The Royal Artillery 1939-45 web site news

I am finally dragging my website kicking and screaming into the 21st Century. Because the current site is all handwritten HTML, it takes a long time to do additions and updates. I have wanted to change to a Content Management System site for a long time but the free web space provided by my service provider doesn't support the MySQL database needed for CMS sites. However, I have recently discovered that there is a CMS programme that doesn't use a MySQL database and will run in Virgin Media's web space.

Because my current Blueyonder site is part of the Virgin group, changing to the Virgin web space will mean the old site will go. So, for the time being, I am testing the new site on my son in law's unused Virgin space. When the new site is up to date I will migrate to my own space. This will mean the site address will change, but I will give plenty of notice before changing over.

In the mean time, if you want a preview of the new site take a look Here. I welcome any comments or suggestions. Please note that there is still a lot to add and many of the menu items will only lead to blank pages as yet.

 

Looks very nice Derek, and many thanks for your hard work.

All the best

Andreas

 

Hello Derek
thank you for the update
best of luck moving forward

regards
Clive

 

Nice work Derek, one tip from me. I see that when clicking on a link to another page on your website, a new webpage is opened. So after a few clicks I have several pages open on my computer. Would be nice if that stays just one page. But that is just my suggestion. Contents look interesting to see the final results. Keep up the good work.

 

Thanks for the comments everyone. Good point Wilco. I will change that, it isn't needed as the menu provides an easy route back to the original page. I will retain it only for links to external sites.

 

The menu itself indeed is an easy route back and towards other subjects on the website. Good luck with converting the rest.

 

Good luck with the updating of this valuable commodity Derek.

 

Looking good mate, hope all goes well for you.
Rob

 

Thanks again for the comments everyone. Wilco, most links now amended. Field Rgts 1-50 now complete.

 

Well done Derek !

Looked for my old mob, the 49th LAA

Found them, with no problem whatsoever

Many thanks for all your efforts and keep up the good work !

Ron

 

Works much better for me. Perfect.
Good luck with working on the rest of the contents.

 

Nice site but being from the Netherlands, I miss a important link to artillery units in the Netherlands

 

Thanks for the feedback guys. Stamp, I presume you mean Phil's site. I will add it to the links page later. Have to stop for a while now as my ISP is about to replace the cable to my house.

 

I use/ used the original site a great deal for gathering information on my Dad's War for the family. I have not found a site so easy and useful on any subject. I am sure the new migration will be even better. Thanks again for a resource second to none.
I did like the use of colour on previous site though

 

Thank you for your comments. I am concentrating on copying the data across at the moment but I will look at the visual aspect of the site later. I feel the new site is a little bland and will try and find a way of perking it up a little.

 

Just found the website - in a word 'Superb'

 

After some discussion with my son in law, he suggested I leave the new site on his unused space so that the old site can stay up as long as I need it. As it was originally supposed to just be a test site for the new system I called it ratestsite. Now it will be staying there I have changed the name to ra3945. So the URL given in my first post no longer works and it is now this.

 

Looks great Derek!

 

Hello Derek, I guess I’m getting a little old for any new technology but here I am! I saw a reference to this site on the “British Badge Forum” so thought I would check it out. It seems as if the information contained is very inclusive but I became very upset that after messing about for almost an hour, I still could not find a way to “Introduce myself” on the home page of WW2Talk. I know that that is not your domain but at least, here, on what I believe is a sub-forum, I was able to find a way to possibly seek help in this matter. I landed on your forum as my only interest is insignia of the RA and of all of the Commonwealth and former British Empire Artillery. I hope that I will find here many interesting facets of the history of the RA and its allied components. Thank you. David Jeffrey.

 

Welcome, David.

Forums are [usually] a bit more structured than your average social media site, so an introduction is normally a matter of starting a thread in the 'best fit' sub forum'. It's daunting but not irreversible as our moderators are rather good and not averse to shifting threads to better homes if the author has second thoughts.

I know we've touched on unusual unit badges in the past (3rd Division springs to mind) so it might be worth having a ferret around with the search.