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B.C.T. Home Guard Booklet?

horsencart

master brummie
I am thinking of scanning the B.C.T Home Guard Booklet and putting the scanned pages on to my Flicker pages assuming I can get my scanner to work (new computer since the last time I scanned anything) does anyone think that who ever owns the copyright will come for me If every think works or is it a case of publish and be dammed?

Bearing in mind that I have just spent ages trying to copy the few CD,S that I have onto onto my computer, I had to threaten the computer with a really big hammer before it would work, this set me thinking about putting my my vinyl record collection onto the computer, so if you see someone crying in town and muttering about vinyl records it will most likely be me, all of the places I brought my records and CD,S have now gone, and if you exclude, the Disckery there is now only one one shop in the center of Brum that still sells records

Now where did I put that hammer?
 
Hello Horsencart, Surely the answer is to check the booklet and see who published it. Then write to them and ask if you can copy it. Its
still within the copyright period so there could be some comeback if you go ahead without permission. Incidently, if its only for your own personal use, then you should be ok but check just in case.
 
Interesting question, horsencart, and one which many of us regularly face. Copyright on that document will no doubt still reside with somebody somewhere, but who he/she is and whether they even realise it is another matter. I should console yourself with the thought that ownership has now been lost in the mists of time with absolutely no possibility of ever tracing the owner and you are only publishing the information for historical interest and with no intention - or possibility! - of making money out of it.

A word of advice, if I may. When you go to all the trouble of scanning, I suggest you scan in really high definition, i.e. so that as much information as is in the original image is included in the scan. You can easily downgrade the images afterwards if the files are too big to post but you can never upgrade them. It is so frustrating to have a fistful of scans and then find, when you want to examine some detail like recognising a face, that they won't magnify satisfactorily.

This BCT book is an important historical document, not only in respect of Birmingham history but also for the history of the Home Guard as a whole. If you feel at any stage you would also like to make it available in a more permanent form to a wider specialist audience I should be more than happy for my HG website to be used as a platform for it. Please let me know if I can help in any way.

Good luck and please keep us posted on progress.

Chris
 
perry commoner's sensible comment sparks another thought. Was this an official City Council publication? If so, perhaps safer to make at least some attempt to seek permission. If it wasn't - and the vast, vast majority of these commemorative HG booklets were produced by the members themselves, anxious that their efforts should not be forgotten and wishing to record their comradeship in pursuit of a common cause - my previous comments still stand.

Chris
 
A very generous member of this Forum has given me a copy of this fascinating booklet and, because it contains much information of interest to Birmingham families and their researchers - as well as being an important Home Guard record - I have put it online. It can be viewed here and on associated pages: https://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/DotherReminiscences122A3132WarksIntro.htm. Amongst much else it lists the name of every single member of the two Battalions involved - some 3000/3500 men.

Unfortunately it is not yet searchable and so, if you have a name in mind, the only option is to trawl through the lists.

If any Forum member finds a relative, I should be more than happy to give him a special mention.

Chris
 
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