battalion records during training

[onesearch]

I was wondering how battalions recorded events between formation & the start of active service when the War Diary was started. Does anyone know if an equivalent of the war diary was kept during the training stages of a battalion & if so do they survive for study at Kew & if so under what referance they are stored. I had a quick look through some of the topics on the forum & appologise if this has been asked before but I am interested to try & find out a bit more about my grandfathers training,

many thanks

[WW1RGAfinder]

I guess the answer is no, but from those service records not burnt suppose you can find where individuals did their training.

An actual log book by the training camps would have been very useful for us doing research.

RGA

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Rod

Short answer is indeed no, as far as official records kept at Kew are concerned, although there are a very small number of War Diaries for units which only served at home at the end of class WO95 (files 5400 or so onwards), and some of the second-line TF divisions which served abroad, e.g. 61st Division, started their War Diaries before they went abroad.

You may find a number of such items in regimental museums or, in the case of the TF, deposited at county Record Offices.

Memoirs of soldiers, especially officers, may help you in isolated cases.

Ron

[onesearch]

Hello Rod

Short answer is indeed no, as far as official records kept at Kew are concerned, although there are a very small number of War Diaries for units which only served at home at the end of class WO95 (files 5400 or so onwards), and some of the second-line TF divisions which served abroad, e.g. 61st Division, started their War Diaries before they went abroad.

You may find a number of such items in regimental museums or, in the case of the TF, deposited at county Record Offices.

Memoirs of soldiers, especially officers, may help you in isolated cases.

Ron

Hi,

thanks for your replies & suggestions,

Rod