Military history goes online (From Witney Gazette)

Military history goes online

9:00am Wednesday 27th September 2006 in Witney By Ruth Keeling

MILITARY records spanning hundreds of years have been brought together thanks to a £50,000 grant.

The Soldiers of Oxfordshire Trust, a military heritage trust, has been able to compile an online catalogue of the many military documents and artefacts in the county thanks to money from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

War diaries, records of service, field orders and a unique atlas, containing plans of the principal battles fought by the British against Napolean's forces in the 1800s, are just some of the sources listed.

It is the first time that the trust, which unites the Oxfordshire Yeomanry, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, and Oxford University Officers Training Corps, has been able to bring together the three groups' collections.

Trust chairman, Brian Hook, said: "For the first time, thanks to the Heritage Lottery award, the trustees know exactly what they have in their collections of militaria and documents.

"This is great news for researchers and for anybody who is interested in finding out more about what their ancestors did for their country.

"Schools with local history projects will find the information very useful."

As well as the catalogue, Oxfordshire County Council is set to publish the first part of a volunteer project, which will list all those who ever served with the two county regiments.

Project manager, Major Hugh Babington Smith, said: "There are 40,000 names on the list, many with details of their final discharge from the army.

"There are thousands more to come.

"These names are the direct link between today's Oxfordshire people and their forebears, who contributed to this part of British history."

The grant also allowed for conservation work to be done, and a further phase of the project will see the creation of a joint county military museum.

To take a look at the catalogue, visit the website www.sofo.org.uk