Projects in the pipeline

In the long term (and if I ever find the time), I intend to work on and complete (ha, ha) a number of projects and make some of the results available online. These are just some of the projects that I might realistically be able to complete in the foreseeable future. My list of ideas is almost infinite, the amount of time I have for this sort of thing, however, isn't. Today, some of these projects are already online. In no particular order, they are planned to cover the following:

Family tree

The idea here is to present as much information on the family as possible, with the intention of giving everyone in the family the opportunity to add, amend and correct information as far as possible. There will also be a summary of the life and (military) times of Great Grandfather Mitchell, based on information collated from archives and family sources in the UK by my cousin Erik. I will also attempt to put Great Grandfather's wartime service into a historical context, showing who he was fighting and what became of them.

Triathlon

I like swimming, cycling and going for a run. After having major surgery on my right knee in May 1999, I decided to look for a challenge to get fit again. I decided to do all my favourite sports again, but not on separate days. This is a lot easier than it sounds and is great fun.

Selected German military awards and documents

A look at selected German award documents and personal military records from 1870 to 1945 from my collection. In many respects, the documents of the 1939-1945 period will only be a supplement to Gary Tankard's excellent Wehrpass site at www.percy.clara.net (soon to appear in a revamped form at a new URL in the near future). The focus of my collection is on the German ground forces of the 1914-1918 period. This project will keep me busy for years, and there is nothing like it in published form, neither in print nor on the Internet, as far as I am aware.

Collecting militaria and related restoration projects

A showcase for some of the militaria (unkindly referred to as junk by some family members) I have accumulated over the years and a chronology of helmet and equipment restoration projects. This will cover items not featured in the military documents section at http://www.militaerpass.net/. Depending on how this evolves, this will probably result in a lot of unrelated nonsense and a list of do's and don'ts to serve as tips for other people. This will probably also include a digital image diary of each restoration project.

Battle of the Reichswald

The Reichswald is a German forest on the Lower Rhine close to the Dutch border. In February 1945, it was the scene of the heaviest artillery bombardment of World War 2 as Operation Veritable was launched as part of the Allied offensive to cross the Rhine, a natural defence line, and push deep into the Ruhr, the industrial heart of Germany, to bring the war to a speedy close. Much has been published from the Allied point of view. Interviews with surviving German veterans will be used to tell the story from the other side.


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Last modified: 6 October 2006
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