Lives of the first World War

[ankerdine]

Great news.

Judy

[Manchester Rambler]

I agree with previous comments that it's heavy going to add info, and it's not immediately obvious how to get past the "pay wall", where it seems impossible to get any further without paying (again!) for records which you can access elsewhere...  However, I think the basic idea is really worthwhile, and with the help of an excellent blog, I've now managed to record details of various rellies who served in the British Army and CEF.  (I'm waiting for them to add Royal Navy/Marines now...)

If (like me) you're finding it hard to get started, I thoroughly recommend checking out this blog and the links mentioned: http://barnsleyhistorian.blogspot.fr/2014/05/lives-of-first-world-war-helpful-hints.html

Rambler

[LizzieL]

Have just received an email from FindMyPast with a link to get free access to Lives of the First World War through my FindMyPast site, so looked at the site for the first time.
The email tells me that 1 year's access is usually £50.
So have I got this right. Subscribers to Lives of the First World War pay £50 per year to add information to a site using source records which they have already paid for from FindMyPast or commercial genealogy sites or National archive, GRO etc. 
I may have missed the point of the site.

[Manchester Rambler]

If you already have access to military records elsewhere (eg via Ancestry, etc), there's no need to pay the LWW1 subscription - you just add the details you have as "external references". 

[LizzieL]

But as far as I can see, there are no records on LWW1 apart from what subscribers have added to it. If I search for either of my grandfathers or my great uncles who served in the first world war, all I get is name regiment and service number which I already know. One of my husband's great uncles changed regiments during the war and only one of the regiments is shown, so not even this information is totally complete. If I had subscribed to the site at £50 per annum, I would be very disappointed as it would have given even less information than we already have through records kept by our families let alone any purchased through other subscription sites

[rosie99]

I got the impression that the Imperial War Museum are after us helping them to complete this web site as some sort of 'tribute' rather than it being a family history look up site which I don't have a problem with even if it is tied in with the FindMyPast group. I just hope it does not get filled up with lots of incorrect information like online trees.

I just need Royal Marine records on there 

I have taken advantage of FindMyPast's free 12 month offer to the site though

[Manchester Rambler]

As rosie says, it's not intended as a lookup site - the idea is to build a "permanent digital memorial" to all who served.

https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/about

[LizzieL]

I just hope it does not get filled up with lots of incorrect information like online trees.

Just checked one of my great uncles. The "official source" listed for his DOB is his attestation papers (viewable on line). Yes - they have correctly transcribed the dob on those papers - but not crosschecked them with his birth registration where they would discover that the year of birth was different.
So first bit of incorrect information I have found and from an "official source"!.
Since it was well known many men too young to officially join up lied about their age to get into the forces, I don't expect this will be an isolated incident.

For both my grandfathers the only official record available is a transcript of their medal cards. No service records available on the site, although I have the records of one of them through Ancestry.
 

[LizzieL]

As rosie says, it's not intended as a lookup site - the idea is to build a "permanent digital memorial" to all who served.

https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/about

So if it's not a look up site, what would I get for my £50 per year sub (if I hadn't got 12 months free through FindMyPast).?