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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

6th Bn. Duke of Wellington's Regiment Photographic Record Book


Andy Wade

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Ok, so yesterday I'm slowly going through Keighley library's archive boxes with a WW1 connection, some soldiers records, pictures, letters home etc. Pretty much what you'd expect to find and they're allowing me to make a digital record of them all with my camera. All goes well today until I think "Just one more box, and then home." I asked for a file entitled misc records - West Riding Volunteers, 6th Kei Btln, album etc. Out it comes and it's a large archive box with about a dozen brown envelopes containing all sorts of battalion records. Everything from muster cards, a whole list of names of everyone in the battalion, various examination papers for officers under training, standing orders, orders for a parade and inspection by Sir John French, invitations to events and all manner of interesting stuff, most of the like of which I've never seen before. It looks like the Adjutant has saved all the battalion papers and kept them all for posterity before handing them into the library for archiving.

Along with the box there's a large parcel which is an acid free paper sheet tied up with a ribbon. Inside is a large leather bound book which contains many many photographs of training, marching solders, company photos, officers and men. It looks like the Adjutant has made a photographic record and saved this for posterity as well as all the paper records. By now I'm pretty stunned, but not that stunned that I forgot to take a couple of pictures. (See below). This has raised an important question. Since this leather bound book looks like it has been commissioned for the regimental photographs, is it possible that other albums of this nature exist for other battalions? Has anyone else come across anything quite like this before?

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Hi Andy,

A great find, not that it was lost--just well concealed!! I am sure that other similar albums would have been produced by certain officers/units, but whether or not they have survived is a different matter. This is most interesting as my maternal Grand Father served in this unit and I believe that I sent you a copy of a group photo? Are any of the photos named?

I will probably try and take a look at the book and muster cards sometime in the near future.

Many thanks for pointing this out.

Regards, Robert

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Hi Robert,

Not that I could see, but most of the pictures were stuck in the album anyway. There were some group photos on boards and at least one of these, which is a group of officers, has names on the back.

They have been very good in the library ,letting me photograph the items in archive boxes, where they own them. I'm also providing them with a digital copy of all my photographs which has been helpful in persuading them to let me copy everything.

On slightly related note, there is an archive box containing items related to Private Arthur Hastings KIA in September 1914 and his BWM and VM are in there too, but not the 14 Star and Clasp. He has two medal cards on ancestry that show he was entitled to these medals. Looking at his service records, his family did receive the star, so I'm assuming it's been lost somewhere between that time and it being donated to the library. I don't suppose you've ever come across it on your travels?

We're thinking of doing something special on Remembrance Day in 2014 and if we could locate the 14 Star it would be fitting, especially if we could get it back with the BWM and VM, even just for the day.

Edited to add: Robert. if you want to get them out at the library, the Archive box and parcel are listed as BK34/1 and BK34/2.

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Hi Andy,

Thanks for the information, I will probably have a look at these in the near future and see if I can relate anything to my G.F.

I have never seen nor heard of the medal to A.Hastings--I assume he is Arthur Hastings Kia 1/9/14? As you say it may have been lost prior to being donated, or it could even still be in the family. Would it be worth making an appeal through the Keighley News, just in case any relatives are still in Keighley and have it tucked away somewhere. Does he get a write up and photo in the K.N.? because he must have been one of the first, if not the first,casualty from Keighley. Are his memorial plaque and memorial scroll in the box?

It would be great to put them all back together. If it is not possible to find his 1914 Star then it may be worth putting another one with the pair just for making up the display--obviously this would have to be noted on the display, but at least it would represent his medal entitlement. Just a couple of ideas!

Regards, Robert

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