives relating to several Canadian and British units.

* Sharon Ouditt, ''Women Writers of the First World War: An Annotated Bibliography'' (Routledge, 2014). ISBN 978-0415755498. Includes personal narratives of war experiences, and guides to archive collections.

=== Australian personal narratives ===
The Australian War Memorial's [http://www.awm.gov.au/people/profiles/#ANZACConnections Anzac Connections lists 188 (at the time of writing) 'Biographies including private records and diaries']

The State Library of NSW has a [http://ww1.sl.nsw.gov.au/explore/179/ collection of WWI diaries] and [http://ww1.sl.nsw.gov.au/explore/180 letters] online. Can you link the authors to their [[Australian battalions in World War I|battalion page]]?

The [http://diggersdiaries.org/ SLNSW diaries have been analysed and visualised] by Jaume Nualart Vilaplana as part of his PhD. You can explore them via the [http://diggersdiaries.org/reader.html topics Personal, War, Military life, Travelling and The accidental tourist].

A user list of [http://trove.nla.gov.au/list?id=36319 Great War diaries, letters, reminiscences] on Trove (not all diaries may be available online)

[https://www.historypin.org/en/first-world-war-centenary/memories-for-a-new-generation/her-noble-share/geo/-23.808737,145.433219,4/bounds/-52.964039,125.701774,13.492979,165.164664 State Library of Queensland HistoryPin collection for women in WWI]: 'Honouring the contribution of Queensland women during the First World War, both at the home front and the war front'.

=== British personal narratives ===

* [http://www.librariesni.org.uk/LibrarymenofWW1/Pages/default.aspx The Library Men of WW1]: a collection of letters from 11 Belfast librarians who served in the British Army.

* [http://cymru1914.org/en/home Cymru 1914, The Welsh Experience of the First World War] includes some diaries, photographs, letters and memoirs

* [http://www.peoplescollectionwales.co.uk/users/2357 Cymry'r Rhyfel Mawr / Welsh Voices of the Great War] on People's Collection Wales

* [http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/share/research/projectreports/welshvoices/ Welsh Voices of the Great War Online]

* [http://www.qdg.org.uk/diaries.php Personal Diaries and letters of Officers and Other Ranks from the 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards]

* [http://www.herefordshirehistory.org.uk/archive/herefordshire-in-the-great-war Herefordshire in the Great War]

* {{Cite TNA|http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C3852|CAB 45}}, official historian's papers, includes personal diaries and letters that were used to write the British Official History.

* [http://worldwar1veterans.blogspot.co.uk/p/veteran-index.html World War 1 Veterans 1914-1918 blog]: a collection of interviews with veterans conducted by Paul Nixon in the 1980s.

=== Canadian personal narratives ===
If you're interested in finding records for Canadian battalions, the [http://www.canadiangreatwarproject.com/WarDiaries/diarySearch.asp Canadian Great War project has a form to search for War Diaries by unit].

[http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/first-world-war/interviews/index-e.html Oral Histories of the First World War: Veterans 1914-1918] based on the CBC's radio broadcast In Flanders Fields, a series of one-on-one interviews with veterans of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, which aired from November 11, 1964 to March 7, 1965. The website is organized into seven themes: Second Ypres, Vimy Ridge, War in the Air, The Somme, Trench Warfare, Passchendaele, Perspectives on War. Contains images, interview audio and transcripts.

=== New Zealand personal narratives ===
[http://www.nzmr.org/troopers.htm Personal Histories of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles] (see also the [http://www.nzmr.org/sitemap.htm sitemap]).

[http://natlib.govt.nz/items?utf8=%E2%9C%93&text=WW100+digitisation+project Diaries listed in the National Library of New Zealand's WW100 digitisation project]

[https://natlib.govt.nz/blog/posts/off-at-last-the-goodbye-would-have-been-too-awful Off at last the goodbye would have been too awful] is a blog post featuring diaries discovered during digitisation at the Alexander Turnbull Library.

[https://natlib.govt.nz/blog/posts/it-s-just-hell-here-now "It's just hell here now"] is an Anzac Day post from the Alexander Turnbull Library that shows what can be learnt from individual diaries.

=== American personal narratives ===
[http://www.loc.gov/vets/ Veterans History Project]

=== Indian personal narratives ===

* David Omissi (ed.), ''Indian Voices of the Great War: Soldiers' Letters, 1914-1918'', (Palgrave Macmillan, 1999). ISBN 0333751450. Compilation of Indian soldiers' letters.
* [http://searcharchives.bl.uk/IAMS_VU2:IAMS040-000340715 British Library IOR/L/MIL/5/825-828]: Reports of the Censor of Indian Mails in France. These reports contain many extracts of Indian soldiers' letters. Page scans are available through the "Browse this collection" link on the catalogue record page.

=== French personal narratives ===

* [http://www.loiret14-18.fr/ La centenaire de la Guerre 14-18 dans le Loiret] is a French site that contains lots of narratives, media and other resources.

== Related Media ==

Images and recordings that aren't personal narratives but could be matched to units or used on other pages.

* Royal Armouries online collections includes [https://collections.royalarmouries.org/first-world-war Arms of the First World War], with photos and catalogue descriptions of weapons.
* [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/listing/object-205015340 Imperial War Museum: A H T Andrew's photos]: a large collection of photos taken while he was a medical officer with [[29th Division, UK]] at Gallipoli, but also showing many other units.

* Berliner Lautarchiv British & Commonwealth recordings: sound recordings of British prisoners of war in Germany. A selection of 66 of these recordings can be heard at [http://sounds.bl.uk/Accents-and-dialects/Berliner-Lautarchiv-British-and-Commonwealth-recordings British Library Sound Archive website]. These need matching to units.

* [http://www.illustratedfirstworldwar.com/ The Illustrated First World War] website contains a large collection of photos from the archives of the Illustrated London News. Free to view but all rights reserved.

* The Library of Congress has a collection of [http://www.loc.gov/pictures/related/?va=exact&st=gallery&q=World+War%2C+1914-1918--Recruiting+%26+enlistment--United+States.&fi=subject&sg=true&op=EQUAL&loclr=blogpic American recruiting posters], and hundreds of [http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/coll/womphotoj/kirtlandintro.html?loclr=blogpic photos taken by Helen Johns Kirtland], including the Italian front.

== Research in progress ==
Add notes or links here for diaries you need help researching, missing links from the sites above, etc.

[[Category:Sources]]
[[Category:To do]]

167th Ambulance Company, US

2017-03-07T21:24:36Z

Mia: Added category Units with images

{{Infobox military unit
| country = United States
| service = US Army
| branch = National Guard
| type = Medical
| specific_type = Ambulance company
| size_at_full_strength = 150
| start_date =
| created =
| unit_name1 = 167th Ambulance Company
| unit_name1_start_date =
| unit_name1_end_date =
| unit_name1_reason_for_change =
| alternate_unit_names =
| end_date =
| disbanded =
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| parent = 117th Sanitary Train, US
| parent_level = Battalion
| relationship_type = Tactical and Administrative
}}



== Personal narratives ==


== Related media ==


* [http://cdm15887.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15887coll16/id/1156/rec/1 Panoramic photograph of the 167 Ambulance Co. at their return in 1919]

== Official sources ==

=== {{War diary heading}} ===


{{War diary needed}}

=== Unit histories ===

=== Other official documents ===


== Other sources ==




{{DEFAULTSORT:Ambulance Company 167}}
[[Category:Units needing personal narratives]]
[[Category:All US Army units]]
[[Category:US medical units]]
[[Category:Units with images]]

== References ==

<references />

Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service

2017-03-07T21:24:27Z

Mia: Added category Units with images

{{Infobox military unit
| country = United Kingdom
| service = British Army
| branch = Regular Army
| type = Medical
| specific_type = Department
| size_at_full_strength = none
| start_date = 27/3/1902
| created = Formed from Army Nursing Service by Royal Warrant.<ref name="ao-1902-67">{{Cite AO|67|1902}}</ref>
| alternate_unit_names = QAIMNS
| end_date =
| disbanded =
}}



== Personal narratives ==


== Related media ==


* National Army Museum [http://www.nam.ac.uk/online-collection/detail.php?acc=1954-09-18-7 1954-09-18-7]: QAIMNS badge awarded to Dame Ethel Hope Becher.
* [https://camc.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/staff-nurse-hetty-elizabeth-milnes/ Photos and biography of Staff Nurse Hetty Elizabeth Milnes]
* [http://cdm15887.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/search/searchterm/welford/order/nosort Photograph Album of Sister Alice Welford] and [http://orgs.utulsa.edu/spcol/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/12741914_10153963128859824_1237523047241659777_n.jpg Sister Welford's QAIMNSR badge]

== Official Sources ==

=== {{War diary heading}} ===


{{War diary none admin}}

=== Unit histories ===

=== Other official documents ===


* {{Cite TNA|http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C15000|WO 399}}, nurses' service records. [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/british-army-nurses-service-records-1914-1918/ Research guide] with more information about these records. They contain files for over 15,000 individual nurses.

== Other sources ==




[[Category:Units needing personal narratives]]
[[Category:British Army]]
[[Category:British medical units]]
[[Category:Women in WWI]]
[[Category:Units with images]]

== References ==

<references />

Template talk:Infobox military unit

2017-02-25T18:24:49Z

Mia: /* Citation parameters */ Discussing text accessibility

== Countries and branches ==

Some questions/thoughts as a starter for ten: --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:23, 19 November 2014 (PST)

* We'll need a list of country names to ensure consistency e.g. United Kingdom, Britain, Great Britain? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:23, 19 November 2014 (PST)

::"British Army" is always the name of the branch/service, but "United Kingdom" is the best name for the country because it included the whole of Ireland at that time. Data for locations/theatres may need to divide "home" service into Great Britain and Ireland to cater for the Easter Rising.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 12:44, 19 November 2014 (PST)

::: We probably don't actually need the country as the army is really the important differentiator (and the country someone fought with doesn't necessarily match where they are 'from'). If there are no objections I'll take out 'country' --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Country has turned out to be useful because there are some service names that don't make the country explicit (eg Royal Navy or Royal Air Force) and some units were recruited outside the country that the service belonged to (eg Isle of Man and Channel Islands were outside the UK but raised some units for the British Army). --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

* What's the best label for the 'regular/territorial' field? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:23, 19 November 2014 (PST)

::Not sure. Wikipedia sometimes uses "branch" for this but more often for the same thing as you're using branch for. What you're calling branch is called "service" at IWM Lives.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 12:44, 19 November 2014 (PST)
::: Service probably works, which would free 'branch' for regular/territorial. Another option would be 'category'. These overloaded terms are going to make the documentation more important but hopefully I can include labels in the infoboxes to make it easier. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 14:35, 19 November 2014 (PST)
:::: I've tweaked the template to include 'service' vs 'branch', and added 'unit' to record brigade, division, regiment, battalion etc while I was at it. The regular/territorial thing might be a bit messy, especially as it seems to have changed over time (and only applied in the UK anyway) but we'll see how it goes. When it's settled I'll update all the documentation to match --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 14:57, 19 November 2014 (PST)

:::::The distinction between Regular Army, Territorial Force and Special Reserve was stable from 1908 to 1919, although very rarely a unit could change from one to another (the only example I know is from 1913). The US National Guard is more or less analogous to the Territorials.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:16, 21 November 2014 (PST)
:::::: I'm mostly offline for the next few days but I'll try to find out if the same applies to Canada etc, unless you know offhand? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:09, 21 November 2014 (PST)
:::::::I'm not sure if Canada had anything like that, but I'm fairly sure that if it did, it would be a separate service from the CEF and not a subordinate branch. Similarly, Australia may have had some part-time home units that were separate from the AIF.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 12:31, 21 November 2014 (PST)

:::::::: Canada had 'Reserve' and 'Permanent' Force regiments. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:55, 5 December 2014 (PST)

::::::::: The concept that we're describing as 'branch' is much more widespread than we used to think. Most countries have something that needs to be represented in this way. The current list of branches and services is in the documentation for this template. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

=== Qualifying branch names with service names ===

The branch names currently in use (see template documentation for up to date list) are potentially ambiguous because they depend on the value of the country and/or service parameters, eg "Regular Army" could be British or American, "Territorial Force" could be British or New Zealand. I'm thinking about changing the branch names so that they're explicitly qualified with the names of their parent service, eg "Regular Army (British Army)". I think this would make the structured data cleaner, especially when there are multiple values, and would allow wikilinking the value to a page that explains what it is. Not an urgent thing but I'm noting it here so I don't forget. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 09:11, 25 February 2017 (PST)

: I think it's a good idea - thanks! --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 25 February 2017 (PST)

==Types, levels and unusual units==

I see we now have [[No 3 Australian General Hospital‎]]. It should be quite easy to adapt the infobox to deal with this and all sorts of obscure units. A hospital is effectively a unit, it has war diaries and is part of the tactical hierarchy (in this case, its parent would be Lines of Communication, Western Front). The current way of dividing a unit name into type and level is perfectly logical for infantry but doesn't work for hospitals. It also risks confusion where the same level has different names (eg infantry battalion vs cavalry regiment) or the same name can mean different levels (eg infantry regiment vs cavalry regiment).

