* Military History Fact Set /Narrative Reports

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klm2OUMK
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Military History Fact Set /Narrative Reports

Post by klm2OUMK »

I have just received all my uncle's Army Service Records from 1923 - 1945 from Army Personnel Centre in Glasgow.

Can you please advise :-
- best method of recording Individual Military History Facts Sets on FH7?
- best way of Individual Summary & Family Summary Narrative Reporting of military service?

I have just been trying to set up Military History Fact Set but dont know if I have correctly downloaded and installed correctly?

I have found Fact Types and Extended Set but I dont know to progress from here? This would be useful to fill in Military records such as Enlisted, Regiment, Postings etc

Noticed a Military Custom Tab where I can fill alot of details of my uncle's service records but I dont know how to access it?
This would be useful to fill in facts such as Attestation ,Campaign Medals etc.

Once I feel that I can comfortably use these useful tools then my next step is to work out the best way to produce an individual narrative report using word processor incorporating some of these facts as evidence,? Thank you
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ColeValleyGirl
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Re: Military History Fact Set /Narrative Reports

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

To an extent, it depends on how often you're going to need to record Military Service Facts, and if/how you're going to analyse the data if you have a lot of military people to record.

My grandfather served (if that's the right word for a compulsive deserter) from 1928 to 1946 and has a voluminous service record. From this, I recorded:
  • His Occupation on enlistment
  • His Physical Description on enlistment (all the detail went in the local note for the fact)
  • A Military Service fact (from the Extended set) with a long note summarising his service (or lack of it).
  • His residence when he demobbed
I wrote a longer narrative for my web site: https://www.colevalleygirl.co.uk/work-i ... definition

I also have ancestors/relatives who served in World War 1, and I take the same approach, -- even the medals I put in the note rather than as a separate fact.

I know others break the information down into many more facts, but this works for me, because I'm not interested in analysing the data, just presenting it in a readable form.
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LornaCraig
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Re: Military History Fact Set /Narrative Reports

Post by LornaCraig »

ColeValleyGirl wrote: 13 May 2021 09:02 My grandfather served ..... from 1828 to 1946 and has a voluminous service record.
Gosh, that's 118 years! No wonder it was a voluminous service record. :lol:
Lorna
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ColeValleyGirl
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Re: Military History Fact Set /Narrative Reports

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

:oops: Thanks, Lorna.
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klm2OUMK
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Re: Military History Fact Set /Narrative Reports

Post by klm2OUMK »

Interesting narrative on your website. Certainly one possible solution to think about.

The Army Records in Glasgow sent me 16 A3 sheets of 'detailed' Military History Records of my uncle. He served in the 1st Kings Dragoons as a Cavalry man in India because of his love for horses.

At the outbreak of WW2 the cavalry was mechanized and he was sent to Belgium with the B.E.F. He was injured on the Dunkirk beaches in 1940 but managed to return to Blighty on one of the little ships. He ended his war in the R.A.V.C before demob.

He served for 31 years and was accepted into the Royal Chelsea Hospital and became a Chelsea Pensioner.

I would like to record most of this war record Fact Set on FH7 using the Military History . Can you please let me know how to download and install this Extended Set and then how to use it to enter all this data about my uncle, thank you
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ColeValleyGirl
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Re: Military History Fact Set /Narrative Reports

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

Go to Tools > Fact Types and select the Extended Set where it says Fact Set (It's installed as standard). You may need to Show Hidden.

However, there is a more extensive Military Fact set at Military History which works with the Military tab at Military; you'd install the tab using File > Import/Export > Import > Property Box Tab.

If I were you I'd wait to hear from people who take a more detailed approach to recording the data than I do, before making up your mind.
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klm2OUMK
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Re: Military History Fact Set /Narrative Reports

Post by klm2OUMK »

Yes I will wait to see if there are any more ideas from experienced users, thank you. I would like to do justice using all the valuable war records of my uncle
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AdrianBruce
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Re: Military History Fact Set /Narrative Reports

Post by AdrianBruce »

I'd like to reinforce what Helen says about not creating loads of military-related facts.

Having lots of different types of military-related facts means that it's easier to do queries - for instance, you might want to run a query analysing the different ranks held by 2 or 3 dozen of your relatives and you might discover that you had 24 privates, 6 corporals, and 3 sergeants. However, if you only have a handful of soldiers - and you appear to be initially thinking about just your uncle - queries aren't the most useful item in the tool kit. Instead, you need to think about how you intend to get data out - and think about it before you put any in!

