War Diaries - Available Free UPDATED 1st July 2012

[Guest]

Unfortunately, I don't know which diaries are on either the disc or on Ancestry.

Ancestry has digitised and made available all diaries up to and including Divisional level for the Western Front and Gallipoli. All are available at Kew and via the NAUK website (previously known as TNA) however for some unexplained reason the Gallipoli diaries were taken off the NAUK website when Ancestry launched their version. A minor scandal in my view.

The diaries are also available via N&MP, at a price which would cover 7 years' worth of ancestry subs.

All of the above have utterly appalling search and navigation functions on their web-based offerings. Possibly only exceeded by the shockingly bad indexing. Ancestry has to be the worst, followed closely by N&MP with NAUK a distant third. I am not an FMP subscriber but I sense their indexing of material is far superior. MG

[TEW]

The problem with a master list is that it will become out of date. TNA are digitising more and more to buy off them but they/some end up with ancestry who as Martin says do terrible things to the indexing of their diaries to make it almost impossible to find. Very few Brigade diaries on Ancestry, far more under 'Bridages'. Some that come up as June 1916 are actually June 1917. Infantry Battalions not indexed but findable via 'Various Bridages, 5th Division

Ancestry also inherited TNA's mis-title diaries, I sent a 'Found an error' email for a mis-description last week and have 3 more in the pipelne. Discovery is then updated with correct description within a few days. ADMS diary found under Commander Royal Artillery, ancestry will never change their description of it.

Could be worthwhile checking discovery for diaries missing in the past.

Other oddities are County names - Somerest and Somersetshire, Somerset ceased to be a shire pre-war.

Kings and King's produces different results.

Operation War Dairy also seem to be finding TNA mis-titles, hopefully they are reporting those.

TEW

[BFBSM]

Bernard,

I wouldn't expend the energy as things change and then you would need to come back and change your master list.

Mark

[Cam_s]

I am planning a trip to TNA in the fall and when I have been looking at the database to pre-plan I came across a record of a relative of mine which can only be accessed through ancestry.

Is it possible to still access the record while I am at TNA with out having to purchase a subscription to Ancestry?

Thanks,

Cam

[TEW]

Yes, absolutely free in TNA to download and view, assuming it's been digitised. Not sure if they allow access to memory sticks though!

TEW

[jainvince]

I thought, as did many replies above, that the updated Master List of War Diaries is of little further use being replaced by more downloads available from the National Archives or available via Ancestry etc. However, it appears that those sources still leave Forum Members looking for information sources without the considerable costs which may be incurred from downloading especially if only one particular day or event is being researched.

As I haven't lost the Master List I am therefore pleased to be able to send it out to anyone who PM's me for a copy. Please include your email address and note that it needs updating but this can be easily achived by checking through posts made since late 1915.

And yes, I have just been asked for a copy and have received numerous requests this year.

Bernard

[Prep24]

Bernard,have browsed your listings of military war diaries and for the life of me I cannot locate the first and second Wiltshire Regiments. Have used Ancestry also this site to obtain information of two Great Grandfathers who served in the great war. I would now like to research there movements from those diaries if at all possible. I do hope that you may be able to assist!

If you would be so kind to allow me a copy of your master l(spreadsheet) listing also.

Kind Regards

Prep24

Edited 5 October , 2016 by Prep24
Forgotten to request spreadsheet

[clk]

Hi Prep24,

 

The war diaries for both battalions have been transcribed by the Wardrobe and are free to view on their website. The problem is though that you have to view them on a day by day basis; they don't include all of the appendices; and you can't download them. Ancestry also has them (as original images), which you can download, but only by each day - the search screen is here.  If nobody can help you, I would recommend that you download them from the National Archives. The 1st Battalion diaries are in this search, and the 2nd Battalion in this search. It looks like each diary has been split into 3 parts (which cost £3.45 a go), but each is a continuous file, so you don't have to download a page at a time.

 

Like your grandfather, my (great great) uncle was 'in from the off' with the 1st Battalion. Unfortunately, he was killed in September 1914, so I've only got the Battalion diary for August 1914 to October 1915, and (7th) Brigade diary for August and September 1914.

 

Good luck with your research.

 

Regards

Chris

 

Edited 5 October , 2016 by clk

[Neil...]

Hi, 1st devonshires war diary  theres nothing from November 1917 when they posted to italy as they returned to France in April 1918 but there's no record that I can find .Any help greatly appreciated

[kenf48]

36 minutes ago, Neil... said:

Hi, 1st devonshires war diary  theres nothing from November 1917 when they posted to italy as they returned to France in April 1918 but there's no record that I can find .Any help greatly appreciated

 

 

This is quite an old thread that predates the digitisation of war diaries by the National Archive for the Western Front and Gallipoli.

 

The diary you seek has not been digitised but is available at TNA

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4557370

 

Don’t know if they will have anything at the Keep which is the Museum.

 

Ken 

[Neil...]

11 hours ago, kenf48 said:

 

 

This is quite an old thread that predates the digitisation of war diaries by the National Archive for the Western Front and Gallipoli.

 

The diary you seek has not been digitised but is available at TNA

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4557370

 

Don’t know if they will have anything at the Keep which is the Museum.

 

Ken 

Ken you are a star many thanks for replying my great uncle was killed in may 1918 and im trying find out where his battalion would of been at that time regards Neil

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

I don't know if these have been listed elsewhere in this thread- I don't think they have.

 

Browsing the National Library of Wales collection today, I came across  diaries for :

War diary of the 14th (Service) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 1916-1917 and

War diary of the 14th (Service) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 1917-1918

 

Free to access online and to download.

Of interest is that they seem to be the personal diaries of the second in command- Major Wynn Wheldon, presented to the University College of North Wales, Bangor in 1948

Very interesting entries for Mametz (July 1916) and Pilkem (July 1917).

He was the father of Sir Huw Wheldon, BBC MD in the 1970s, when the BBC was at its zenith

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huw_Wheldon

 

[D J Brown]

Hi all (I’m only 7 years later :-D). Would anyone happen to have a digital version of the 2nd/2nd London regiment royal fusiliers war diary? 

I did purchase it online however couldn’t read 99% of the handwriting :-( 

cheers, 

Dave 

[johnboy]

Do you mean transcribed war diary? digitised are usually an exact copy of those written at the time. The writing can be hard to read but taking a page at a time can give a good idea of the writers style.

[D J Brown]

Hi Johnboy, 

yes, sorry, transcribed copy is what I meant although if anyone has the written one I’ll still be interested in it to try and read it again as I’ve not got the phone that  I copied/downloaded the diary originally. 

Cheers 

[jainvince]

On 01/06/2016 at 14:56, jainvince said:

I thought, as did many replies above, that the updated Master List of War Diaries is of little further use being replaced by more downloads available from the National Archives or available via Ancestry etc. However, it appears that those sources still leave Forum Members looking for information sources without the considerable costs which may be incurred from downloading especially if only one particular day or event is being researched.

As I haven't lost the Master List I am therefore pleased to be able to send it out to anyone who PM's me for a copy. Please include your email address and note that it needs updating but this can be easily achived by checking through posts made since late 1915.

And yes, I have just been asked for a copy and have received numerous requests this year.

Bernard

The War Diary Master list is still available but other sources exist. There are some links included which can be helpful but the Members details are now outdated.