I suggest keeping the general type (infantry, cavalry, medical, engineering etc) but maybe changing the field name from "type" to something like "role" or "general type". The second field would be more useful and flexible if it was a specific type, eg:

*[[Infantry battalion]]
*General Hospital
*Field Ambulance
*Field Company
*Field Survey Company
*Tunnelling Company
*etc

These can link to pages explaining exactly what each type of unit is/does.
--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:16, 25 November 2014 (PST)

:: 'Type' was always a problematic name (going back to [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-d0Klq8zauOCNucM4F5E0RiivmH012oDfR-wI0bjIdo/edit?usp=sharing Notes towards modelling information about World War One Battalions] so 'role' seems a much better fit to me.

:: Are you suggesting a different name for 'level' - 'specific type' or something - to cope with that wider range of cases? Terms like 'regiment' and 'battalion' already seem so variable (e.g. between different countries, and within countries) that they always require further context to make sense of them. This would also be a perfect time for linking out to established vocabularies to provide exactly the right interpretation of 'regiment'. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 16:40, 3 December 2014 (PST)

:::I'm proposing getting rid of "level" and replacing it with something like "specific type". I think this would be less work to begin with and would be much more flexible and expandable. "Infantry Regiment" would be one specific type, "Cavalry Regiment" would be a different specific type, each linking to a page that explains what it is. The "Infantry Regiment" page would also have to explain that a British infantry regiment is a different thing from a French/German/American infantry regiment.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:29, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Ok, let's try it. I've got some Australian engineering units I want to try so this would be a good test. I've changed it on http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/Template:Infobox_military_unit and http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/Template:Battalion --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:10, 4 December 2014 (PST)

::::: Specific type seems to be working quite well, especially now that the infobox automatically links to the relevant definition page. With the content we've got now it should be more obvious how this works and why it's likely to be useful. The main drawback is that filling in the specific type definition pages is a lot of work and we're a bit behind with it, but that information needs to be somewhere anyway. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Service Names==

For the values of the "service" field, I recommend using the actual name of the service rather than general terms like Army, Navy etc. Strictly speaking, the AIF isn't the Australian Army, and the CEF isn't the Canadian Army. Also it might be necessary to treat some or all of the following as services in their own right: Red Cross, Volunteer Training Corps, military nursing services, other women's services, various voluntary ambulance units.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:16, 25 November 2014 (PST)

:: Does that mean deviating from how it's used on Wikipedia? (Which isn't necessarily a biggie). --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 16:40, 3 December 2014 (PST)

:::Yes, it would deviate from Wikipedia. There are likely to be lots of cases where the needs of a general encyclopedia are different from a more specialised project like this. Wikipedia dodges a lot of the issues I've raised because its coverage isn't very detailed.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:23, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Is there any way to add a controlled vocabulary? Freetext could get messy. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:17, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:::::I suspect enumerated values would need some sort of extension that lets users enter template data through a form. It would be good to control names of countries, services, branches, general roles, theatres of war, realationship types. But specific_type is probably best left open because it needs to be flexible, and populating the enumerated list would be hard.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:34, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:::::: Agreed.--[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

::::::: Some of the things I used to think about service names were wrong but the documentation of this template is up to date. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

== Alternate and variant names ==
Making a note that this is discussed on [[Talk:British battalions and regiments in World War I]] where [[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) suggested:
*full name: the longest form of the name, including full regiment name and any optional words
*short name: the full name shortened according to the same rules as the page title
*any other alternative names

Names are also discussed on [[Template talk:Infobox command structure]] in 'Canonical names for battalions that change regiments?' and 'Unit name changes and restructures'.

My feeling is that stable names (alternate forms, short and long versions) should be in this core infobox, but name changes related to organisational changes (mergers, restructures etc) should be in separate, repeatable infoboxes. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 17:27, 3 December 2014 (PST)

:I think the main infobox will only be able to accommodate names that didn't change. If there were any changes, whether related to organisational changes or not, it will have to refer readers to separate infoboxes. As always, the British are awkward because some unit names didn't change during the war, some changed without any organisational changes, and some changed as a result of organisational changes.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:16, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:: Did nicknames change? ie do they belong in the 'relatively stable names that can go in the main infobox' camp or in the 'temporally-specific repeatable infoboxes' camp? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:17, 4 December 2014 (PST)

I reckon the maximum number of official names a British unit would have in this period is 3 (but I could be wrong: my expectations have been confounded a lot recently). Some Wikipedia infoboxes allow multiple values for the same sort of thing by numbering the parameter names, so you could have:

*name1 =
*name1_start_date =
*name1_end_date =
*name2 =
*name2_start_date =
*name2_end_date =
*name3 =
*name3_start_date =
*name3_end_date =

Maybe start with 4 or 5 to be safe, or just expand it in future if necessary. This would make it possible to keep all the changes of official name in the main infobox and get rid of the need for a separate repeatable infobox for name changes. Are there any drawbacks to doing it that way?

I've gone off the idea of showing standardised short names because they're an awkward halfway house between full names and page names. They might cause more confusion than they help.

As for nicknames, maybe have another parameter in the main infobox called something like alternative_names which could contain free text giving a comma separated list of other names. These could also include alternative official identifiers such as the old numbers of British line infantry regiments or letter codes of record offices. I would avoid calling it "nickname" because that's too narrow and might invite all sorts of obscure and derogatory slang.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 09:25, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:: So it's an 'Other names' infobox? I'd add in a free text line for 'reason for change' for each pair but otherwise that looks good. As long as alternate names (including nicknames) are searchable I can't see a need to include them in separate fields. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

:::I meant it as a possible way of including all names in the main infobox (military_unit). If there's any separate infobox for names it would be better to have a repeatable one for each name. I think people will expect to see at least one name in the main infobox, so keeping them all there would be good if it can be done.

:::Often there isn't a particular reason for name changes: they just decided to change the system of naming certain units without changing anything else.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 08:36, 9 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Ok, I've updated [[Template:Infobox military unit]] ([http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/index.php?title=Template%3AInfobox_military_unit&diff=874&oldid=713 diff]) to include alternate names and allow for up to five official name changes. I suspect we'll run into a few quirks in how this works so the infobox structure or documentation might need tweaking once there's a body of examples of it in use. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:18, 11 December 2014 (PST)

:::::That looks good. I've just thought that provided all the names are together in this infobox, is there a need to duplicate dates? Could you just have unit_name1, unit_namechange_date1, unit_name2 etc? And start of first name and end of last name should coincide with years active. Or is it better to keep it explicit?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:43, 13 December 2014 (PST)

:::::: Thinking ahead to future queries, it's probably better to keep it explicit to make searches for date ranges easier; we also can't assume that anyone editing the records is interested in the names either side so they might not add entries for every name change which would make dependencies tricky.

:::::: I haven't actually finished the infobox template changes but the infoboxes can be used anyway now the overall structure is set. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 05:08, 13 December 2014 (PST)

:::::: Current practice for naming conventions is documented on the pages in [[:Category:Naming conventions]]. Any further discussions on that topic should probably be on the talk page for the relevant country, eg [[Talk:Naming conventions for British units]]. Duplicating dates for name changes was actually a good call because there are some odd cases where a unit was temporarily broken up and later re-formed with a different name, but is conventionally treated as the same unit (I can't remember examples off the top of my head but this definitely happened with at least one British division). I'm not sure why I suggested numbered parameters for unit names as it doesn't seem like a good idea now. If we change to form-based editing in future it would be much more convenient for unit names to be in a repeatable sub-template. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

== Reviewing previously created pages to update data structures ==
For now, this is mostly a note to make that it will have to be done at some point. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:17, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:Most pages should be up to date but there could be a few Canadian or New Zealand units created early on that need checking. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Dates Active==

Will there be cutoff dates for the start and end of the First World War era, or will this reflect the whole existence of a unit? If there are cutoff dates, how to indicate that a unit started before or ended after?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

: My notes on the original 'modelling' doc say 'If no start or end dates, assume it was applicable throughout the war'. It would be best to state it explicitly in the infobox, especially for automated imports. Would 'predates the war' and 'postdates the war' work in those circumstances? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 06:53, 6 December 2014 (PST)

::How are dates formatted? Would it cause problems if a parameter value contained text that isn't part of a date? If not then "before 4/8/1914" and "after 31/12/1919" might be good to start with. These dates might be refined in future.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:17, 6 December 2014 (PST)

::: The original Wikipedia templates seem to cope with text strings or dates (and the underlying code is PHP which should be able to tell the difference). --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

==Size at full strength==

How precise does this need to be?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

: Indicative/approximate only - it's mostly for people new to WWI research or to the organisation of units by a particular country --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 06:12, 6 December 2014 (PST)

==Disbanded==

Does this duplicate end_date?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

: I think it needs to go into 'unit changes', but I haven't sorted out whether one infobox format should deal with organisational changes as well as name changes as they are often, but not always linked. In the interests of not over-thinking things it might be best to have one infobox for 'unit changes' that can record name changes, disbanding, forming, etc --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 06:51, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:: We're now using the 'disbanded' field for a free text description of where and how the unit was disbanded. There's a similar one for 'created'. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Automatic wikilinks==

It might be useful if the template automatically turns the values of these parameters into wikilinks:

*country
*service
*type
*specific_type
--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:: I'll do it with the others (assuming I have time before the end of the week/my fellowship here) --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:22, 8 December 2014 (PST)

:::Doesn't matter when, as long as I know not to put link markup in myself. (That goes for anywhere else I've suggested this too.)--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 08:29, 9 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Some of this is now done. Some fields need multiple values, which is harder to do now the infoboxes aren't using Lua, but array maps would do it if we start using forms for editing. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

== Suggested list of types ==

This is a suggested list of values for the "type" field:

* Administration [for record offices and similar; could also cover Pay Corps]
* Air [planes, airships, balloons]
* Armoured [tanks and armoured cars]
* Artillery [including trench mortars]
* Cyclists [currently classed as mounted but might be better as their own thing]
* Engineering [anything involving construction, demolition or repairs]
* Formation [for division level and above because they contain diverse unit types even if nominally infantry or cavalry]
* Infantry
* Logistics [anything involving procuring or issuing supplies, or operating transport]
* Machine guns
* Medical [including nursing, dental and sanitary services, but not veterinary]
* Mounted [can cover cavalry, mounted infantry and camel troops]
* Police [for military or colonial police units]
* Ship
* Signals
* Training [currently used for officer cadet battalions]
* Veterinary

Not sure what to do with units that released gas from cylinders. Having a separate type for chemical weapons is awkward because lots of gas was delivered by artillery shells.

