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From: "carole lubbers" <>
Subject: Re: [Redruth] Fwd: [SHETLAND] FW: [CUL] WORLD WAR I MEDAL INDEX CARDS
Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 11:48:21 -0500
References: <20050313113724.28221.qmail@web11608.mail.yahoo.com>


Would it be possible that a family history society could buy these?
Possibly a large library might have funds to purchase? Carole in USA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Christine Tillett" <>
To: <>
Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2005 6:37 AM
Subject: [Redruth] Fwd: [SHETLAND] FW: [CUL] WORLD WAR I MEDAL INDEX CARDS


>
> --- Janice Halcrow <> wrote:
>> From: "Janice Halcrow" <>
>> Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 10:06:59 -0000
>> To:
>> Subject: [SHETLAND] FW: [CUL] WORLD WAR I MEDAL
>> INDEX CARDS
>>
>> I picked this up on the Cumberland Mailing List,
>> thought some of you might
>> be interested, note also the comments about the 1911
>> census.
>>
>> Janice
>>
>> > Start of quote:
>> > As we go to press, it has come to my attention
>> that in April the MOD
>> > intends to destroy some 6 million records of
>> medals issued to WW1
>> > personnel. I think you will agree that we cannot
>> let them do so.
>> >
>> > Our military expert Paul Reed has been looking
>> into the matter and it
>> > appears that the private facility used by the MOD
>> to hold the records at
>> > Hayes wants to relocate and charge the MOD for
>> moving the cards. The
>> > MOD's response is to get rid of the 140 filing
>> cabinets that contain the
>> > 4-6 cards. The National Archives doesn't want to
>> take on the cards
>> > because it has already microfiched them and the
>> microfiche has been
>> > digitally scanned (see
>> www.documentsonline.nationalarchives.gov.uk).
>> >
>> > This isn't good enough. This is the only complete
>> and untouched record
>> > of First World War soldiers left. Other service
>> records were burned
>> > during WW2. Only the fronts of the cards have been
>> scanned and we
>> > believe that written on the back of many of these
>> cards is the address
>> > that the medals were sent to. Often, it isn't
>> possible to determine
>> > whether the record of the medals issued relates to
>> your ancestor or
>> > another person without checking this address.
>> >
>> > First, the cards need to be preserved. They then
>> need to be scanned
>> > properly, front and back, and re-indexed. If the
>> National Archives
>> > won't step in, perhaps someone else will. The
>> Imperial War Museum? The
>> > Veteran's Association?
>> >
>> > The MOD claims its holds copyright on the cards
>> and that it can do what
>> > it wishes with them. I'd argue that these cards
>> are part of the
>> > nation's heritage. They are public records, and
>> I'd remind the MOD that
>> > the descendants of WW1 soldiers pay their taxes.
>> The cards remind us of
>> > the enormous sacrifice and loss incurred by men
>> and women in this
>> > country during WW1, and of their bravery in
>> adversity. They enable the
>> > children and grandchildren of those who died, and
>> those who survived, to
>> > find out some of
>> > the lost details of their forebears.
>> >
>> > To save the cards we must take action. We're
>> instituting a campaign to
>> > urge the Minister of Defence, Geoff Hoon, and the
>> Director of the
>> > National Archives, Sarah Tyacke, to prevent the
>> destruction of these
>> > records straight away. Address your letter to us
>> and we'll pass it on
>> > to these authorities:
>> > Rt Hon Geoff Hoon & Sarah Tyacke
>> > Save the Medal Index Cards
>> > c/o Your Family Tree
>> > 30 Monmouth Street
>> > Bath BA1 2BW
>> > Alternatively, send an email headed 'Save the
>> Medal Index Cards' to us
>> > at <>. Do it now - the
>> records are due to be
>> > destroyed in April.
>> >
>> > Garrick Webster,
>> > Editor, Your Family Tree"
>> >
>> > End of quote
>> >
>> > I apologise for typos in the above. As we know
>> now that the 1911 census
>> > is in one almighty mess with the enumerator's
>> books lost and the
>> > household schedules badly damaged, the thought of
>> yet another valuable -
>> > priceless - resource being deliberately destroyed
>> is beyond belief.
>> > Such destruction will prevent those following in
>> our footsteps in family
>> > history research in generations to come from
>> achieving their goals.
>> >
>> > If you wish to post this to other lists, please
>> feel free to use the
>> > above.
>>
>>
>
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>
>
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