References and Sources for this Website:
The “Burnt Documents”:
Documents relating to some six million soldiers who served in World War I were retained after the war. During World War 2 the store in which they were kept was hit by enemy bombing and some two-thirds of the records were destroyed. The rest were badly damaged by fire and water, but were nevertheless retained.
During the 1990s with the help of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund the painstaking job was undertaken of trying to retrieve as much of the information as possible from these documents.
The result is the series of so-called Burnt Documents, which are available for consultation on microfilm at the National Archives at Kew, although, by subscription, can be viewed using online sites.
Wherever possible, reference has been made these surviving papers to document the Service History of the men named on the Buxton Memorials. Where available invaluable data can be gleaned – date and place of enlistment, age and occupation, where served, when and where posted (even height, weight, colour of hair and eyes).
The Commonwealth War Graves [CWGC]:
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission was the successor to the “Imperial War Graves Commission” (IWGC) and as part of its mandate, is responsible for commemorating all Commonwealth war dead individually and equally. To this end, the war dead are commemorated by name on either a headstone, at an identified site of a burial, or on a memorial. War dead are commemorated in a uniform and equal fashion, irrespective of 
military or civil rank, race or creed.
For each name on the site access to the burial or memorial place can be accessed by clicking the CWGC logo (right) in the top right corner of his/her page.
Equally more general information about the Cemetery or Memorial, including other burials and commemorations, can be accessed via the site name on the individual page.
The Western Front Association [WFA]:
For a modest annual subscription, Western Front Association members receive a wide range of benefits including regular, high-quality publications “Stand To!” and “Bulletin” six times a year, access to the Stand To! archive, Gun Fire Archive, Military Factsheets and the Pension Records database.
In 2012 the WFA stepped in to save from destruction over 6,000,000 pension records of men who served in the Great War.
These records – the WFA’s ‘Pension Record Cards and Ledgers‘ (PRCs) – are now available to view via Ancestry.co.uk – the records being on their ‘Fold 3‘ site. [N.B. As well as being a member of ‘Ancestry’, to view the PRCs you also need to be a member of the W.F.A.]
Pension Records reveal next-of-kin details, addresses at the time and in many cases details of wounds received in action.
The Great War Forum [GWF]:
This site would never have been completed without the generosity in time, resources and encouragement of my Forum ‘pals’, who have provided me with photos of men, memorials and graves, plus many details from War Diaries and Official Regimental Histories.
The cost alone in having to buy these resources would have made the whole Project prohibitive. [Click the logo to have a look at the site.]
World War 2 Talk [WW2 Talk]:
Similarly, as this site develops into WW2 Buxton casualties, it would never have been completed without the generosity in time, resources and encouragement from members of this Forum supplying details from War Diaries and Official Regimental Histories.
[Click the logo to have a look at the site.]
Graves and Memorials:
‘The British War Graves’ [BWG], ‘The War Graves Photographic Project’ [TWGPP] and Asia War Graves:
As stated on the Home Page, over 80% of the graves of Buxton’s World War 1 fallen have been personally visited. During World War 2 many more Buxton casualties came from the North Africa and Far East Theatres of War and so many fewer graves and memorials have been personally visited.
I have relied on the work of the volunteers from this three sites to provide me with the relevant photos of graves and memorials.
Published Material:
To anyone who would prefer to read an actual ‘book’ rather than a web page – I would recommend buying:
“Buxton, Burbage, Chelmorton, Harpur Hill, Peak Dale, King Sterndale and Wormhill Remembered. The Sacrifice Made by the Families of the High Peak During the Great War 1914 – 1919” – Keith Taylor [2014] ISBN 978-1-906789-99-2 [Click the book to read more.]
In 2015 Keith published the second volume of this series: “Buxton, Burbage, Chelmorton, Earl Sterndale, Fairfield, Harpur Hill, Peak Dale, King Sterndale, Taddington and Wormhill Remembered – with 760 black and white photos 1920s-1950s.” [Click the book to read more.]
Published Material (Online):
Wherever possible, when a published or website source has been accessed, a link is included to the online IP address, either within the text or in the “Sources” box at the foot of each page.
However, from time to time these sites are taken down, become defunct, or have their IP address modified. The result is the link may no longer work.
If you come across one of these links please use the 
link and we will endeavour to find a more up to date one.
Photographs:
Most of the photographs of Buxton’s fallen have been taken from microfilm versions of “The Buxton Advertiser” and the “High Peak News“, contained in Buxton Library, Local Studies.
As a result the quality of many is of a poor standard, however, it was felt that better a poor photograph than none at all! A few have been kindly provided by family members, whilst others come from contemporary sources, such as ‘The Sphere‘ or ‘War Illustrated’.
Purchasing Power:
Many accounts of the men and women in this site contains published financial details, such as the value of money returned to families (from “The Register of Soldiers Effects“, amounts awarded to parents and spouses in Pensions, and the legacies calculated for Probate (i.e. the what assets the deceased person owned).
To give some indication of the relative value of these amounts in ‘modern’ terms (last reviewed 2021/2), the relative purchasing power has been used based on the average inflation rate between then and now.
Much depends on the dates as well, for example: £5 in 1914 is equivalent in purchasing power to about £615 today, whereas £5 in 1919 is equivalent in purchasing power to only about £275 today.
So, a widow’s Pension of 12s 6d (£0.625) per week, awarded to a widow of a man killed in 1914 would equate to about £65 per week today. The same Pension awarded in 1918 is equivalent in purchasing power to only about £30 today.
If you have any further information that you would be willing to share about any of the individuals commemorated on this site – please go to the CONTACT page on the Menu Bar.
Let Those Who Come After See To It That Their Names Are Not Forgotten.