Anything else missing?
--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:50, 12 June 2015 (PDT)

== Citation parameters ==

We're already testing a citation parameter to automatically generate ref tags for the command structure infobox - see [[Template talk:Infobox command structure#Parameter for citation?]]. That uses one parameter to generate one footnote to cover the whole infobox, but this infobox is more complicated. It contains too much data for one footnote to be adequate as it wouldn't be clear which source relates to which fact, but a separate footnote for each parameter might be overkill and too much repetition. I'm thinking we could group facts together to be covered by a parameter-generated footnote. Maybe:

* one covering all of country, service, branch, type, specific_type and size
* one for start date and created
* one for end date and disbanded
* one for each official name, also including that name's start and end dates and reason for change
* one for all alternate names

--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:38, 22 January 2017 (PST)

: It seems like the same sources are used for many statements, so grouping them together makes sense. If a particular statement is complicated then it could be discussed in the body of the article, with additional footnotes added to those sentences as on Wikipedia articles. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:20, 30 January 2017 (PST)

: By the way, I haven't commented on individual suggestions you've made over January 2017 but they all broadly seem like positive steps - thank you! --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:20, 30 January 2017 (PST)

There's now a demo of what I suggested above using {{tl|infobox military unit2}} and [[1/5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, UK]]. It seems to work but I'm not sure about the best place to put the footnote that covers all of country, service, branch, type etc. so it's obvious that it refers to all of those but nothing else. Maybe a third column spanning all those rows would be better than in its own row as it is now. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 11:17, 19 February 2017 (PST)

: Does HTML still have colspan for tables? A row underneath each grouping would allow more specific labels than 'Sources for above' (e.g. Sources for overview, sources for start dates). Ideally it'd be in slightly less prominent type so it doesn't break up the table too much, but is there for people who like the reassurance of sources. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 02:33, 20 February 2017 (PST)

:: Wikitables can use CSS properties for rowspan and colspan - there's an example in the current version of the infobox where it says "For more information on what infobox fields mean". Next time I have enough spare time I'll try to demo two versions: one with footnotes in rows underneath and one with them in a column on the right, then we can compare them directly. Do you have any suggestions for how to make the type less prominent without causing problems for visually impaired readers? --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 09:06, 25 February 2017 (PST)

::: That's a good question! It shouldn't affect screenreaders (assuming they're better at tables than they used to be), and others may have their text size increased so smaller text should still be legible, which may be a reason to use a smaller size rather than a slightly lighter colour? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:24, 25 February 2017 (PST)

== Tracking progress ==

We need better ways of representing how complete, accurate and well-referenced the data on a unit page is as this would help us to know how far the project has progressed, make it easier for volunteers to understand what needs doing, and provide better documentation for people who want to reuse the data. There are currently some templates and categories that do some of this, but not very well and they don't cover everything (eg {{tl|wo95import}} or [[:Category:British units needing name checks]]).

I'm thinking maybe we could add some extra parameters to this infobox that would have Yes/No values to indicate whether facts are complete, accurate and cite reliable sources. The template could also use these values to assign categories similar to [[:Category:Units with personal narratives|Units with personal narratives]] and [[:Category:Units needing personal narratives|Units needing personal narratives]].

They could be grouped something like this:

* one covering all of country, service, branch, type, specific_type and size
* one for start date, created, start date of first name, start date of first relationship
* one for end date, disbanded, end date of last name, end date of last relationship
* one for all name changes, including dates and reason for change
* one for all command relationships except start of the first and end of the last
* one for all theatres of war (except maybe start of the first and end of the last if they coincide with creation or disbanding)

This is slightly different from the grouping for footnotes but they're designed to do different things. The first of everything seems to go together because units will often have the same date and source for creation, first name and first command relationship.

I'm not sure how to display the data from these new fields in the infobox clearly. Any suggestions?

Is the list above too many extra parameters and too much detail? Could we get away with just one for the main infobox, one for all relationships and one for all theatres? Or would that be not enough detail? --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:38, 22 January 2017 (PST)

: Good questions! It depends how they're to be used, and how easy it is to spot where additional information is needed beyond the basics for dates, relationships and theatres. In other words, would much be lost between 'units with command relationships' and 'units without command relationships'? Even if it was, if there was always a call to add more detail where necessary, that might be if the purpose is to show where information is needed. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:26, 30 January 2017 (PST)

:: I can think of four use cases with slightly different needs:

# For us to track the overall progress of the project and target efforts to improve the structured data.
# For people researching a soldier or unit, who need to know how far they can trust the information that they read on the page.
# For people who want to re-use large batches of structured data, who might use programs to automatically generate statistics about accuracy and completeness.
# For new volunteers who want to help improve the structured data and so need to know what needs doing.

:: Categories would probably be easiest for 1, and might have some use for 4. Displaying data visually in infoboxes is best for 2. 3 should only need the parameters to exist and be documented, even if the data isn't displayed in the wiki. I think it's likely that 4 will be mostly interested in specific units that they've already researched and so will be able to tell by looking at the existing data what needs improving. There may or may not be a smaller subset of 4 who are willing to improve batches of pages by adding certain facts and references from standard reference books (eg order of battle or army list), and they might benefit from categories. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 01:43, 19 February 2017 (PST)

Template talk:Infobox military unit

2017-02-25T18:22:22Z

Mia: /* Qualifying branch names with service names */ I agree with adding parent service to branch names

== Countries and branches ==

Some questions/thoughts as a starter for ten: --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:23, 19 November 2014 (PST)

* We'll need a list of country names to ensure consistency e.g. United Kingdom, Britain, Great Britain? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:23, 19 November 2014 (PST)

::"British Army" is always the name of the branch/service, but "United Kingdom" is the best name for the country because it included the whole of Ireland at that time. Data for locations/theatres may need to divide "home" service into Great Britain and Ireland to cater for the Easter Rising.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 12:44, 19 November 2014 (PST)

::: We probably don't actually need the country as the army is really the important differentiator (and the country someone fought with doesn't necessarily match where they are 'from'). If there are no objections I'll take out 'country' --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Country has turned out to be useful because there are some service names that don't make the country explicit (eg Royal Navy or Royal Air Force) and some units were recruited outside the country that the service belonged to (eg Isle of Man and Channel Islands were outside the UK but raised some units for the British Army). --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

* What's the best label for the 'regular/territorial' field? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:23, 19 November 2014 (PST)

::Not sure. Wikipedia sometimes uses "branch" for this but more often for the same thing as you're using branch for. What you're calling branch is called "service" at IWM Lives.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 12:44, 19 November 2014 (PST)
::: Service probably works, which would free 'branch' for regular/territorial. Another option would be 'category'. These overloaded terms are going to make the documentation more important but hopefully I can include labels in the infoboxes to make it easier. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 14:35, 19 November 2014 (PST)
:::: I've tweaked the template to include 'service' vs 'branch', and added 'unit' to record brigade, division, regiment, battalion etc while I was at it. The regular/territorial thing might be a bit messy, especially as it seems to have changed over time (and only applied in the UK anyway) but we'll see how it goes. When it's settled I'll update all the documentation to match --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 14:57, 19 November 2014 (PST)

:::::The distinction between Regular Army, Territorial Force and Special Reserve was stable from 1908 to 1919, although very rarely a unit could change from one to another (the only example I know is from 1913). The US National Guard is more or less analogous to the Territorials.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:16, 21 November 2014 (PST)
:::::: I'm mostly offline for the next few days but I'll try to find out if the same applies to Canada etc, unless you know offhand? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:09, 21 November 2014 (PST)
:::::::I'm not sure if Canada had anything like that, but I'm fairly sure that if it did, it would be a separate service from the CEF and not a subordinate branch. Similarly, Australia may have had some part-time home units that were separate from the AIF.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 12:31, 21 November 2014 (PST)

:::::::: Canada had 'Reserve' and 'Permanent' Force regiments. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:55, 5 December 2014 (PST)

::::::::: The concept that we're describing as 'branch' is much more widespread than we used to think. Most countries have something that needs to be represented in this way. The current list of branches and services is in the documentation for this template. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

=== Qualifying branch names with service names ===

The branch names currently in use (see template documentation for up to date list) are potentially ambiguous because they depend on the value of the country and/or service parameters, eg "Regular Army" could be British or American, "Territorial Force" could be British or New Zealand. I'm thinking about changing the branch names so that they're explicitly qualified with the names of their parent service, eg "Regular Army (British Army)". I think this would make the structured data cleaner, especially when there are multiple values, and would allow wikilinking the value to a page that explains what it is. Not an urgent thing but I'm noting it here so I don't forget. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 09:11, 25 February 2017 (PST)

: I think it's a good idea - thanks! --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 25 February 2017 (PST)

==Types, levels and unusual units==

I see we now have [[No 3 Australian General Hospital‎]]. It should be quite easy to adapt the infobox to deal with this and all sorts of obscure units. A hospital is effectively a unit, it has war diaries and is part of the tactical hierarchy (in this case, its parent would be Lines of Communication, Western Front). The current way of dividing a unit name into type and level is perfectly logical for infantry but doesn't work for hospitals. It also risks confusion where the same level has different names (eg infantry battalion vs cavalry regiment) or the same name can mean different levels (eg infantry regiment vs cavalry regiment).

I suggest keeping the general type (infantry, cavalry, medical, engineering etc) but maybe changing the field name from "type" to something like "role" or "general type". The second field would be more useful and flexible if it was a specific type, eg:

*[[Infantry battalion]]
*General Hospital
*Field Ambulance
*Field Company
*Field Survey Company
*Tunnelling Company
*etc

These can link to pages explaining exactly what each type of unit is/does.
--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:16, 25 November 2014 (PST)

:: 'Type' was always a problematic name (going back to [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-d0Klq8zauOCNucM4F5E0RiivmH012oDfR-wI0bjIdo/edit?usp=sharing Notes towards modelling information about World War One Battalions] so 'role' seems a much better fit to me.

:: Are you suggesting a different name for 'level' - 'specific type' or something - to cope with that wider range of cases? Terms like 'regiment' and 'battalion' already seem so variable (e.g. between different countries, and within countries) that they always require further context to make sense of them. This would also be a perfect time for linking out to established vocabularies to provide exactly the right interpretation of 'regiment'. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 16:40, 3 December 2014 (PST)

:::I'm proposing getting rid of "level" and replacing it with something like "specific type". I think this would be less work to begin with and would be much more flexible and expandable. "Infantry Regiment" would be one specific type, "Cavalry Regiment" would be a different specific type, each linking to a page that explains what it is. The "Infantry Regiment" page would also have to explain that a British infantry regiment is a different thing from a French/German/American infantry regiment.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:29, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Ok, let's try it. I've got some Australian engineering units I want to try so this would be a good test. I've changed it on http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/Template:Infobox_military_unit and http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/Template:Battalion --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:10, 4 December 2014 (PST)

::::: Specific type seems to be working quite well, especially now that the infobox automatically links to the relevant definition page. With the content we've got now it should be more obvious how this works and why it's likely to be useful. The main drawback is that filling in the specific type definition pages is a lot of work and we're a bit behind with it, but that information needs to be somewhere anyway. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Service Names==

For the values of the "service" field, I recommend using the actual name of the service rather than general terms like Army, Navy etc. Strictly speaking, the AIF isn't the Australian Army, and the CEF isn't the Canadian Army. Also it might be necessary to treat some or all of the following as services in their own right: Red Cross, Volunteer Training Corps, military nursing services, other women's services, various voluntary ambulance units.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:16, 25 November 2014 (PST)

:: Does that mean deviating from how it's used on Wikipedia? (Which isn't necessarily a biggie). --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 16:40, 3 December 2014 (PST)

:::Yes, it would deviate from Wikipedia. There are likely to be lots of cases where the needs of a general encyclopedia are different from a more specialised project like this. Wikipedia dodges a lot of the issues I've raised because its coverage isn't very detailed.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:23, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Is there any way to add a controlled vocabulary? Freetext could get messy. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:17, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:::::I suspect enumerated values would need some sort of extension that lets users enter template data through a form. It would be good to control names of countries, services, branches, general roles, theatres of war, realationship types. But specific_type is probably best left open because it needs to be flexible, and populating the enumerated list would be hard.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:34, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:::::: Agreed.--[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

::::::: Some of the things I used to think about service names were wrong but the documentation of this template is up to date. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

== Alternate and variant names ==
Making a note that this is discussed on [[Talk:British battalions and regiments in World War I]] where [[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) suggested:
*full name: the longest form of the name, including full regiment name and any optional words
*short name: the full name shortened according to the same rules as the page title
*any other alternative names

Names are also discussed on [[Template talk:Infobox command structure]] in 'Canonical names for battalions that change regiments?' and 'Unit name changes and restructures'.

