CWGC WW2 Air Forces Database (120633+ / 98.5% Done!) Just 1800 (< 1.5%) to go!

**Jagan** · 19th May 2016, 02:08

Since the CWGC site allows one to 'download' all the data - I have decided to build my very own tool that is easy to use to query.. Please give this a try and provide feedback..

http://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/

It does not give all the data that CWGC has - eg Additional data of next of kin, or grave location or the documents.. etc For that you still need to go to the CWGC Site and run the query engine..

but its very useful to narrow down search based on names, year of death, unit or cemetery/memorial location. The tool supports multiple "AND" queries to progressively narrow down the search

**Jagan** · 20th May 2016, 23:32

Couple of enhancements made to the tool.

1. Clicking on

next to a name will Google Search that name, rank, unit, location etc - hopefully even find you the CWGC page on the CWGC Site.
2. The Date, Unit, Country and Cemetery appear as link. clicking on a link in a record will apply that as a "drill down" query.. to the rest of the results set.
3. Bottom of the page has a section that makes it easy to copy the 'link address' for that query page.

**PeteT** · 21st May 2016, 09:34

Jagan

An interesting project.

One question, which stems from a problem that I have when I pull out CWGC information for my History of No 35 Squadron project using the CWGC search facility, are you able to pick up the "trade" field?

Regards

Pete

**Ross_McNeill** · 21st May 2016, 12:01

Hi Pete,

I had a play with this using Google a few years back.

All very rough and ready and needs a bit of variant cycling to get over the various ways the same info is stored in the CWGC databases

For example A/Gs

Fire up google and put the following into the search box

"Air Gunner" "35 Sqdn" site:http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty

"Air Gnr" "35 Sqdn" site:http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty

etc

same problem for Navigator - filed under Nav, Nav., Navigator, Nav/Bomber, Nav./Bomber

In fact all the fields you want to search on all have variants and include mis scan characters of ?, /, . etc

I thought the only way was to buildup a lexicon for search terms which would cycle through the possible combinations then filter for duplicates.

Ross

Ross

**PeteT** · 21st May 2016, 13:58

Thanks Ross

Based on your feedback, as a non techie, I can understand that a reliable search facility on the "trade" field may be quite complicated but I was wondering if it would be practical for Jagan to list the "trade" field content as part of the download record for each airman?

This is a useful field which CWGC does not include in its download for some reason

Regards

Pete

**Jagan** · 21st May 2016, 15:20

Hi Pete, unfortunately they haven't provided the "Trade" in the download file - thus it didnt make it into the data.

The workaround would be to write an automation script that would search the CWGC site against each individual record (of the 124000) and fetch the trade data (so that it can be added to this). Very likely that is against the terms of usage for the CWGC site and they will probably block me!

**PeteT** · 21st May 2016, 15:31

Jagan

I have contacted CWGC to see if "trade" can be included in its download facility.

Regards

Pete

**PeteT** · 23rd May 2016, 15:20

UPDATE:

I received the following response from the CWGC today:

"The inclusion of trades within data exports from the CWGC website is due to be implemented when the website is next enhanced. Unfortunately, our web manager cannot give a definite timescale on this but it is hoped to be within the next month or so"

Regards

Pete