War Diaries Talk

Need some #DailyZoo suggestions

  • DZM by DZM admin

    I know that you guys regularly find amazing stuff that goes up on your Facebook page, but are there any things that particulary stand out above everything else as cool enough for OWD's turn to be featured on the Daily Zooniverse? (daily.zooniverse.org)

    If so, please tag it with #dailyzoo, and post some suggestions here. Thanks!!

    Posted

  • HeatherC by HeatherC moderator

    Presumably it needs to have a real visual impact on the daily page? So are we looking for pictures and diagrams?

    Posted

  • DZM by DZM admin

    Visual is preferred, but I've done things that have been entirely text-based before as well. For instance--preview!--I just uploaded a ship's log from Old Weather that managed to have three separate systems break down while they were in a place called "Goodnews Bay." It's not visually interesting, but it's ironically funny.

    Most of all, it needs to be unique, interesting, moving, funny... something along any of those lines!

    Posted

  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    We'll keep our eyes peeled!

    Posted

  • DZM by DZM admin

    Thank you!

    I'm trying to feature every project in a rotation to some degree, so I certainly don't want to leave out OWD! 😃

    Posted

  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    It's not new, but how about this: http://blog.operationwardiary.org/2014/09/17/faces-of-the-war-diaries-stars-of-the-silver-screen/

    Posted

  • josiepegg by josiepegg

    I wasn't sure how you wanted to do this - yesterday I tagged a page #DailyZoo - it is a good trench map image and also features Blackadder Barricade

    Posted

  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    Excellent! Thanks, Josie. Does that work for you, Darren?

    Posted

  • DZM by DZM admin

    Thanks for the ideas so far; they're great!

    I've created a tag group to collect them: http://talk.operationwardiary.org/#/collections/CWDL00000q

    Anything that you tag as #dailyzoo will go right there.

    Thank you!!

    Posted

  • 141Dial34 by 141Dial34

    page you asked for

    Posted

  • DZM by DZM admin

    Thank you! I'll tag it as #dailyzoo (remember that you can do so, too, to recommend any image for the Daily Zooniverse!)

    Posted

  • DZM by DZM admin

    (Saving the Facebook page post text for my own reference:)

    The Royal Horse Artillery provided highly mobile fire support to units on the Western Front, but that's not all they got up to. On the 22nd of October, 1914 they were also busy searching for spies in the old Chateau of Hollebeke. Determined not to come away empty-handed, they arrested the butler!
    You can read the original diary page describing these events here: http://talk.operationwardiary.org/#/subjects/AWD0001a1j
    Uncover more First World War stories at http://www.operationwardiary.org/

    Posted

  • edinflo by edinflo

    I don't know if this is of interest?

    Ways of preventing frostbite (which the Gurkha Rifles seem to have been exceedingly prone to in the winter of 14-15) including wearing sandbags stuffed with straw and whale oil being issued and "well rubbed into" feet and legs: http://talk.operationwardiary.org/#/subjects/AWD0002y05

    I've tagged it with #dailyzoo

    Posted

  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    Thanks. I'm sure Darren will check in to see what daily zoo offerings we can make him.

    Posted

  • DZM by DZM admin in response to edinflo's comment.

    Exceptionally cool!

    I'm awful at reading cursive... Could anyone perhaps transcribe at least one pertinent paragraph of that page for me?

    I'll be sure to give you credit in a #dailyzoo post!

    Posted

  • marie.eklidvirginmedia.com by marie.eklidvirginmedia.com

    I have transcribed for you in response to edinflo's comment regarding the page he posted - is this the page you require transcribing?

    2/3/1915..." In addition to this, short sheepskin jackets were issued in December. These could not be worn under accoutrements as the belts were not big enough. The men liked these while in the trenches and could carry them for short marches in and out of the trenches. They were not really necessary. About half were lost on 20th December and the rest were put into store at Lillers, when the Battalion left Floringhem.

    When in the trenches in November and December, as a precaution for frostbite at night, men wore a sandbag full of straw on each foot and leg. In January for the same purpose, whale oil was issued and feet and legs well rubbed with this. It was found most efficacious and men used it freely and willingly. Balaclavas were preferred to felt hats while in the trenches until the rain began and then felt hats were again taken into use, as they prevent rain running down the neck...."

    Posted

  • SarahtheEntwife by SarahtheEntwife

    http://talk.operationwardiary.org/#/collections/CWDS0001dp

    Three detailed descriptions of bridge demolitions by the 23rd Field Company Royal Engineers, with amazing little diagrams and sketches.

    And this possibly lacks the proper visual punch, but was a marvelous little moment of the adjutant suddenly very clearly being a real person, in this case an entertainingly detail-oriented one:
    http://static.zooniverse.org/www.operationwardiary.org/subjects/standard/54298c9d3ae740ebe6001283.jpg

    In the fourth line the adjutant starts to write of another unit, "they are the unit who we are messed with at Richebourg", but then the "who" is crossed out and replaced with "with whom". Because we may be stuck in the trenches in WWI, but darnit grammar is important. 😉

    Posted

  • edinflo by edinflo in response to marie.eklid@virginmedia.com's comment.

    It's 'she' actually, but thanks for transcribing!

    Posted

  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist in response to SarahtheEntwife's comment.

    I love these little touches of personality which come through! Some of the diaries are full of them, but for the drier ones it can be like gold dust when you stumble across one.

    Posted

  • DZM by DZM admin in response to marie.eklid@virginmedia.com's comment.

    Thank you very much! Thank you all! 😃

    Posted

  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    A nice aerial photo for the Daily Zoo?

    http://talk.operationwardiary.org/#/subjects/AWD0001hvl

    Posted

  • DZM by DZM admin

    Thanks, @ral104 -- I really like that pic! I'll add it to the file. Thank you!

    Posted

  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    Great!

    I should have said, this came from the efforts of marie and josie.pegg.

    Posted

  • marie.eklidvirginmedia.com by marie.eklidvirginmedia.com

    POSSIBLE SUGGESTION FOR A NEW BLOG - Details of Equipment carried by Carrying Parties.

    I wonder if you and maybe zooniverse would be interested in this for a new blog post. The page, part of an order, gives a detailed list of all the equipment the men have to carry for a particular operation. I am amazed at how much planning and organisation goes into these operations. An example is shown on the page referenced below for the Diary of the 13th Brigade Machine Gun Company. It mentions that extra rations for breakfast will be issued for Z day. I think the men would need them. http://talk.operationwardiary.org/#/subjects/AWD0001hzz

    Posted

  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    Thanks, Marie. Very interesting page.

    The blog has suffered a bit from inattention this month, but I'll add this to the list of interesting things to write posts about.

    Posted