My feeling is that stable names (alternate forms, short and long versions) should be in this core infobox, but name changes related to organisational changes (mergers, restructures etc) should be in separate, repeatable infoboxes. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 17:27, 3 December 2014 (PST)

:I think the main infobox will only be able to accommodate names that didn't change. If there were any changes, whether related to organisational changes or not, it will have to refer readers to separate infoboxes. As always, the British are awkward because some unit names didn't change during the war, some changed without any organisational changes, and some changed as a result of organisational changes.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:16, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:: Did nicknames change? ie do they belong in the 'relatively stable names that can go in the main infobox' camp or in the 'temporally-specific repeatable infoboxes' camp? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:17, 4 December 2014 (PST)

I reckon the maximum number of official names a British unit would have in this period is 3 (but I could be wrong: my expectations have been confounded a lot recently). Some Wikipedia infoboxes allow multiple values for the same sort of thing by numbering the parameter names, so you could have:

*name1 =
*name1_start_date =
*name1_end_date =
*name2 =
*name2_start_date =
*name2_end_date =
*name3 =
*name3_start_date =
*name3_end_date =

Maybe start with 4 or 5 to be safe, or just expand it in future if necessary. This would make it possible to keep all the changes of official name in the main infobox and get rid of the need for a separate repeatable infobox for name changes. Are there any drawbacks to doing it that way?

I've gone off the idea of showing standardised short names because they're an awkward halfway house between full names and page names. They might cause more confusion than they help.

As for nicknames, maybe have another parameter in the main infobox called something like alternative_names which could contain free text giving a comma separated list of other names. These could also include alternative official identifiers such as the old numbers of British line infantry regiments or letter codes of record offices. I would avoid calling it "nickname" because that's too narrow and might invite all sorts of obscure and derogatory slang.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 09:25, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:: So it's an 'Other names' infobox? I'd add in a free text line for 'reason for change' for each pair but otherwise that looks good. As long as alternate names (including nicknames) are searchable I can't see a need to include them in separate fields. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

:::I meant it as a possible way of including all names in the main infobox (military_unit). If there's any separate infobox for names it would be better to have a repeatable one for each name. I think people will expect to see at least one name in the main infobox, so keeping them all there would be good if it can be done.

:::Often there isn't a particular reason for name changes: they just decided to change the system of naming certain units without changing anything else.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 08:36, 9 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Ok, I've updated [[Template:Infobox military unit]] ([http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/index.php?title=Template%3AInfobox_military_unit&diff=874&oldid=713 diff]) to include alternate names and allow for up to five official name changes. I suspect we'll run into a few quirks in how this works so the infobox structure or documentation might need tweaking once there's a body of examples of it in use. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:18, 11 December 2014 (PST)

:::::That looks good. I've just thought that provided all the names are together in this infobox, is there a need to duplicate dates? Could you just have unit_name1, unit_namechange_date1, unit_name2 etc? And start of first name and end of last name should coincide with years active. Or is it better to keep it explicit?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:43, 13 December 2014 (PST)

:::::: Thinking ahead to future queries, it's probably better to keep it explicit to make searches for date ranges easier; we also can't assume that anyone editing the records is interested in the names either side so they might not add entries for every name change which would make dependencies tricky.

:::::: I haven't actually finished the infobox template changes but the infoboxes can be used anyway now the overall structure is set. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 05:08, 13 December 2014 (PST)

:::::: Current practice for naming conventions is documented on the pages in [[:Category:Naming conventions]]. Any further discussions on that topic should probably be on the talk page for the relevant country, eg [[Talk:Naming conventions for British units]]. Duplicating dates for name changes was actually a good call because there are some odd cases where a unit was temporarily broken up and later re-formed with a different name, but is conventionally treated as the same unit (I can't remember examples off the top of my head but this definitely happened with at least one British division). I'm not sure why I suggested numbered parameters for unit names as it doesn't seem like a good idea now. If we change to form-based editing in future it would be much more convenient for unit names to be in a repeatable sub-template. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

== Reviewing previously created pages to update data structures ==
For now, this is mostly a note to make that it will have to be done at some point. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:17, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:Most pages should be up to date but there could be a few Canadian or New Zealand units created early on that need checking. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Dates Active==

Will there be cutoff dates for the start and end of the First World War era, or will this reflect the whole existence of a unit? If there are cutoff dates, how to indicate that a unit started before or ended after?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

: My notes on the original 'modelling' doc say 'If no start or end dates, assume it was applicable throughout the war'. It would be best to state it explicitly in the infobox, especially for automated imports. Would 'predates the war' and 'postdates the war' work in those circumstances? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 06:53, 6 December 2014 (PST)

::How are dates formatted? Would it cause problems if a parameter value contained text that isn't part of a date? If not then "before 4/8/1914" and "after 31/12/1919" might be good to start with. These dates might be refined in future.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:17, 6 December 2014 (PST)

::: The original Wikipedia templates seem to cope with text strings or dates (and the underlying code is PHP which should be able to tell the difference). --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

==Size at full strength==

How precise does this need to be?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

: Indicative/approximate only - it's mostly for people new to WWI research or to the organisation of units by a particular country --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 06:12, 6 December 2014 (PST)

==Disbanded==

Does this duplicate end_date?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

: I think it needs to go into 'unit changes', but I haven't sorted out whether one infobox format should deal with organisational changes as well as name changes as they are often, but not always linked. In the interests of not over-thinking things it might be best to have one infobox for 'unit changes' that can record name changes, disbanding, forming, etc --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 06:51, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:: We're now using the 'disbanded' field for a free text description of where and how the unit was disbanded. There's a similar one for 'created'. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Automatic wikilinks==

It might be useful if the template automatically turns the values of these parameters into wikilinks:

*country
*service
*type
*specific_type
--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:: I'll do it with the others (assuming I have time before the end of the week/my fellowship here) --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:22, 8 December 2014 (PST)

:::Doesn't matter when, as long as I know not to put link markup in myself. (That goes for anywhere else I've suggested this too.)--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 08:29, 9 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Some of this is now done. Some fields need multiple values, which is harder to do now the infoboxes aren't using Lua, but array maps would do it if we start using forms for editing. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

== Suggested list of types ==

This is a suggested list of values for the "type" field:

* Administration [for record offices and similar; could also cover Pay Corps]
* Air [planes, airships, balloons]
* Armoured [tanks and armoured cars]
* Artillery [including trench mortars]
* Cyclists [currently classed as mounted but might be better as their own thing]
* Engineering [anything involving construction, demolition or repairs]
* Formation [for division level and above because they contain diverse unit types even if nominally infantry or cavalry]
* Infantry
* Logistics [anything involving procuring or issuing supplies, or operating transport]
* Machine guns
* Medical [including nursing, dental and sanitary services, but not veterinary]
* Mounted [can cover cavalry, mounted infantry and camel troops]
* Police [for military or colonial police units]
* Ship
* Signals
* Training [currently used for officer cadet battalions]
* Veterinary

Not sure what to do with units that released gas from cylinders. Having a separate type for chemical weapons is awkward because lots of gas was delivered by artillery shells.

Anything else missing?
--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:50, 12 June 2015 (PDT)

== Citation parameters ==

We're already testing a citation parameter to automatically generate ref tags for the command structure infobox - see [[Template talk:Infobox command structure#Parameter for citation?]]. That uses one parameter to generate one footnote to cover the whole infobox, but this infobox is more complicated. It contains too much data for one footnote to be adequate as it wouldn't be clear which source relates to which fact, but a separate footnote for each parameter might be overkill and too much repetition. I'm thinking we could group facts together to be covered by a parameter-generated footnote. Maybe:

* one covering all of country, service, branch, type, specific_type and size
* one for start date and created
* one for end date and disbanded
* one for each official name, also including that name's start and end dates and reason for change
* one for all alternate names

--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:38, 22 January 2017 (PST)

: It seems like the same sources are used for many statements, so grouping them together makes sense. If a particular statement is complicated then it could be discussed in the body of the article, with additional footnotes added to those sentences as on Wikipedia articles. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:20, 30 January 2017 (PST)

: By the way, I haven't commented on individual suggestions you've made over January 2017 but they all broadly seem like positive steps - thank you! --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:20, 30 January 2017 (PST)

There's now a demo of what I suggested above using {{tl|infobox military unit2}} and [[1/5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, UK]]. It seems to work but I'm not sure about the best place to put the footnote that covers all of country, service, branch, type etc. so it's obvious that it refers to all of those but nothing else. Maybe a third column spanning all those rows would be better than in its own row as it is now. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 11:17, 19 February 2017 (PST)

: Does HTML still have colspan for tables? A row underneath each grouping would allow more specific labels than 'Sources for above' (e.g. Sources for overview, sources for start dates). Ideally it'd be in slightly less prominent type so it doesn't break up the table too much, but is there for people who like the reassurance of sources. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 02:33, 20 February 2017 (PST)

:: Wikitables can use CSS properties for rowspan and colspan - there's an example in the current version of the infobox where it says "For more information on what infobox fields mean". Next time I have enough spare time I'll try to demo two versions: one with footnotes in rows underneath and one with them in a column on the right, then we can compare them directly. Do you have any suggestions for how to make the type less prominent without causing problems for visually impaired readers? --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 09:06, 25 February 2017 (PST)

== Tracking progress ==

We need better ways of representing how complete, accurate and well-referenced the data on a unit page is as this would help us to know how far the project has progressed, make it easier for volunteers to understand what needs doing, and provide better documentation for people who want to reuse the data. There are currently some templates and categories that do some of this, but not very well and they don't cover everything (eg {{tl|wo95import}} or [[:Category:British units needing name checks]]).

I'm thinking maybe we could add some extra parameters to this infobox that would have Yes/No values to indicate whether facts are complete, accurate and cite reliable sources. The template could also use these values to assign categories similar to [[:Category:Units with personal narratives|Units with personal narratives]] and [[:Category:Units needing personal narratives|Units needing personal narratives]].

They could be grouped something like this:

* one covering all of country, service, branch, type, specific_type and size
* one for start date, created, start date of first name, start date of first relationship
* one for end date, disbanded, end date of last name, end date of last relationship
* one for all name changes, including dates and reason for change
* one for all command relationships except start of the first and end of the last
* one for all theatres of war (except maybe start of the first and end of the last if they coincide with creation or disbanding)

This is slightly different from the grouping for footnotes but they're designed to do different things. The first of everything seems to go together because units will often have the same date and source for creation, first name and first command relationship.

I'm not sure how to display the data from these new fields in the infobox clearly. Any suggestions?

Is the list above too many extra parameters and too much detail? Could we get away with just one for the main infobox, one for all relationships and one for all theatres? Or would that be not enough detail? --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:38, 22 January 2017 (PST)

: Good questions! It depends how they're to be used, and how easy it is to spot where additional information is needed beyond the basics for dates, relationships and theatres. In other words, would much be lost between 'units with command relationships' and 'units without command relationships'? Even if it was, if there was always a call to add more detail where necessary, that might be if the purpose is to show where information is needed. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:26, 30 January 2017 (PST)

:: I can think of four use cases with slightly different needs:

# For us to track the overall progress of the project and target efforts to improve the structured data.
# For people researching a soldier or unit, who need to know how far they can trust the information that they read on the page.
# For people who want to re-use large batches of structured data, who might use programs to automatically generate statistics about accuracy and completeness.
# For new volunteers who want to help improve the structured data and so need to know what needs doing.

