Pick a Soldier, Plant a Tree

Profile manager: Gillian Thomas [send private message]

This page is part of the Anzacs Project, in collaboration with the Australia Project and the New Zealand Project.

• This page is part of the Australia Project Australian Topics Team

Pick a Soldier, Plant a Tree (PASPAT)

Background

The Pick a Soldier, Plant a Tree Project is helping to commemorate the missing soldiers of World War One.

It was set up by genetic genealogists Maurice Gleeson, Michelle Leonard and Donna Rutherford.

There are 338,000 Allied soldiers who were reported as missing during the War, and whose bodies have never been found. The 'Pick a Soldier, Plant a Tree' project aims to assist in the identification of remains found of missing soldiers using DNA, by building trees for those soldiers online.

Commemorating the Missing Database

There is a database of the missing soldiers at Commemorating the Missing Database. Search on there to locate a soldier whose body has never been found, and after a profile for the person has been created, you can add a link to the person's tree, by clicking the 'Pick This Soldier' link beside the person, pasting the URL for the tree under Link to Tree and clicking Add Tree.

Then, when remains are found, it may be easier to find who the person through DNA analysis.

'Pick A Soldier, Plant A Tree' on WikiTree

The ANZACS project in collaboration with the Australia Project and the New Zealand Project is participating in the Pick a Soldier, Plant a Tree Project. You can contribute by doing the following:

1. Identify a soldier missing in action during World War One and listed on the Commemorating the Missing Database. Check if there is a profile for the person already on WikiTree, and if not, create a profile for the soldier.
2. Add the URL for that profile to the relevant page for that soldier on the Commemorating the Missing Database.
3. Add the Commemorating the Missing Profile Page URL for that soldier to the Soldier's profile on WikiTree using the below template placed under the sources heading.

====== [[Space:Pick_a_Soldier_Plant_a_Tree|Pick a Soldier, Plant a Tree Project]] ======

*Commemorating the Missing Database Link for [URL Soldier Name]

1. Add the relevant 'Pick a Soldier, Plant a Tree' category to the profile
2. Add the Pick a Soldier, Plant a Tree, needs profiles created category to profiles that don't have a well-developed family tree
3. Build the tree for that soldier
4. (Optional) Create a memorial for that soldier on the Everyone Remembered website.

Categories

Category: Anzacs, World War I

Australia:

Category: Missing in Action, Australia, World War I

Category: Australia, Pick a Soldier, Plant a Tree - Soldiers who have been added to the Commemorating the Missing Database

Category: Australia, Pick a Soldier, Plant a Tree, Needs Profiles Created - Profiles linked to the Commemorating the Missing Database that are unconnected or whose tree needs to be expanded.

New Zealand:

Category: Missing in Action, New Zealand, World War I

Category: New Zealand, Pick a Soldier, Plant a Tree

Category: New Zealand, Pick a Soldier, Plant a Tree, Needs Profiles Created - Profiles linked the Commemorating the Missing Database that are unconnected or whose tree needs to be expanded.

War Memorials - Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Category: Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, West Flanders

Category: V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial, Fromelles, Nord

See also: eg https://plus.wikitree.com/function/WTCategoryTime/CategoryTime.htm?Category=Menin_Gate_Memorial,_Ypres,_West_Flanders for a search of recently added profiles

Source Locations

Australia:

• National Archives of Australia - Most soldiers from WW1 have their military records digitised on NAA. These files give personal details and usually have next of kin details.

• Spirits of Gallipoli - This is a project for the ANZACs who were buried or commemorated at Gallipoli, there are some family histories, photos and other sources available.

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - Commemorates the soldiers who died in WW1 and WW2 with information on their burial location and grave registration.

• Australian War Memorial - Commemorates the Australian's that served in War. Has information on a soldiers service, burial, embarkation roll, roll of honour and the red cross wounded and missing files.