69 replies to this topic

[skipman]

Have always wondered what the weather was like on a particular day during the Great war. I have been keeping a note of any mentions I have come across, and have added them to a free editable website. I don't know much about the workings of this, or whether-the-weather idea is a 'go-er' but if you think it's useful feel free to add/edit etc etc to it. If it won't work, dies a death, no harm done.

Great War Weather Reports

Mike

[Jim_Grundy]

Mike


Great idea.

Have you seen Chris McCarthy's Somme and Passchendaele day-by-day books? These give weather reports for each day of the respective battles.

Cheers,


Jim

[BillyH]

Gerald Gliddon's excellent book "Somme 1916 - A Battlefield Companion" also gives a pretty good weather report for the Somme, every day from November 1915 to November 1916.

BillyH

[ianjonescl]

skipman, on 31 December 2011 - 07:29 AM, said:

Have always wondered what the weather was like on a particular day during the Great war. I have been keeping a note of any mentions I have come across, and have added them to a free editable website. I don't know much about the workings of this, or whether-the-weather idea is a 'go-er' but if you think it's useful feel free to add/edit etc etc to it. If it won't work, dies a death, no harm done.

Great War Weather Reports

Mike

Mike


Can you have a look at the pages I have addedfor 1914 and August  to see if this looks ok. If so let me know and I will try to added the rest of the war as a framework.

There is a mechanism to set up templates which will be useful, I am trying to find out where you do this.


Ian

[Bardess]

How do you add another Regt where there is already an entry for a particular day please?

[ianjonescl]

Bardess, on 31 December 2011 - 12:18 PM, said:

How do you add another Regt where there is already an entry for a particular day please?

Suggestion ; Add a row to the table ?

We will probably make this up as we go along. If it works we can probaly add some guidelines.

• Edit page
• Right click on the row above the one to be added
• Pop  up box appears
• Addr row

[Bardess]

Thanks Ian [and Mike]. It's looking good

[ianjonescl]

Hope fol don't mind I am adding a framework which should help it become a useful source of information.

[ChrisC]

Well, it's a very interesting source but (and I know this is almost certainly my fault for not understanding how the site works), I have found it extremely irksome and almost impossible to add information.

I first saw when visiting, notes for all years but after I signed in I can only see a sidebar menu for 1914. I can't seem to be able to follow the instructions on the home page to add information because, firstly I cannot navigate to the page and secondly, I am asked to put in 2 passwords every time I attempt to enter information.

Think it's best if I write information & sources here and someone who does better in cyberspace enters it on what could be a very useful site.
C

[ianjonescl]

Chris


The technology ios not brilliant - however it has onw great advantage - its free.

It will take a bit of time to add the side bars for the other years.

The password verifcation is 'irksome'!!!! - not sure of Mike can swithch it off.

[ChrisC]

All from History of 1st Bn. SLI 1916-18
7th October 1916
The Brigade moved from Corbie to Meaulte on October 7th, on the 8th to Citadel Camp, and on the 9th
to bivouacs near Montauban. Heavy rain fell, and the roads were deep in mud.

17th October
On the I7th the Battalion moved up in support,relieving the ist Rifle Brigade, who went forward into the front line. H Company was attached and in support to the Rifle Brigade. It was a pouring wet night, and everybody was soaked to the skin.

18th October
The incessant rain made the trenches and the ground very difficult, and the attacking troops were further
handicapped by the darkness.

19th October
The next day, October 19th, was also very wet and cold.

20th October
There was a sharp frost during the night, and the men,who were wet through, suffered very much.

21st October
Was bitterly cold, and the condition of the mud went from bad to worse. Sec.-Lieut. C. V. H. Blofield was evacuated in a condition of collapse.

24th October
was also a wretched day.

18th December
a hard frost set in (Somme)

16th Jan 1917
A thaw now set in, with the result that all the trenches,previously fairly good, fell in and became full of mud and water.(Suzanne)

C

[Kate Wills]

Always good to see the birth of a new Great War resource.