:: Categories would probably be easiest for 1, and might have some use for 4. Displaying data visually in infoboxes is best for 2. 3 should only need the parameters to exist and be documented, even if the data isn't displayed in the wiki. I think it's likely that 4 will be mostly interested in specific units that they've already researched and so will be able to tell by looking at the existing data what needs improving. There may or may not be a smaller subset of 4 who are willing to improve batches of pages by adding certain facts and references from standard reference books (eg order of battle or army list), and they might benefit from categories. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 01:43, 19 February 2017 (PST)

Template talk:Infobox military unit

2017-02-20T10:34:00Z

Mia: /* Citation parameters */ Comment on layout for citation parameters

== Countries and branches ==

Some questions/thoughts as a starter for ten: --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:23, 19 November 2014 (PST)

* We'll need a list of country names to ensure consistency e.g. United Kingdom, Britain, Great Britain? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:23, 19 November 2014 (PST)

::"British Army" is always the name of the branch/service, but "United Kingdom" is the best name for the country because it included the whole of Ireland at that time. Data for locations/theatres may need to divide "home" service into Great Britain and Ireland to cater for the Easter Rising.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 12:44, 19 November 2014 (PST)

::: We probably don't actually need the country as the army is really the important differentiator (and the country someone fought with doesn't necessarily match where they are 'from'). If there are no objections I'll take out 'country' --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Country has turned out to be useful because there are some service names that don't make the country explicit (eg Royal Navy or Royal Air Force) and some units were recruited outside the country that the service belonged to (eg Isle of Man and Channel Islands were outside the UK but raised some units for the British Army). --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

* What's the best label for the 'regular/territorial' field? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:23, 19 November 2014 (PST)

::Not sure. Wikipedia sometimes uses "branch" for this but more often for the same thing as you're using branch for. What you're calling branch is called "service" at IWM Lives.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 12:44, 19 November 2014 (PST)
::: Service probably works, which would free 'branch' for regular/territorial. Another option would be 'category'. These overloaded terms are going to make the documentation more important but hopefully I can include labels in the infoboxes to make it easier. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 14:35, 19 November 2014 (PST)
:::: I've tweaked the template to include 'service' vs 'branch', and added 'unit' to record brigade, division, regiment, battalion etc while I was at it. The regular/territorial thing might be a bit messy, especially as it seems to have changed over time (and only applied in the UK anyway) but we'll see how it goes. When it's settled I'll update all the documentation to match --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 14:57, 19 November 2014 (PST)

:::::The distinction between Regular Army, Territorial Force and Special Reserve was stable from 1908 to 1919, although very rarely a unit could change from one to another (the only example I know is from 1913). The US National Guard is more or less analogous to the Territorials.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:16, 21 November 2014 (PST)
:::::: I'm mostly offline for the next few days but I'll try to find out if the same applies to Canada etc, unless you know offhand? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:09, 21 November 2014 (PST)
:::::::I'm not sure if Canada had anything like that, but I'm fairly sure that if it did, it would be a separate service from the CEF and not a subordinate branch. Similarly, Australia may have had some part-time home units that were separate from the AIF.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 12:31, 21 November 2014 (PST)

:::::::: Canada had 'Reserve' and 'Permanent' Force regiments. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:55, 5 December 2014 (PST)

::::::::: The concept that we're describing as 'branch' is much more widespread than we used to think. Most countries have something that needs to be represented in this way. The current list of branches and services is in the documentation for this template. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Types, levels and unusual units==

I see we now have [[No 3 Australian General Hospital‎]]. It should be quite easy to adapt the infobox to deal with this and all sorts of obscure units. A hospital is effectively a unit, it has war diaries and is part of the tactical hierarchy (in this case, its parent would be Lines of Communication, Western Front). The current way of dividing a unit name into type and level is perfectly logical for infantry but doesn't work for hospitals. It also risks confusion where the same level has different names (eg infantry battalion vs cavalry regiment) or the same name can mean different levels (eg infantry regiment vs cavalry regiment).

I suggest keeping the general type (infantry, cavalry, medical, engineering etc) but maybe changing the field name from "type" to something like "role" or "general type". The second field would be more useful and flexible if it was a specific type, eg:

*[[Infantry battalion]]
*General Hospital
*Field Ambulance
*Field Company
*Field Survey Company
*Tunnelling Company
*etc

These can link to pages explaining exactly what each type of unit is/does.
--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:16, 25 November 2014 (PST)

:: 'Type' was always a problematic name (going back to [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-d0Klq8zauOCNucM4F5E0RiivmH012oDfR-wI0bjIdo/edit?usp=sharing Notes towards modelling information about World War One Battalions] so 'role' seems a much better fit to me.

:: Are you suggesting a different name for 'level' - 'specific type' or something - to cope with that wider range of cases? Terms like 'regiment' and 'battalion' already seem so variable (e.g. between different countries, and within countries) that they always require further context to make sense of them. This would also be a perfect time for linking out to established vocabularies to provide exactly the right interpretation of 'regiment'. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 16:40, 3 December 2014 (PST)

:::I'm proposing getting rid of "level" and replacing it with something like "specific type". I think this would be less work to begin with and would be much more flexible and expandable. "Infantry Regiment" would be one specific type, "Cavalry Regiment" would be a different specific type, each linking to a page that explains what it is. The "Infantry Regiment" page would also have to explain that a British infantry regiment is a different thing from a French/German/American infantry regiment.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:29, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Ok, let's try it. I've got some Australian engineering units I want to try so this would be a good test. I've changed it on http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/Template:Infobox_military_unit and http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/Template:Battalion --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:10, 4 December 2014 (PST)

::::: Specific type seems to be working quite well, especially now that the infobox automatically links to the relevant definition page. With the content we've got now it should be more obvious how this works and why it's likely to be useful. The main drawback is that filling in the specific type definition pages is a lot of work and we're a bit behind with it, but that information needs to be somewhere anyway. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Service Names==

For the values of the "service" field, I recommend using the actual name of the service rather than general terms like Army, Navy etc. Strictly speaking, the AIF isn't the Australian Army, and the CEF isn't the Canadian Army. Also it might be necessary to treat some or all of the following as services in their own right: Red Cross, Volunteer Training Corps, military nursing services, other women's services, various voluntary ambulance units.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:16, 25 November 2014 (PST)

:: Does that mean deviating from how it's used on Wikipedia? (Which isn't necessarily a biggie). --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 16:40, 3 December 2014 (PST)

:::Yes, it would deviate from Wikipedia. There are likely to be lots of cases where the needs of a general encyclopedia are different from a more specialised project like this. Wikipedia dodges a lot of the issues I've raised because its coverage isn't very detailed.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:23, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Is there any way to add a controlled vocabulary? Freetext could get messy. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:17, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:::::I suspect enumerated values would need some sort of extension that lets users enter template data through a form. It would be good to control names of countries, services, branches, general roles, theatres of war, realationship types. But specific_type is probably best left open because it needs to be flexible, and populating the enumerated list would be hard.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:34, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:::::: Agreed.--[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

::::::: Some of the things I used to think about service names were wrong but the documentation of this template is up to date. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

== Alternate and variant names ==
Making a note that this is discussed on [[Talk:British battalions and regiments in World War I]] where [[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) suggested:
*full name: the longest form of the name, including full regiment name and any optional words
*short name: the full name shortened according to the same rules as the page title
*any other alternative names

Names are also discussed on [[Template talk:Infobox command structure]] in 'Canonical names for battalions that change regiments?' and 'Unit name changes and restructures'.

My feeling is that stable names (alternate forms, short and long versions) should be in this core infobox, but name changes related to organisational changes (mergers, restructures etc) should be in separate, repeatable infoboxes. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 17:27, 3 December 2014 (PST)

:I think the main infobox will only be able to accommodate names that didn't change. If there were any changes, whether related to organisational changes or not, it will have to refer readers to separate infoboxes. As always, the British are awkward because some unit names didn't change during the war, some changed without any organisational changes, and some changed as a result of organisational changes.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:16, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:: Did nicknames change? ie do they belong in the 'relatively stable names that can go in the main infobox' camp or in the 'temporally-specific repeatable infoboxes' camp? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:17, 4 December 2014 (PST)

I reckon the maximum number of official names a British unit would have in this period is 3 (but I could be wrong: my expectations have been confounded a lot recently). Some Wikipedia infoboxes allow multiple values for the same sort of thing by numbering the parameter names, so you could have:

*name1 =
*name1_start_date =
*name1_end_date =
*name2 =
*name2_start_date =
*name2_end_date =
*name3 =
*name3_start_date =
*name3_end_date =

Maybe start with 4 or 5 to be safe, or just expand it in future if necessary. This would make it possible to keep all the changes of official name in the main infobox and get rid of the need for a separate repeatable infobox for name changes. Are there any drawbacks to doing it that way?

I've gone off the idea of showing standardised short names because they're an awkward halfway house between full names and page names. They might cause more confusion than they help.

As for nicknames, maybe have another parameter in the main infobox called something like alternative_names which could contain free text giving a comma separated list of other names. These could also include alternative official identifiers such as the old numbers of British line infantry regiments or letter codes of record offices. I would avoid calling it "nickname" because that's too narrow and might invite all sorts of obscure and derogatory slang.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 09:25, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:: So it's an 'Other names' infobox? I'd add in a free text line for 'reason for change' for each pair but otherwise that looks good. As long as alternate names (including nicknames) are searchable I can't see a need to include them in separate fields. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

:::I meant it as a possible way of including all names in the main infobox (military_unit). If there's any separate infobox for names it would be better to have a repeatable one for each name. I think people will expect to see at least one name in the main infobox, so keeping them all there would be good if it can be done.

:::Often there isn't a particular reason for name changes: they just decided to change the system of naming certain units without changing anything else.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 08:36, 9 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Ok, I've updated [[Template:Infobox military unit]] ([http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/index.php?title=Template%3AInfobox_military_unit&diff=874&oldid=713 diff]) to include alternate names and allow for up to five official name changes. I suspect we'll run into a few quirks in how this works so the infobox structure or documentation might need tweaking once there's a body of examples of it in use. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:18, 11 December 2014 (PST)

:::::That looks good. I've just thought that provided all the names are together in this infobox, is there a need to duplicate dates? Could you just have unit_name1, unit_namechange_date1, unit_name2 etc? And start of first name and end of last name should coincide with years active. Or is it better to keep it explicit?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:43, 13 December 2014 (PST)

:::::: Thinking ahead to future queries, it's probably better to keep it explicit to make searches for date ranges easier; we also can't assume that anyone editing the records is interested in the names either side so they might not add entries for every name change which would make dependencies tricky.

:::::: I haven't actually finished the infobox template changes but the infoboxes can be used anyway now the overall structure is set. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 05:08, 13 December 2014 (PST)

:::::: Current practice for naming conventions is documented on the pages in [[:Category:Naming conventions]]. Any further discussions on that topic should probably be on the talk page for the relevant country, eg [[Talk:Naming conventions for British units]]. Duplicating dates for name changes was actually a good call because there are some odd cases where a unit was temporarily broken up and later re-formed with a different name, but is conventionally treated as the same unit (I can't remember examples off the top of my head but this definitely happened with at least one British division). I'm not sure why I suggested numbered parameters for unit names as it doesn't seem like a good idea now. If we change to form-based editing in future it would be much more convenient for unit names to be in a repeatable sub-template. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

== Reviewing previously created pages to update data structures ==
For now, this is mostly a note to make that it will have to be done at some point. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:17, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:Most pages should be up to date but there could be a few Canadian or New Zealand units created early on that need checking. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Dates Active==

Will there be cutoff dates for the start and end of the First World War era, or will this reflect the whole existence of a unit? If there are cutoff dates, how to indicate that a unit started before or ended after?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

: My notes on the original 'modelling' doc say 'If no start or end dates, assume it was applicable throughout the war'. It would be best to state it explicitly in the infobox, especially for automated imports. Would 'predates the war' and 'postdates the war' work in those circumstances? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 06:53, 6 December 2014 (PST)

::How are dates formatted? Would it cause problems if a parameter value contained text that isn't part of a date? If not then "before 4/8/1914" and "after 31/12/1919" might be good to start with. These dates might be refined in future.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:17, 6 December 2014 (PST)

::: The original Wikipedia templates seem to cope with text strings or dates (and the underlying code is PHP which should be able to tell the difference). --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

==Size at full strength==

How precise does this need to be?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

: Indicative/approximate only - it's mostly for people new to WWI research or to the organisation of units by a particular country --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 06:12, 6 December 2014 (PST)

