On this whole of the world map, markers cluster around the major cities – zoom in and the markers move to their actual location. Where a country, but not a specific location, was given the marker was placed in that country’s capital city. Click on a discrete marker to see the name/s of people at that location and link to the individual’s details.

There are many place names mentioned in the documents of the South Australian Red Cross Information Bureau. Some are specific towns, trenches, pillboxes, hospitals, camps or stations while others are colloquial names or regional names. In many cases the story of one person contains variant names to describe the same location e.g. Black Watch Gully, Polygon Wood, Pozieres. All these names have been recorded and displayed in the individual’s record.

These locations have been plotted on the world map above, which displays all places mentioned in all packets, and on a personal map for each individual soldier, eyewitness and enquirer.

The packets contain many spelling errors or variations in spelling of place names and every attempt was made to provide the correct name of the place and its geocode.

Overseas place names were sourced from Google Maps.

South Australian place names were retained as written by enquirers; the map will show the contemporary street, suburb and town names.

When the map is zoomed out, markers cluster around the major cities – zoom in and the markers move to their actual locations.

Where a country, but not a specific location, was recorded in the packet the marker was placed in that country’s capital city.

Where a town or city, but not a specific location, was recorded in the packet the marker was placed in a selected central location. These were often markets, town squares, churches and war memorials.

Some locations could not be identified – possibly due to phonetic spelling as written from verbal accounts – and were omitted.

Stationary and general hospitals are known to have moved with the action. Unless a specific location was recorded, in addition to the hospital name/number, these were omitted. Other movable medical facilities omitted if a specific location was not recorded include: aid posts, ambulance trains, casualty clearing stations, convalescent depots, dressing stations, field ambulances, field hospitals and rest camps.

Best attempts at correctly naming hospitals and other medical facilities were made, but this was not always possible.

When a German location was recorded, it was assumed that the individual was in a prisoner of war camp.

Sources for locations

Geocodes and place names were sourced from Google Maps

Cemetery names were sourced from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Precise locations for some trenches were identified using British First World War Trench Maps, 1915-1918

Names and histories of hospitals and other medical facilities were researched using:

• Anzac Day Commemoration Committee: Australian WW1 Hospitals
• The long, long trail: Military Hospitals at Home (UK) and Base Hospitals in France
• Lost hospitals of London
• The Wartime Memories Project - The Great War - Hospitals
• Looking For The Evidence: AANS – Hospitals units

Enquirers’ Australian addresses were identified using:

• MAPCO: Map And Plan Collection Online: Register street guide Adelaide and suburbs 1929
• State Library of South Australia: Almanacs and directories
• Wikipedia: List of Adelaide obsolete suburb names