What I have found is that I can get a long way by having just one military service fact per person's assignment to a unit. And then put all the narrative detail into the note for the corresponding fact. So in your case it might be:
  • Military Service - value 1st Kings Dragoon Guards - date from (his start date) to 1937 - note to include why he joined the cavalry, where he served, etc;
  • Military Service - value 1st Kings Dragoon Guards - date from 1937 to (his end of service in the KDG) - note to explain that the regiment mechanised in 1937 (I'm cribbing off Wikipedia here!), that he served with the BEF; his story of Dunkirk;
  • Military Service - value RAVC - date from (his start date) to (his demob date) - note to include whatever else is useful, including his final date(s) in the Army;
That's just one possibility - I split the KDG service into two facts relating to horse or mechanised. Another possibility is to split it into pre-WW2 and WW2 - or even not split it at all.

Doing it this way means that you keep closer to a narrative structure throughout, rather than breaking things down into highly detailed facts, only to assemble them back up into a readable narrative later on.

I would really encourage anyone to consider carefully if they need to break stuff down into the level of detail that the various(?) Military Fact Sets allow. Or whether they can just use notes to a more sensible, readable form.
Adrian
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klm2OUMK
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Re: Military History Fact Set /Narrative Reports

Post by klm2OUMK »

Thank you Adrian and Helen for your sound advise on this new area for me on FH7 . At the moment I have only 1 individual and no need for queries. It is important for me to think before I enter in any data and then how I get data out?

I like Adrian's suggestions using a 'Closer Narrative Structure' to be in a readable form and using 1 Military Fact split into narrative themes. (I have since noticed that my uncle also did 2 stints in 'Reserves' from 1930-1939 and after 1945 to 1954 before entering the Chelsea Pensioners until he died in 1983)

I have tried Helen's suggestions but I got stuck on both suggestions with some 'questions ?' as follows:-

Military History Fact Set (I would like to use the Military Custom Tab table to fill in army facts)

- Fact Type Extended Set - chose 'Military Service' from a list of several options. What is the 'Filter'?
- Fact Definition (what do I enter at my questions marks?)
Name - 'Military Service' already entered
LABEL ?
SENTENCE? - (individual)? served in the military, (date)?, (place)? (age)? <value>? Insert Code?
NORMAL TIME LIFE?
WITNESS? (none)
FIELDS REQUIRED?
DISPLAY SETTINGS? Fast-Add Menu or Hidden?

Import FH Property Box Tab
After importing it opened my computer folders? - what do I do next eg select a specific folder? and why?

Sorry there are a lot of questions but I would like to learn how to get it right and to be able to safely store all or some of this valuable family history information on FH7
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tatewise
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Re: Military History Fact Set /Narrative Reports

Post by tatewise »

At the top of the Tools > Fact Types... dialogue there are two drop-list options for Fact Set and Filter.
If there are a lot of facts defined, those two options allow a subset of facts to be listed and thus easier to search.
( Just like the Filters at the top of each Records Window tab for searching records. )
Try various drop-list options and you will see how it works.

For the 'Military Service' Fact Definition you don't need to enter anything. It is all predefined with default values.
Depending on how you choose to use it later, you may decide to make some changes as we can advise here.

To use the Military Custom Tab you need the Military History Fact Set to be installed.
( Note that the Extended Set 'Military Service' fact is not initially included in the Military Custom Tab. )
Usually, there are two options for FHUG Downloads: Open with Family Historian and Save File.
It sounds like you chose Save File for the Military Custom Tab &/or the Military History Fact Set downloads, so double-click the downloaded file and it will install into FH.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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ColeValleyGirl
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Re: Military History Fact Set /Narrative Reports

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

Note that, if you're following Adrian's suggestion you don't need to use the Military fact set/tab.
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klm2OUMK
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Re: Military History Fact Set /Narrative Reports

Post by klm2OUMK »

The Military Historian Custom Tab successfully opened by making sure that I downloaded by 'Open with Family Historian' into FHUG Downloads. Also I have found and used the predefined 'Military Fact Sets' OK, thank you. The other questions is which is the best to use of the two methods and are there any pros and cons?

I will use Adrian's suggestions when I write an Individual Narrative Report to later add to family Book, thanks.
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