Dick Eastman reported about the amazing Geneva WWI Red Cross Archive this morning – and I just had to check it out for myself. It seems that these records have been kept in file drawers in the dusty basement of the Red Cross Museum in Geneva, Switzerland for the last 90 years. As the years went by, the records seem to have been forgotten – and it’s said that no one so much as ever asks to see them. That’s all about to change. British Historian Peter Barton ran across the records just a short time ago while attempting to identify long-buried war dead. He gave BBC correspondent Robert Hall an interview in which he explained a bit about the collection. Now the world knows of their existence.
The collection is made up of cards, as well as battlefield reports that were initially compiled by the German Army. These records most likely had a British counterpart that now seems to have been lost. But the original German documents remain in the Red Cross Archives. About 20 Million World War I casualties are dealt with in the collection – many detailing the dead found on the battlefield, complete with the soldier’s name, number, rank, unit, and exactly where the person was found and buried. If the person was wounded, and captured, that information is also found in the Archive. It seems that records of soldiers from all the allied countries are to be found in the collection. I heard Barton mention New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, and Ireland has he was rustling through cards in one of the cabinets.
The Red Cross now plans to preserve and then digitize the collection, making the cards accessible to researchers worldwide. No time frame has been announced, but we will all be waiting…
The following links are to two separate multimedia files. The first is video, and the second, audio. They are different, with some overlap in the content. However, you need to check out both of them to get the story…
In the Red Cross War Dead Archive (Video)
Hope For WWI Identifications (Audio)
I know we’ve only just heard about this wonderful find in Geneva, but how many years are we looking at before we can consult them for lost relatives?
I’ve got one on the Menin Gate whose body was never found, and wondered if he’d be the sort of person who might show up?
I am the author of “A Struggle to Walk with Dignity” ISBN: 978-0- 9784982-0-7, and the grandson of Jamaican Police Inspector Herbert T. Thomas 1856 to 1930. He was the author of two books, and lost all his five sons from his first marriage who served in the British Army of WW-1. While doing my autobiography I did much research on these family members who served the British Empire. However because they were all white Jamaican’s their history of great service to the Empire disappeared. I would like to pass on this information free of cost to your organization for historic info & preservation, as it is deeply connected to the UK. I have documented the facts in my book so please visit this web site: http://www.bluebutterflybooks.ca just click on my title, Thank you.
I am in the process of putting about 850 pages of letters written by my 2 Great Aunts and Grandmother during the time perid of Sept. 1918 and Dec. 1921. My Great Aunt Rosalie O’Donnell was with the Red Cross and sent over seas in Sept of 1918 – she was in Berne Switzerland; Romania; Montanegro & Paris. Roe’s letters cover a tremendous amount of information (including names) of places and people she encountered while she was serving (including James Thurber). On the other hand, her two sisters kept her informed of everything that was going on in St. Louis MO, Chicago and the world. Fortunately for me, almost all the letters were typed. For any one interested in that time period these letters are a scholars dream. I currently have about 100 pages completed.
I have a red cross magazine october 1918 I would like to donate to your archive/museum if you are interested. I need a US address. It is complete but the spine is tattered and the front cover has a large tear and is loose at the top. The text block is yellowing.
john
The World After WW1 will be available on Amazon and/or createspace.com within the next two weeks. The kindle version should be available withing 48 hours (today is Aug 12, 2011). It is a book of letters written between 1918-1920 (see above). Gives a wonderful view of what the Red Cross was doing after WW1 ended.
‘The World After WW1, 1918 – 1921’ is now available on amazon. The letters give such a wonderful glimpse into the world at that time – and if anyone had relatives serving in the Red Cross it will give you a better feel for what they went through than any history book possibly could. Rosalie was in Bern during the revolution; headed from Romania when there were railroad strikes and Russians were crossing the border to excape from the ‘Reds’. Her descriptions of meeting the first returning POWs out of German prisons brought a lump to one’s throat and a feeling of great pride for our country and the men and woman who served her.
My cousin, Paul, just found Rosalie’s ‘memory book’ with pictures of the troop trains – the POWs reaching out from the train windows.
The Red Cross can certainly be proud of their achievements at the the time of WW1. And Rosalie gives names to many of those who served overseas.
All of the lost history of my grandfather Herbert Theodore Thomas 1856 to 1930, has been thankfully restored by Researchers and Genealogist in the UK & the USA. People like ; Alan Greveson and Madeleine Mitchell. These good people took the time to unlock the proud history of my white Jamaican grandfather who was the Author of two books, Police Inspector, Lecturer, Naturalist and Explorer. He gave his life to put Jamaica on the map, along with his service to the British Empire of that time. He also lost 3 sons in WW-1 and one after the war, who were all Jamaican born officers in the British Army, Navy and new RAF. All these brave men were my step-uncles from his first marriage. One of his 5 son’s did survive WW-1 as an officer in the Indian Army, and went on to serve in WW-2 in Malaya. He also had a daughter who became a “Lady” as her husband was knighted for his service. I am the grand son from Herbert’s second marriage to my black Jamaican grandmother who gave him 4 daughters, as he crossed the racial divide of that time because of pure love. I have written my life story so as to tell the whole truth about my family, and their contribution to society. My book “A Struggle To Walk with Dignity” publisher is Dundurn Canada, and is doing well around the world. However it is sad to say that my grandfather’s country Jamaica does not care to remember him. All the info on the Thomas family, and my life: Will be in a repository at York University in the Clara Thomas Archives in Toronto On. Canada- Head Archivist Michael B. Moir, with my thanks to all, Gerald.
For all researchers and readers interested in the lost and erased history of Jamaican Police Inspector Herbert Theodore Thomas. He served his country for 47 years and wrote three books in his life time along with his many other contributions. To get all the facts:
Just Google-User Pages (Info on Jamaican Police Inspector Herbert T. Thomas) and see for your self a history that needs to be preserved.
His grandson, Gerald A. Archambeau- author.