Wednesday, July 20, 2016

We Were There Too - Jewish Londoners in WW1

A new resource designed to honour the lives of Jewish Londoners involved in the First World War has launched online.
Unveiled at Bevis Marks Synagogue on Thursday 30 June, We Were There Too enables users to share and search for details of ancestors who served overseas and on the Home Front, ranging from soldiers to nurses.
The site also provides access to an array of historic photographs, video clips and documents, as well as a memorial wall that allows people to light a virtual Yahrzeit candle – traditionally lit on the anniversary of a loved one’s death.
 We Were There Too provides an insight into Jewish life in London in the early part of the 20th century and gives easy access to a number of diverse research sources, brought together for the first time, for personal exploration. As the site develops, more collections of rare material will be added, so revisit the site to see what's new.

Monday, July 18, 2016

The Second Air Division Digital Archive

The Second Air Division Digital Archive gathers together more than 30,000 historic photographs, letters, diaries and memoirs relating to members of the Second Air Division of the United States Air Force.
One of three divisions of the Eighth United States Army Air Force (USAAF), at its full strength the organisation controlled 14 heavy bomber airfields in Norfolk and north-east Suffolk, along with five fighter airfields. Sadly, nearly 7,000 of its personnel lost their lives in the line of duty between 1942 and 1945.
Split into sections such as ‘Aircraft and Equipment’, ‘Places’ and ‘War and Remembrance’, notable documents found by browsing the site include a mission diary kept by Richard Vincent of the 445th Bomb Group (Tibenham), plus letters of condolence received following a fatal training session crash that killed nine crew.
However, the resource also provides access to more lighthearted records, showing the close links between the airmen and local communities. An entire sub-section is devoted to war brides and weddings, while an extensive photo gallery reveals how airmen held a rodeo event at Norwich City FC’s Carrow Road ground.
The digitization of these records has been made possible through a generous donation from the legacy of Bernard Newmark, a veteran of the 458th Bomb Group (Horsham St Faith) made through the Second Air Division Memorial Trust.