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Can one simpy buy battalion diaries


reubenayres

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You will appreciate this is a naive question but can one simply buy battalion diaries. I have an interest in the Sherwood Foresters, in particular the 2/6th Bn but also other battalions active in October 1917. I have seen extracts from the battalion diaries thanks to helpful members of this forum and also Eddie Edwards at the Sherwood Foresters museum.

If battalion diaries are available 'on sale', from whom would that be? (National archivers, British Museum, Regiment museum......)

Many thanks

Reuben

PS Sorry if this is a really stupid question.

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Diaries are available for purchase through the National Archives website.

Some you download directly at a cost of £3.50 for, usually, each month. Others are only available as photocopies.

For the photocopies, the NA charges you an "estimating fee" of , I think, £10. They then let you know how much the diary is going to cost - I think it's around 40p a sheet. You then confirm if you want them to go ahead. I got one diary about 8 years ago which cost me around £250. These days I'd find it cheaper to schlep down from Stockport and take free digi-photos (you can't do this if they are available online).

John

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Hi Reuben,

the War Diaries for the 2/6th Bn, like John has mentioned are held at Kew in WO 95/3025. They are not available online but can be requested through the NA. The last I heard was a flat rate of £8.50 for 10 pages (if not online) these usually works out around a months worth of diary, so you can see that the cost can quickly mount up. They are of course free to view in person at the NA and you can take as many digi pics as you like.

John, thanks for the info regarding the online diaries, I wasn't aware that you couldn't view them if they were online

cheers, Jon

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Like John said, it's best to spend a day at the NA and use the digital camera for free. Not only will you get the battalion of your choice but there will be a couple of other diaries will be in the box, usually from the same brigade. These are always worth a look through as they sometimes contain some nice maps etc.

Steve.

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...and of course the appendages which seldom if ever appear with the online diaries,

I understand that you can try to make a case to the NA to produce the original of diary that's online, using the argument that the appendices have not (may not have been) uploaded.

Perhaps worth a try if you live locally but it's not something I'm going to schlep from Stockport on the off-chance of saving a few quid.

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You might approach the Sherwoods Archives. I believe they have some diaries transcribed. They may supply a copy in exchange for a donation.

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Reuben

I have quite a few of the 2/6th Diaries as .pdfs from NA. They are a bit patchy ie missing the Easter Rising etc. Let me know what time periods you want or alternatively PM me your e-mail and I will send to you. But there are 34 documents at 16Mb in total.

cheers

Mike

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You will appreciate this is a naive question but can one simply buy battalion diaries. I have an interest in the Sherwood Foresters, in particular the 2/6th Bn but also other battalions active in October 1917. I have seen extracts from the battalion diaries thanks to helpful members of this forum and also Eddie Edwards at the Sherwood Foresters museum.

If battalion diaries are available 'on sale', from whom would that be? (National archivers, British Museum, Regiment museum......)

Many thanks

Reuben

PS Sorry if this is a really stupid question.

All the battalion diaries for the Royal Berks and the Wiltshires are available from our museum bookshop - goto www.thewardrobe.orguk to purchase the printed versions on line

regards

John

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Good Evening Reuben.

There is a web site called the Guttenburg project in which they do an e book which you can down load for free, they do a complete war diary for the Sherwood Foresters but I cannot remember which Battalion it is.I bown loaded one on the 24th Bn Royal Fusiliers.Good luck!

Regards Andy

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thank-you all very much for your very helpful (as always) replies. Lots of helpful leads.

Best wishes

Reuben

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I note that no-one has mentioned that the Kings Own Lancaster Regt museum have published all their battalion war diaries on CD. Typically one CD takes you through the whole war for the battalion though 1 (or 2) need two discs to do this. As well as the war diaries you may also get reports, signals logs, operational orders etc. They are simple digital images and much if not all of the material is in the form of typed up copies.

As such they are brilliant value.

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Also the War Diaries for the Wiltshire & Royal Berkshire regiments are online at https://www.thewardrobe.org.uk/wardiary.php You need to select battallion and date and hey presto. They also sell printed trasnscripts of the whole diaries.

Not wishing to promote it but there is currently an ad on a well known auction site for a copy of any war diary at a cost of £15 per month plus (IIRC) £4 postage. Seems expensive to me

Peter

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  • 2 weeks later...

Many thanks

Reuben

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