Now It Can Be Revealed:

[Guest Rick Research]

For several years now I have mentioned the grim albeit heretofore unseen reality of original 1914-18 award rolls. Oh, sure, from time to time I have posted scans of specific pages... but never the dreadful horror of the whole.

Well, thanks to a visitor in the blizzard today, here it is-- in shocking violation of all O.S.H.A. workplace safety regulations!

How could the happy readers ever suspect from the neat, trim, easily affordable rarities of tomorrow published volumes what peril, what danger, what nerve-wracking toil a Research Gnome must undergo to produce such user friendly research tools?

Well, now you know.

Sadly, my Lovely & Gracious Assistant was SEVERELY contused in an avalanche of additional materials off camera right. There is an ever-present danger of Binder Failure and the semi-lethal effects of death by tens of thousands of paper cuts. This is no work for wimps!!!!! :rolleyes:

[Rod]

Hi Rick,

Wow .... I can only imagine the endless work you have and are going through to translate and sort this data. I have thanked you several times before for your assistance in identifying the original owners of my "treasures". I thank you again.

It is always easy for a casual spectator to make suggestions ... but I am wondering.... Would it be possible for those involved in this tremendous and patience testing research to arrive at a "standard" format in gathering the info for the individual awardees to eventually form a computer data base that could be quicky searched?? I am sure this has been thought of and probably discussed in previous forum discussions, but I could not find one.

Curious Rod :rolleyes:

Edited February 4, 2009 by Rod

[Ulsterman]

Cool pic!

In the service of Clio, as Chris says.

Edited February 4, 2009 by Ulsterman

[Ed_Haynes]

Nice picture -- and very familiar looking. Out of chaos comes knowledge. Is scholarship like sausage in terms of the desirability of watching it being made?

[Guest Rick Research]

We'd like everybody to use the standard format of our award rolls books, as arranged by my partner Daniel Krause. It is the best and most logical system to use.

Yup, tain't purty watching this get done. My nest is rather ? la Collier brothers for those of you whose memory goes back to such things.

BTW, Mecklenburg-Strelit'z rolls were SEVERELY splayed in the avalanche but luckily have been completed so no harm done. :rolleyes:

[Paul C]

Now people can see the what Rick has to work with to make the award rolls. It is a time consuming task, but it is what is required to ID bars. The end product is the printed award rolls that are available for purchase. Even if you do not have an immediate need for a specific award roll by purchasing one you will have it for later use and it will probable increase in value. Also many of us on the forum have benefited from Rick's knowledge and good will to identify medal bars and ribbon bar. These identifications add value to the item that is ID. I think the least a person can do as a way of saying thank you is to purchase one of the award rolls.

[922F]

Amazing and ..........do I observe someone wearing a hard hat?!?!? Logical protection during blizzard/avalanche [of paper]. Joking aside, a verified testimonial to dedicated and unselfish wisdom and comradeship!!! THANK YOU!!

[Steve K.]

Beware! If the Sterlitz gives you a paper cut, it makes you crazy! Oh no...that comes from deciphering it!

BTW, Mecklenburg-Strelit'z rolls were SEVERELY splayed in the avalanche but luckily have been completed so no harm done.

[Ulsterman]

Now people can see the what Rick has to work with to make the award rolls. It is a time consuming task, but it is what is required to ID bars. The end product is the printed award rolls that are available for purchase. Even if you do not have an immediate need for a specific award roll by purchasing one you will have it for later use and it will probable increase in value. Also many of us on the forum have benefited from Rick's knowledge and good will to identify medal bars and ribbon bar. These identifications add value to the item that is ID. I think the least a person can do as a way of saying thank you is to purchase one of the award rolls.

Hear! Hear!!