==Disbanded==

Does this duplicate end_date?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

: I think it needs to go into 'unit changes', but I haven't sorted out whether one infobox format should deal with organisational changes as well as name changes as they are often, but not always linked. In the interests of not over-thinking things it might be best to have one infobox for 'unit changes' that can record name changes, disbanding, forming, etc --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 06:51, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:: We're now using the 'disbanded' field for a free text description of where and how the unit was disbanded. There's a similar one for 'created'. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Automatic wikilinks==

It might be useful if the template automatically turns the values of these parameters into wikilinks:

*country
*service
*type
*specific_type
--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:: I'll do it with the others (assuming I have time before the end of the week/my fellowship here) --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:22, 8 December 2014 (PST)

:::Doesn't matter when, as long as I know not to put link markup in myself. (That goes for anywhere else I've suggested this too.)--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 08:29, 9 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Some of this is now done. Some fields need multiple values, which is harder to do now the infoboxes aren't using Lua, but array maps would do it if we start using forms for editing. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

== Suggested list of types ==

This is a suggested list of values for the "type" field:

* Administration [for record offices and similar; could also cover Pay Corps]
* Air [planes, airships, balloons]
* Armoured [tanks and armoured cars]
* Artillery [including trench mortars]
* Cyclists [currently classed as mounted but might be better as their own thing]
* Engineering [anything involving construction, demolition or repairs]
* Formation [for division level and above because they contain diverse unit types even if nominally infantry or cavalry]
* Infantry
* Logistics [anything involving procuring or issuing supplies, or operating transport]
* Machine guns
* Medical [including nursing, dental and sanitary services, but not veterinary]
* Mounted [can cover cavalry, mounted infantry and camel troops]
* Police [for military or colonial police units]
* Ship
* Signals
* Training [currently used for officer cadet battalions]
* Veterinary

Not sure what to do with units that released gas from cylinders. Having a separate type for chemical weapons is awkward because lots of gas was delivered by artillery shells.

Anything else missing?
--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:50, 12 June 2015 (PDT)

== Citation parameters ==

We're already testing a citation parameter to automatically generate ref tags for the command structure infobox - see [[Template talk:Infobox command structure#Parameter for citation?]]. That uses one parameter to generate one footnote to cover the whole infobox, but this infobox is more complicated. It contains too much data for one footnote to be adequate as it wouldn't be clear which source relates to which fact, but a separate footnote for each parameter might be overkill and too much repetition. I'm thinking we could group facts together to be covered by a parameter-generated footnote. Maybe:

* one covering all of country, service, branch, type, specific_type and size
* one for start date and created
* one for end date and disbanded
* one for each official name, also including that name's start and end dates and reason for change
* one for all alternate names

--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:38, 22 January 2017 (PST)

: It seems like the same sources are used for many statements, so grouping them together makes sense. If a particular statement is complicated then it could be discussed in the body of the article, with additional footnotes added to those sentences as on Wikipedia articles. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:20, 30 January 2017 (PST)

: By the way, I haven't commented on individual suggestions you've made over January 2017 but they all broadly seem like positive steps - thank you! --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:20, 30 January 2017 (PST)

There's now a demo of what I suggested above using {{tl|infobox military unit2}} and [[1/5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, UK]]. It seems to work but I'm not sure about the best place to put the footnote that covers all of country, service, branch, type etc. so it's obvious that it refers to all of those but nothing else. Maybe a third column spanning all those rows would be better than in its own row as it is now. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 11:17, 19 February 2017 (PST)

: Does HTML still have colspan for tables? A row underneath each grouping would allow more specific labels than 'Sources for above' (e.g. Sources for overview, sources for start dates). Ideally it'd be in slightly less prominent type so it doesn't break up the table too much, but is there for people who like the reassurance of sources. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 02:33, 20 February 2017 (PST)

== Tracking progress ==

We need better ways of representing how complete, accurate and well-referenced the data on a unit page is as this would help us to know how far the project has progressed, make it easier for volunteers to understand what needs doing, and provide better documentation for people who want to reuse the data. There are currently some templates and categories that do some of this, but not very well and they don't cover everything (eg {{tl|wo95import}} or [[:Category:British units needing name checks]]).

I'm thinking maybe we could add some extra parameters to this infobox that would have Yes/No values to indicate whether facts are complete, accurate and cite reliable sources. The template could also use these values to assign categories similar to [[:Category:Units with personal narratives|Units with personal narratives]] and [[:Category:Units needing personal narratives|Units needing personal narratives]].

They could be grouped something like this:

* one covering all of country, service, branch, type, specific_type and size
* one for start date, created, start date of first name, start date of first relationship
* one for end date, disbanded, end date of last name, end date of last relationship
* one for all name changes, including dates and reason for change
* one for all command relationships except start of the first and end of the last
* one for all theatres of war (except maybe start of the first and end of the last if they coincide with creation or disbanding)

This is slightly different from the grouping for footnotes but they're designed to do different things. The first of everything seems to go together because units will often have the same date and source for creation, first name and first command relationship.

I'm not sure how to display the data from these new fields in the infobox clearly. Any suggestions?

Is the list above too many extra parameters and too much detail? Could we get away with just one for the main infobox, one for all relationships and one for all theatres? Or would that be not enough detail? --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:38, 22 January 2017 (PST)

: Good questions! It depends how they're to be used, and how easy it is to spot where additional information is needed beyond the basics for dates, relationships and theatres. In other words, would much be lost between 'units with command relationships' and 'units without command relationships'? Even if it was, if there was always a call to add more detail where necessary, that might be if the purpose is to show where information is needed. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:26, 30 January 2017 (PST)

:: I can think of four use cases with slightly different needs:

# For us to track the overall progress of the project and target efforts to improve the structured data.
# For people researching a soldier or unit, who need to know how far they can trust the information that they read on the page.
# For people who want to re-use large batches of structured data, who might use programs to automatically generate statistics about accuracy and completeness.
# For new volunteers who want to help improve the structured data and so need to know what needs doing.

:: Categories would probably be easiest for 1, and might have some use for 4. Displaying data visually in infoboxes is best for 2. 3 should only need the parameters to exist and be documented, even if the data isn't displayed in the wiki. I think it's likely that 4 will be mostly interested in specific units that they've already researched and so will be able to tell by looking at the existing data what needs improving. There may or may not be a smaller subset of 4 who are willing to improve batches of pages by adding certain facts and references from standard reference books (eg order of battle or army list), and they might benefit from categories. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 01:43, 19 February 2017 (PST)

London Rifle Brigade, London Regiment, British Army

2017-02-19T14:19:11Z

Mia: /* Unit histories */ Added unit history

{{About|the territorial battalions of the London Regiment known as the London Rifle Brigade. For the regular Prince Consort's Own Rifle Brigade regiment see [[Rifle Brigade, UK]].}}


{{Infobox military unit
| country = United Kingdom
| service = British Army
| branch = Territorial Force
| type = Infantry
| specific_type = Identity
| size_at_full_strength =
| alternate_unit_names =
| start_date = 01/04/1908
| end_date =
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| parent = London Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| subordinate = 1/5th Battalion London Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| subordinate = 2/5th Battalion London Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| subordinate = 3/5th Battalion London Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}



== Personal narratives ==


== Related media ==


At the time of writing, the IWM has several photo of the London Rifle Brigade at [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?f%5B0%5D=agentString%3ABritish%20Army%2C%20London%20Regiment%2C%205th%20Battalion&query= this search link]. Selected examples are below.

IWM photo '[http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205018351 British troops advance to the attack through a cloud of poison gas as viewed from the trench which they have just left: a remarkable snapshot taken by a soldier of the London Rifle Brigade on the opening day of the Battle of Loos, 25 September 1915]'.

[[File:IWMQ53849.jpg|thumbnail|center|Officers of the 5th Battalion, London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade ) at a machine gun class during training, October 1915. © IWM (Q 53849)]]

[[File:IWMQ54185.jpg|thumbnail|center|Badge of the 5th Battalion, London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade) at entrance to their camp. © IWM (Q 54185)]]

== Official sources ==

=== {{WarDiaryHeading}} ===


{{War diary none admin}}

=== Unit histories ===
Short History of the London Rifle Brigade, Compiled Regimentally, 1916
[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/25932/25932-h/25932-h.htm HTML version with photographs at Project Gutenberg]. Other formats are [http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25932 available].

=== Other official documents ===


==== Medal rolls ====

Campaign medal rolls at the UK National Archives.

{| class="wikitable"
!Medal
!Officers
!Other ranks
|-
|1914 Star
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247081 WO 329/2510]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7246967 WO 329/2482]
|-
|1914-15 Star
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247529 WO 329/2953]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247188 WO 329/2865]
|-
|British War and Victory medals
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7246652 WO 329/2272]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437130 WO 329/1912], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437131 WO 329/1913], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437132 WO 329/1914]
|-
|Territorial Force War Medal
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247972 WO 329/3272]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247790 WO 329/3268]
|}

== Other sources ==




{{DEFAULTSORT:London Regiment London Rifle Brigade}}
[[Category:Units needing personal narratives]]
[[Category:All British Army units]]
[[Category:British infantry regiments]]
[[Category:British units needing name checks]]
[[Category:British Army infantry regiments by precedence|199 05 005]]
[[Category:Units with images]]

== References ==

<references />

{{DiscoveryData}}

London Rifle Brigade, London Regiment, British Army

2017-02-19T13:04:12Z

Mia: Added category Units with images

{{About|the territorial battalions of the London Regiment known as the London Rifle Brigade. For the regular Prince Consort's Own Rifle Brigade regiment see [[Rifle Brigade, UK]].}}


{{Infobox military unit
| country = United Kingdom
| service = British Army
| branch = Territorial Force
| type = Infantry
| specific_type = Identity
| size_at_full_strength =
| alternate_unit_names =
| start_date = 01/04/1908
| end_date =
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| parent = London Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| subordinate = 1/5th Battalion London Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| subordinate = 2/5th Battalion London Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| subordinate = 3/5th Battalion London Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}



== Personal narratives ==


== Related media ==


At the time of writing, the IWM has several photo of the London Rifle Brigade at [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?f%5B0%5D=agentString%3ABritish%20Army%2C%20London%20Regiment%2C%205th%20Battalion&query= this search link]. Selected examples are below.

IWM photo '[http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205018351 British troops advance to the attack through a cloud of poison gas as viewed from the trench which they have just left: a remarkable snapshot taken by a soldier of the London Rifle Brigade on the opening day of the Battle of Loos, 25 September 1915]'.

[[File:IWMQ53849.jpg|thumbnail|center|Officers of the 5th Battalion, London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade ) at a machine gun class during training, October 1915. © IWM (Q 53849)]]

[[File:IWMQ54185.jpg|thumbnail|center|Badge of the 5th Battalion, London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade) at entrance to their camp. © IWM (Q 54185)]]

== Official sources ==

=== {{WarDiaryHeading}} ===


{{War diary none admin}}

=== Unit histories ===

=== Other official documents ===


==== Medal rolls ====

Campaign medal rolls at the UK National Archives.

{| class="wikitable"
!Medal
!Officers
!Other ranks
|-
|1914 Star
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247081 WO 329/2510]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7246967 WO 329/2482]
|-
|1914-15 Star
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247529 WO 329/2953]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247188 WO 329/2865]
|-
|British War and Victory medals
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7246652 WO 329/2272]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437130 WO 329/1912], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437131 WO 329/1913], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437132 WO 329/1914]
|-
|Territorial Force War Medal
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247972 WO 329/3272]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247790 WO 329/3268]
|}

== Other sources ==




{{DEFAULTSORT:London Regiment London Rifle Brigade}}
[[Category:Units needing personal narratives]]
[[Category:All British Army units]]
[[Category:British infantry regiments]]
[[Category:British units needing name checks]]
[[Category:British Army infantry regiments by precedence|199 05 005]]
[[Category:Units with images]]

== References ==

<references />

{{DiscoveryData}}

File:IWMQ54185.jpg

2017-02-19T13:01:32Z

London Rifle Brigade, London Regiment, British Army

2017-02-19T12:59:47Z

Mia: /* Related media */ More IWM info

{{About|the territorial battalions of the London Regiment known as the London Rifle Brigade. For the regular Prince Consort's Own Rifle Brigade regiment see [[Rifle Brigade, UK]].}}


{{Infobox military unit
| country = United Kingdom
| service = British Army
| branch = Territorial Force
| type = Infantry
| specific_type = Identity
| size_at_full_strength =
| alternate_unit_names =
| start_date = 01/04/1908
| end_date =
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| parent = London Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| subordinate = 1/5th Battalion London Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| subordinate = 2/5th Battalion London Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| subordinate = 3/5th Battalion London Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}



== Personal narratives ==


== Related media ==


At the time of writing, the IWM has several photo of the London Rifle Brigade at [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?f%5B0%5D=agentString%3ABritish%20Army%2C%20London%20Regiment%2C%205th%20Battalion&query= this search link]. Selected examples are below.