Will this be confined to the Western Front?

[skipman]

Kate Wills, on 31 December 2011 - 03:02 PM, said:

Always good to see the birth of a new Great War resource.

Will this be confined to the Western Front?

No limits Kate. Not sure how to start a Balkans thread, or Mespot, but am sure it's possible? I suppose anyone could open a new 'website' on any subject, and add a link.

It's actually Ian who found the technology, and as he says, we will probably make it up as we go along. Many thanks Ian. Ian, I thought the password bit might be useful, as without it, anyone could add anything, with a password, hopefully it will be confined to those who are genuinely interested. Is it not just like logging into the forum? I have little knowledge of how it all works, but will learn.

Will catch up with this soon.

Cheers Mike

[ianjonescl]

I have added the framework for the years - and added all the months for 1916.

Not the most brilliant of technology - but it works. Hopefully easier once we get all the months in place.

I have added Chris' entries

[skipman]

ianjonescl, on 31 December 2011 - 11:21 AM, said:

Mike


Can you have a look at the pages I have addedfor 1914 and August  to see if this looks ok. If so let me know and I will try to added the rest of the war as a framework.

There is a mechanism to set up templates which will be useful, I am trying to find out where you do this.


Ian

You're doing good Ian. I'm a bit out of my depth, but am happy to let those who know, work on it. I will add what I can to Frankenstein's baby.  

Cheers Mike

[skipman]

Jim_Grundy, on 31 December 2011 - 09:10 AM, said:

Mike


Great idea.

Have you seen Chris McCarthy's Somme and Passchendaele day-by-day books? These give weather reports for each day of the respective battles.

Cheers,


Jim

Thanks Jim. Have not seen the books you mention. Perhaps some day, I or someone might add the information.

Cheers Mike

[ChrisC]

Thanks for updating, Ian.
C

[GRUMPY]

Surely the Met Office has OFFICIAL AUTHORITATIVE data? With measurements, not subjective reactions?

There were a goodly number of Met Men deployed for various reasons.

I must declare an interest: ex-Chief Met Officer British Forces Germany 1989 to 1995-ish.

[4thGordons]

GRUMPY, on 31 December 2011 - 06:33 PM, said:

Surely the Met Office has OFFICIAL AUTHORITATIVE data? With measurements, not subjective reactions?

There were a goodly number of Met Men deployed for various reasons.

I must declare an interest: ex-Chief Met Officer British Forces Germany 1989 to 1995-ish.

I search for western front weather reports for ages. There is a thread on it somewhere. I tried contacting the author of the Somme day by day etc to see where they found their information and got no response
I was able to find a full day by day detailed set of weather reports from the French met office and took a station on the outskirts of Paris 9I think!) - and used that as a surrogate.

I have all those reports day by day for the whole war as a set of .pdfs

I never did discover anything from the UK. I'll try and find the thread and link it here.
Chris

[Terry_Reeves]

The GHQ war diaries have daily weather reports taken from various weather stations within the BEF, although they are not complete.

TR

[4thGordons]

Terry_Reeves, on 31 December 2011 - 07:17 PM, said:

The GHQ war diaries have daily weather reports taken from various weather stations within the BEF, although they are not complete.

TR

As Terry says.... I had forgotten he had provided me with this information previously (sorry Terry)
HERE IS THE THREAD

[Bardess]

I have edited some of the typo's [dates mainly] but can't access 15 and 18 or the heading 'Development of Meteorology'.

[Bardess]

Mike, have you considered adding a site counter?

[skipman]

Bardess, on 01 January 2012 - 12:10 PM, said:

Mike, have you considered adding a site counter?

A what?

Diane, if you reckon it's a good idea, and you can do it-'make it so'  

Cheers Mike

[Bardess]

Have a look here