Anthony Pigott Posted 12 April , 2004 Share Posted 12 April , 2004 Does anyone know of any sources of information etc., e.g., museum displays, photograph / document repositories, that specifically cover the great man? Books have already been discussed in another thread. Thanks Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourersergeant Posted 12 April , 2004 Share Posted 12 April , 2004 There are some PRO documents that are in the CAB series but i think most of these will have been covered in the books mentioned previously. Notts museum may have something? Arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Pigott Posted 25 April , 2004 Author Share Posted 25 April , 2004 Following some extensive internet searching, I've come up with the Derby Museum, which has a dedicated display in their Military Gallery housing the Sherwood Foresters Collection, and King's College London, housing the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives which contains a number of papers. There are a number of introductory biographies on the usual WW1 sites but nothing very detailed. I would have expected to find more - perhaps he's still being neglected. Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourersergeant Posted 25 April , 2004 Share Posted 25 April , 2004 History does not go good on the what might have happened in my opinion and Le Cateau is a forgotten battle enless you are a WW1 buff. SD was saved the trench war of 1915-18 and as such we will never know if he was the answer, I beleive he would atleast have been the equal and very probably the better alterantive. John French has alot to answer! Perhaps we should start a Smith-Dorrien appreciation society? (I jest) Regards Arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Pigott Posted 26 April , 2004 Author Share Posted 26 April , 2004 Perhaps we should start a Smith-Dorrien appreciation society? (I jest) Regards Arm. Well, perhaps a society would be going to far , but a fitting memorial, if only in cyberspace, might not be out of place. As you say, I'm sure Smith-Dorrien and Le Cateau don't feature very much in the current public conciousness - but perhaps those that do know about the 26 August 1914 ought to try to correct that, especially with the 90th anniversary coming up? After all, maybe Jellicoe wasn't the only one who could have lost the war in an afternoon! Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourersergeant Posted 26 April , 2004 Share Posted 26 April , 2004 Perhaps we should start a Smith-Dorrien appreciation society? (I jest) Regards Arm. Well, perhaps a society would be going to far , but a fitting memorial, if only in cyberspace, might not be out of place. As you say, I'm sure Smith-Dorrien and Le Cateau don't feature very much in the current public conciousness - but perhaps those that do know about the 26 August 1914 ought to try to correct that, especially with the 90th anniversary coming up? After all, maybe Jellicoe wasn't the only one who could have lost the war in an afternoon! Anthony A noble idea but what sort of thing could be done given the resources at hand? Arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Pigott Posted 28 April , 2004 Author Share Posted 28 April , 2004 A noble idea but what sort of thing could be done given the resources at hand? Arm. I suppose its all a question of available source material - hence my original query. I would have expected / hoped there to be collections of personal papers, photos, etc. somewhere but I haven't located anything much yet. I have the means of putting together a 'professional' web site but you can't do much without content. In principle, there must be a lot somewhere, given the length and activity of his military career. The other aspect would be to persuade the media to cover his contribution in items dealing with the 90th anniversary of the war. Perhaps contributors here who are involved with that sort of thing could advise? Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 28 April , 2004 Share Posted 28 April , 2004 Try: PRO - CAB 45/206 Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien Diary PRO - WO 79/62 Smith-Dorrien - Murray Postwar Correspondence Regarding August 1914 IWM - Horace Smith-Dorrien papers Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourersergeant Posted 28 April , 2004 Share Posted 28 April , 2004 Anthony, If you dig deep enough there is lots around. I would say that the hardest task will be preparing and collating the info in time for the 90th ani. Arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest topper Posted 29 April , 2004 Share Posted 29 April , 2004 Horace is buried in the old town cemetery in Berkhamsted, Herts. A very imposing memorial which I have a photograph of somewhere. His family were local living at Pendley Manor but I am not sure whether or not there are any records surviving locally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Pigott Posted 29 April , 2004 Author Share Posted 29 April , 2004 Try: PRO - CAB 45/206 Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien Diary PRO - WO 79/62 Smith-Dorrien - Murray Postwar Correspondence Regarding August 1914 IWM - Horace Smith-Dorrien papers Robert Thanks for that - I think I must have searched the site rather than the catalogue when I looked. It's interesting that the diary is listed as 1915 onwards. I wonder whether any original diaries from before that survive; I understand that his published memoirs were filtered of the most contentious material by his wife. Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Pigott Posted 29 April , 2004 Author Share Posted 29 April , 2004 Horace is buried in the old town cemetery in Berkhamsted, Herts. A very imposing memorial which I have a photograph of somewhere. His family were local living at Pendley Manor but I am not sure whether or not there are any records surviving locally. Thanks. Must try to pay a visit next time I'm that way. Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 30 April , 2004 Share Posted 30 April , 2004 I understand that his published memoirs were filtered of the most contentious material by his wife. Anthony I understand that Haig's wife did this. Perhaps this practice is more common than I first thought. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Pigott Posted 28 May , 2004 Author Share Posted 28 May , 2004 I've just discovered that they've a few pictures and papers at the Dacorum Museum Store at Berkhampstead. I haven't got any details yet. Regards Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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