IWM photo '[http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205018351 British troops advance to the attack through a cloud of poison gas as viewed from the trench which they have just left: a remarkable snapshot taken by a soldier of the London Rifle Brigade on the opening day of the Battle of Loos, 25 September 1915]'.

[[File:IWMQ53849.jpg|thumbnail|center|Officers of the 5th Battalion, London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade ) at a machine gun class during training, October 1915. © IWM (Q 53849)]]

== Official sources ==

=== {{WarDiaryHeading}} ===


{{War diary none admin}}

=== Unit histories ===

=== Other official documents ===


==== Medal rolls ====

Campaign medal rolls at the UK National Archives.

{| class="wikitable"
!Medal
!Officers
!Other ranks
|-
|1914 Star
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247081 WO 329/2510]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7246967 WO 329/2482]
|-
|1914-15 Star
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247529 WO 329/2953]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247188 WO 329/2865]
|-
|British War and Victory medals
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7246652 WO 329/2272]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437130 WO 329/1912], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437131 WO 329/1913], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437132 WO 329/1914]
|-
|Territorial Force War Medal
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247972 WO 329/3272]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247790 WO 329/3268]
|}

== Other sources ==




{{DEFAULTSORT:London Regiment London Rifle Brigade}}
[[Category:Units needing personal narratives]]
[[Category:All British Army units]]
[[Category:British infantry regiments]]
[[Category:British units needing name checks]]
[[Category:British Army infantry regiments by precedence|199 05 005]]

== References ==

<references />

{{DiscoveryData}}

File:IWMQ53849.jpg

2017-02-19T12:55:52Z

Mia: Officers of the 5th Battalion, London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade ) at a machine gun class during training, October 1915. © IWM (Q 53849)

Officers of the 5th Battalion, London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade ) at a machine gun class during training, October 1915. © IWM (Q 53849)

London Rifle Brigade, London Regiment, British Army

2017-02-19T12:54:21Z

Mia: /* Related media */ Added link to IWM photo

{{About|the territorial battalions of the London Regiment known as the London Rifle Brigade. For the regular Prince Consort's Own Rifle Brigade regiment see [[Rifle Brigade, UK]].}}


{{Infobox military unit
| country = United Kingdom
| service = British Army
| branch = Territorial Force
| type = Infantry
| specific_type = Identity
| size_at_full_strength =
| alternate_unit_names =
| start_date = 01/04/1908
| end_date =
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| parent = London Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| subordinate = 1/5th Battalion London Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| subordinate = 2/5th Battalion London Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| subordinate = 3/5th Battalion London Regiment, UK
| relationship_type = Administrative
}}



== Personal narratives ==


== Related media ==

IWM photo '[http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205018351 British troops advance to the attack through a cloud of poison gas as viewed from the trench which they have just left: a remarkable snapshot taken by a soldier of the London Rifle Brigade on the opening day of the Battle of Loos, 25 September 1915]'.

== Official sources ==

=== {{WarDiaryHeading}} ===


{{War diary none admin}}

=== Unit histories ===

=== Other official documents ===


==== Medal rolls ====

Campaign medal rolls at the UK National Archives.

{| class="wikitable"
!Medal
!Officers
!Other ranks
|-
|1914 Star
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247081 WO 329/2510]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7246967 WO 329/2482]
|-
|1914-15 Star
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247529 WO 329/2953]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247188 WO 329/2865]
|-
|British War and Victory medals
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7246652 WO 329/2272]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437130 WO 329/1912], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437131 WO 329/1913], [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437132 WO 329/1914]
|-
|Territorial Force War Medal
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247972 WO 329/3272]
|[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7247790 WO 329/3268]
|}

== Other sources ==




{{DEFAULTSORT:London Regiment London Rifle Brigade}}
[[Category:Units needing personal narratives]]
[[Category:All British Army units]]
[[Category:British infantry regiments]]
[[Category:British units needing name checks]]
[[Category:British Army infantry regiments by precedence|199 05 005]]

== References ==

<references />

{{DiscoveryData}}

User talk:Minorron

2017-02-07T18:41:49Z

Mia: Thanks and welcome

Hi,

Welcome, and thank you for sharing the photo of Company G, 315 Ammunition Train. I've added it to http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/315th_Ammunition_Train,_US#Related_media so it's easy for others to find it. Would you have more information about who took the photo or how you came to have it?

Cheers, Mia --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:41, 7 February 2017 (PST)

315th Ammunition Train, US

2017-02-07T18:40:12Z

Mia: /* Related media */ Added image supplied by Minorron

{{Infobox military unit
| country = United States
| service = US Army
| branch = National Army
| type = Logistics
| specific_type = Ammunition train
| size_at_full_strength = 1,300
| start_date =
| created =
| unit_name1 = 315th Ammunition Train
| unit_name1_start_date =
| unit_name1_end_date =
| unit_name1_reason_for_change =
| alternate_unit_names =
| end_date =
| disbanded =
}}
{{Infobox command structure
| command_start_date =
| command_end_date =
| parent = 315th Train Headquarters, US
| parent_level = Regiment
| relationship_type = Tactical and Administrative
}}



== Personal narratives ==


== Related media ==

[[File:Company G 315 Ammunition Train 90 Division.jpg|thumbnail|center|Company G, 315 Ammunition Train, 90th Division A.E.F. Taken in 1919,Newport, Road Island just after their return from France.]]

== Official sources ==

=== {{War diary heading}} ===


{{War diary needed}}

=== Unit histories ===

=== Other official documents ===


== Other sources ==




{{DEFAULTSORT:Ammunition Train 315}}
[[Category:Units needing personal narratives]]
[[Category:All US Army units]]
[[Category:US logistics units]]

== References ==

<references />

User talk:Hartwf

2017-02-07T18:28:08Z

Mia: Thanks and welcome

Hi,

I just wanted to thank you for sharing your transcripts on the 321st Field Hospital Company page. Do you have any images of the pages themselves that could be included?

Cheers, Mia --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:27, 7 February 2017 (PST)

Template talk:Infobox military unit

2017-01-30T11:27:09Z

Mia: /* Tracking progress */ Added comment on recording information completeness

Some questions/thoughts as a starter for ten: --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:23, 19 November 2014 (PST)

* We'll need a list of country names to ensure consistency e.g. United Kingdom, Britain, Great Britain? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:23, 19 November 2014 (PST)

::"British Army" is always the name of the branch/service, but "United Kingdom" is the best name for the country because it included the whole of Ireland at that time. Data for locations/theatres may need to divide "home" service into Great Britain and Ireland to cater for the Easter Rising.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 12:44, 19 November 2014 (PST)

::: We probably don't actually need the country as the army is really the important differentiator (and the country someone fought with doesn't necessarily match where they are 'from'). If there are no objections I'll take out 'country' --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Country has turned out to be useful because there are some service names that don't make the country explicit (eg Royal Navy or Royal Air Force) and some units were recruited outside the country that the service belonged to (eg Isle of Man and Channel Islands were outside the UK but raised some units for the British Army). --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

* What's the best label for the 'regular/territorial' field? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:23, 19 November 2014 (PST)

::Not sure. Wikipedia sometimes uses "branch" for this but more often for the same thing as you're using branch for. What you're calling branch is called "service" at IWM Lives.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 12:44, 19 November 2014 (PST)
::: Service probably works, which would free 'branch' for regular/territorial. Another option would be 'category'. These overloaded terms are going to make the documentation more important but hopefully I can include labels in the infoboxes to make it easier. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 14:35, 19 November 2014 (PST)
:::: I've tweaked the template to include 'service' vs 'branch', and added 'unit' to record brigade, division, regiment, battalion etc while I was at it. The regular/territorial thing might be a bit messy, especially as it seems to have changed over time (and only applied in the UK anyway) but we'll see how it goes. When it's settled I'll update all the documentation to match --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 14:57, 19 November 2014 (PST)

:::::The distinction between Regular Army, Territorial Force and Special Reserve was stable from 1908 to 1919, although very rarely a unit could change from one to another (the only example I know is from 1913). The US National Guard is more or less analogous to the Territorials.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:16, 21 November 2014 (PST)
:::::: I'm mostly offline for the next few days but I'll try to find out if the same applies to Canada etc, unless you know offhand? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:09, 21 November 2014 (PST)
:::::::I'm not sure if Canada had anything like that, but I'm fairly sure that if it did, it would be a separate service from the CEF and not a subordinate branch. Similarly, Australia may have had some part-time home units that were separate from the AIF.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 12:31, 21 November 2014 (PST)

:::::::: Canada had 'Reserve' and 'Permanent' Force regiments. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:55, 5 December 2014 (PST)

::::::::: The concept that we're describing as 'branch' is much more widespread than we used to think. Most countries have something that needs to be represented in this way. The current list of branches and services is in the documentation for this template. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Types, levels and unusual units==

I see we now have [[No 3 Australian General Hospital‎]]. It should be quite easy to adapt the infobox to deal with this and all sorts of obscure units. A hospital is effectively a unit, it has war diaries and is part of the tactical hierarchy (in this case, its parent would be Lines of Communication, Western Front). The current way of dividing a unit name into type and level is perfectly logical for infantry but doesn't work for hospitals. It also risks confusion where the same level has different names (eg infantry battalion vs cavalry regiment) or the same name can mean different levels (eg infantry regiment vs cavalry regiment).

I suggest keeping the general type (infantry, cavalry, medical, engineering etc) but maybe changing the field name from "type" to something like "role" or "general type". The second field would be more useful and flexible if it was a specific type, eg:

*[[Infantry battalion]]
*General Hospital
*Field Ambulance
*Field Company
*Field Survey Company
*Tunnelling Company
*etc

These can link to pages explaining exactly what each type of unit is/does.
--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:16, 25 November 2014 (PST)

:: 'Type' was always a problematic name (going back to [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-d0Klq8zauOCNucM4F5E0RiivmH012oDfR-wI0bjIdo/edit?usp=sharing Notes towards modelling information about World War One Battalions] so 'role' seems a much better fit to me.

