SCRoll work continues after WWI centenary
World War I Centennial commemorations have been well and truly over for some time now.
One of the South Canterbury Museum’s biggest projects over that time was the development of the SCRoll database. But while the centennial commemorations came to an end, the work didn’t.
SCRoll now comprises more than 3500 biographies. While some records are relatively brief and to the point, awaiting deeper research, many offer in-depth stories.
Many are also accompanied by a rich collection of illustrations and digitised files. While the museum oversees and manages the project, the project could not have achieved so much without the aid of several dozen volunteers and members of the public.
Some volunteers gave their time for a short while, while others have been, and remain, absolute superstars in their efforts to bring these men and women’s stories to light.
All of the volunteers’ efforts have been a crucial factor in the project success. Members of the public, usually descendants, have also shared their knowledge and personal collections – even this week we have received several submissions with some awesome new content. These have often given insights and added intensely personal touches to some stories. Again, without these, the project could not have become as rich and as in-depth as it has.
We no longer publish weekly articles highlighting individual stories, and the volunteer team has reduced to a small core of dedicated individuals (whom I don’t think we can thank enough). But the work isn’t over – not by a long shot.
Many profiles are still in development. Even better, public submissions still roll in – even if not in the almost overwhelming numbers we experienced around the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings.
So if you had family associated with South Canterbury who served in WWI and haven’t looked, then do so. If they don’t appear on the project, tell us.
If they do and you have something to add, or even correct, tell us. As mentioned at the start of this article, the centennial may be over, but work on commemorating these men and women’s stories is ongoing.