:: Are you suggesting a different name for 'level' - 'specific type' or something - to cope with that wider range of cases? Terms like 'regiment' and 'battalion' already seem so variable (e.g. between different countries, and within countries) that they always require further context to make sense of them. This would also be a perfect time for linking out to established vocabularies to provide exactly the right interpretation of 'regiment'. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 16:40, 3 December 2014 (PST)

:::I'm proposing getting rid of "level" and replacing it with something like "specific type". I think this would be less work to begin with and would be much more flexible and expandable. "Infantry Regiment" would be one specific type, "Cavalry Regiment" would be a different specific type, each linking to a page that explains what it is. The "Infantry Regiment" page would also have to explain that a British infantry regiment is a different thing from a French/German/American infantry regiment.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:29, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Ok, let's try it. I've got some Australian engineering units I want to try so this would be a good test. I've changed it on http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/Template:Infobox_military_unit and http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/Template:Battalion --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:10, 4 December 2014 (PST)

::::: Specific type seems to be working quite well, especially now that the infobox automatically links to the relevant definition page. With the content we've got now it should be more obvious how this works and why it's likely to be useful. The main drawback is that filling in the specific type definition pages is a lot of work and we're a bit behind with it, but that information needs to be somewhere anyway. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Service Names==

For the values of the "service" field, I recommend using the actual name of the service rather than general terms like Army, Navy etc. Strictly speaking, the AIF isn't the Australian Army, and the CEF isn't the Canadian Army. Also it might be necessary to treat some or all of the following as services in their own right: Red Cross, Volunteer Training Corps, military nursing services, other women's services, various voluntary ambulance units.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:16, 25 November 2014 (PST)

:: Does that mean deviating from how it's used on Wikipedia? (Which isn't necessarily a biggie). --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 16:40, 3 December 2014 (PST)

:::Yes, it would deviate from Wikipedia. There are likely to be lots of cases where the needs of a general encyclopedia are different from a more specialised project like this. Wikipedia dodges a lot of the issues I've raised because its coverage isn't very detailed.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:23, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Is there any way to add a controlled vocabulary? Freetext could get messy. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:17, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:::::I suspect enumerated values would need some sort of extension that lets users enter template data through a form. It would be good to control names of countries, services, branches, general roles, theatres of war, realationship types. But specific_type is probably best left open because it needs to be flexible, and populating the enumerated list would be hard.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:34, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:::::: Agreed.--[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

::::::: Some of the things I used to think about service names were wrong but the documentation of this template is up to date. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

== Alternate and variant names ==
Making a note that this is discussed on [[Talk:British battalions and regiments in World War I]] where [[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) suggested:
*full name: the longest form of the name, including full regiment name and any optional words
*short name: the full name shortened according to the same rules as the page title
*any other alternative names

Names are also discussed on [[Template talk:Infobox command structure]] in 'Canonical names for battalions that change regiments?' and 'Unit name changes and restructures'.

My feeling is that stable names (alternate forms, short and long versions) should be in this core infobox, but name changes related to organisational changes (mergers, restructures etc) should be in separate, repeatable infoboxes. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 17:27, 3 December 2014 (PST)

:I think the main infobox will only be able to accommodate names that didn't change. If there were any changes, whether related to organisational changes or not, it will have to refer readers to separate infoboxes. As always, the British are awkward because some unit names didn't change during the war, some changed without any organisational changes, and some changed as a result of organisational changes.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:16, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:: Did nicknames change? ie do they belong in the 'relatively stable names that can go in the main infobox' camp or in the 'temporally-specific repeatable infoboxes' camp? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:17, 4 December 2014 (PST)

I reckon the maximum number of official names a British unit would have in this period is 3 (but I could be wrong: my expectations have been confounded a lot recently). Some Wikipedia infoboxes allow multiple values for the same sort of thing by numbering the parameter names, so you could have:

*name1 =
*name1_start_date =
*name1_end_date =
*name2 =
*name2_start_date =
*name2_end_date =
*name3 =
*name3_start_date =
*name3_end_date =

Maybe start with 4 or 5 to be safe, or just expand it in future if necessary. This would make it possible to keep all the changes of official name in the main infobox and get rid of the need for a separate repeatable infobox for name changes. Are there any drawbacks to doing it that way?

I've gone off the idea of showing standardised short names because they're an awkward halfway house between full names and page names. They might cause more confusion than they help.

As for nicknames, maybe have another parameter in the main infobox called something like alternative_names which could contain free text giving a comma separated list of other names. These could also include alternative official identifiers such as the old numbers of British line infantry regiments or letter codes of record offices. I would avoid calling it "nickname" because that's too narrow and might invite all sorts of obscure and derogatory slang.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 09:25, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:: So it's an 'Other names' infobox? I'd add in a free text line for 'reason for change' for each pair but otherwise that looks good. As long as alternate names (including nicknames) are searchable I can't see a need to include them in separate fields. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

:::I meant it as a possible way of including all names in the main infobox (military_unit). If there's any separate infobox for names it would be better to have a repeatable one for each name. I think people will expect to see at least one name in the main infobox, so keeping them all there would be good if it can be done.

:::Often there isn't a particular reason for name changes: they just decided to change the system of naming certain units without changing anything else.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 08:36, 9 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Ok, I've updated [[Template:Infobox military unit]] ([http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/index.php?title=Template%3AInfobox_military_unit&diff=874&oldid=713 diff]) to include alternate names and allow for up to five official name changes. I suspect we'll run into a few quirks in how this works so the infobox structure or documentation might need tweaking once there's a body of examples of it in use. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 11:18, 11 December 2014 (PST)

:::::That looks good. I've just thought that provided all the names are together in this infobox, is there a need to duplicate dates? Could you just have unit_name1, unit_namechange_date1, unit_name2 etc? And start of first name and end of last name should coincide with years active. Or is it better to keep it explicit?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 02:43, 13 December 2014 (PST)

:::::: Thinking ahead to future queries, it's probably better to keep it explicit to make searches for date ranges easier; we also can't assume that anyone editing the records is interested in the names either side so they might not add entries for every name change which would make dependencies tricky.

:::::: I haven't actually finished the infobox template changes but the infoboxes can be used anyway now the overall structure is set. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 05:08, 13 December 2014 (PST)

:::::: Current practice for naming conventions is documented on the pages in [[:Category:Naming conventions]]. Any further discussions on that topic should probably be on the talk page for the relevant country, eg [[Talk:Naming conventions for British units]]. Duplicating dates for name changes was actually a good call because there are some odd cases where a unit was temporarily broken up and later re-formed with a different name, but is conventionally treated as the same unit (I can't remember examples off the top of my head but this definitely happened with at least one British division). I'm not sure why I suggested numbered parameters for unit names as it doesn't seem like a good idea now. If we change to form-based editing in future it would be much more convenient for unit names to be in a repeatable sub-template. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

== Reviewing previously created pages to update data structures ==
For now, this is mostly a note to make that it will have to be done at some point. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 08:17, 4 December 2014 (PST)

:Most pages should be up to date but there could be a few Canadian or New Zealand units created early on that need checking. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Dates Active==

Will there be cutoff dates for the start and end of the First World War era, or will this reflect the whole existence of a unit? If there are cutoff dates, how to indicate that a unit started before or ended after?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

: My notes on the original 'modelling' doc say 'If no start or end dates, assume it was applicable throughout the war'. It would be best to state it explicitly in the infobox, especially for automated imports. Would 'predates the war' and 'postdates the war' work in those circumstances? --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 06:53, 6 December 2014 (PST)

::How are dates formatted? Would it cause problems if a parameter value contained text that isn't part of a date? If not then "before 4/8/1914" and "after 31/12/1919" might be good to start with. These dates might be refined in future.--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:17, 6 December 2014 (PST)

::: The original Wikipedia templates seem to cope with text strings or dates (and the underlying code is PHP which should be able to tell the difference). --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:21, 8 December 2014 (PST)

==Size at full strength==

How precise does this need to be?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

: Indicative/approximate only - it's mostly for people new to WWI research or to the organisation of units by a particular country --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 06:12, 6 December 2014 (PST)

==Disbanded==

Does this duplicate end_date?--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

: I think it needs to go into 'unit changes', but I haven't sorted out whether one infobox format should deal with organisational changes as well as name changes as they are often, but not always linked. In the interests of not over-thinking things it might be best to have one infobox for 'unit changes' that can record name changes, disbanding, forming, etc --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 06:51, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:: We're now using the 'disbanded' field for a free text description of where and how the unit was disbanded. There's a similar one for 'created'. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

==Automatic wikilinks==

It might be useful if the template automatically turns the values of these parameters into wikilinks:

*country
*service
*type
*specific_type
--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:44, 6 December 2014 (PST)

:: I'll do it with the others (assuming I have time before the end of the week/my fellowship here) --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 10:22, 8 December 2014 (PST)

:::Doesn't matter when, as long as I know not to put link markup in myself. (That goes for anywhere else I've suggested this too.)--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 08:29, 9 December 2014 (PST)

:::: Some of this is now done. Some fields need multiple values, which is harder to do now the infoboxes aren't using Lua, but array maps would do it if we start using forms for editing. --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 05:20, 8 January 2017 (PST)

== Suggested list of types ==

This is a suggested list of values for the "type" field:

* Administration [for record offices and similar; could also cover Pay Corps]
* Air [planes, airships, balloons]
* Armoured [tanks and armoured cars]
* Artillery [including trench mortars]
* Cyclists [currently classed as mounted but might be better as their own thing]
* Engineering [anything involving construction, demolition or repairs]
* Formation [for division level and above because they contain diverse unit types even if nominally infantry or cavalry]
* Infantry
* Logistics [anything involving procuring or issuing supplies, or operating transport]
* Machine guns
* Medical [including nursing, dental and sanitary services, but not veterinary]
* Mounted [can cover cavalry, mounted infantry and camel troops]
* Police [for military or colonial police units]
* Ship
* Signals
* Training [currently used for officer cadet battalions]
* Veterinary

Not sure what to do with units that released gas from cylinders. Having a separate type for chemical weapons is awkward because lots of gas was delivered by artillery shells.

Anything else missing?
--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 10:50, 12 June 2015 (PDT)

== Citation parameters ==

We're already testing a citation parameter to automatically generate ref tags for the command structure infobox - see [[Template talk:Infobox command structure#Parameter for citation?]]. That uses one parameter to generate one footnote to cover the whole infobox, but this infobox is more complicated. It contains too much data for one footnote to be adequate as it wouldn't be clear which source relates to which fact, but a separate footnote for each parameter might be overkill and too much repetition. I'm thinking we could group facts together to be covered by a parameter-generated footnote. Maybe:

* one covering all of country, service, branch, type, specific_type and size
* one for start date and created
* one for end date and disbanded
* one for each official name, also including that name's start and end dates and reason for change
* one for all alternate names

--[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:38, 22 January 2017 (PST)

: It seems like the same sources are used for many statements, so grouping them together makes sense. If a particular statement is complicated then it could be discussed in the body of the article, with additional footnotes added to those sentences as on Wikipedia articles. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:20, 30 January 2017 (PST)

: By the way, I haven't commented on individual suggestions you've made over January 2017 but they all broadly seem like positive steps - thank you! --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:20, 30 January 2017 (PST)

== Tracking progress ==

We need better ways of representing how complete, accurate and well-referenced the data on a unit page is as this would help us to know how far the project has progressed, make it easier for volunteers to understand what needs doing, and provide better documentation for people who want to reuse the data. There are currently some templates and categories that do some of this, but not very well and they don't cover everything (eg {{tl|wo95import}} or [[:Category:British units needing name checks]]).

I'm thinking maybe we could add some extra parameters to this infobox that would have Yes/No values to indicate whether facts are complete, accurate and cite reliable sources. The template could also use these values to assign categories similar to [[:Category:Units with personal narratives|Units with personal narratives]] and [[:Category:Units needing personal narratives|Units needing personal narratives]].

They could be grouped something like this:

* one covering all of country, service, branch, type, specific_type and size
* one for start date, created, start date of first name, start date of first relationship
* one for end date, disbanded, end date of last name, end date of last relationship
* one for all name changes, including dates and reason for change
* one for all command relationships except start of the first and end of the last
* one for all theatres of war (except maybe start of the first and end of the last if they coincide with creation or disbanding)

This is slightly different from the grouping for footnotes but they're designed to do different things. The first of everything seems to go together because units will often have the same date and source for creation, first name and first command relationship.

I'm not sure how to display the data from these new fields in the infobox clearly. Any suggestions?

Is the list above too many extra parameters and too much detail? Could we get away with just one for the main infobox, one for all relationships and one for all theatres? Or would that be not enough detail? --[[User:GavinRobinson|GavinRobinson]] ([[User talk:GavinRobinson|talk]]) 07:38, 22 January 2017 (PST)

: Good questions! It depends how they're to be used, and how easy it is to spot where additional information is needed beyond the basics for dates, relationships and theatres. In other words, would much be lost between 'units with command relationships' and 'units without command relationships'? Even if it was, if there was always a call to add more detail where necessary, that might be if the purpose is to show where information is needed. --[[User:Mia|Mia]] ([[User talk:Mia|talk]]) 03:26, 30 January 2017 (PST)

Template talk:Infobox military unit

2017-01-30T11:20:32Z

Mia: /* Citation parameters */ Comment on citation parameters and thanks