8th & 9th Norfolks - war diaries online?

[brandon_at_war]

Does anyone know if the 8th and 9th Btn., Norfolk Regiment War Diaries are online? I am specifically looking at the time of the demise of four local lads but cannot find much of their final movements ...

• 16475, Reginald Nichols, 2nd February 1916 - 9th Btn.
• 14299, James Dickerson, 18th October 1916 - 9th Btn. ( I have copy of service record for James)

• 25674, John Wells, 11th August 1917 - 8th Btn.
• 12460, Edward Kent, 27th October 1917 - 8th Btn.

Any links or assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[Colin W Taylor]

brandon_at_war

The 9th Norfolks have been recently digitized and can be found here for a price: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/details?Uri=C14053218

The 2nd Feb diary states: 'Fine but cloudy. Quiet day. Casualties 4 killed, 2 wounded OR'. Sadly I do not possess October 1916.

The 8th Norfolks have been previously digitized but rather cheekily Kew have removed them from the online diaries - this may be so they can be broken up into smaller portions so that more must be paid to download the whole diary - maybe I'm being cynical!

The battalion was in action at Poelcapelle on 22nd Oct 1917 but were out of the line between 24th and 29th October - presumably your man succumbed to wounds. On 11th August the battalion was in action - I can send you the after action report (too long to transcribe easily) if you can PM me an email address.

Kind regards

Colin

[brandon_at_war]

Thank you Colin. I will download the 9ths from the NA. I have also sent you my email address. Your help is much appreciated.

[David J Hedges]

Brandon_at_war

Dick Rayner's the expert on 8th/9th Norfolks and he has said he will look up records at the Norfolk Regimental Museum on his next visit next Tuesday. Suggest you contact Dick direct. Not sure of the protocol of giving contact details out on this forum but if you can see my email address, email me and I will forward Dick' phone number etc to you

Dave Hedges

[brandon_at_war]

I am still amazed at how much assistance is offered when I ask for it. A couple of years ago I started a project to find out something about each man on my hometown's war memorial (60+ men) and up to that point I knew nothing about the conflict. My goal is to donate this research to local schools and the local heritage centre for all to see and hopefully before the centenary really kicks into full swing. Researching at local libraries, records office and ancestry.com was relatively easy but finding the likely final movements of the men is something else, and I have to admit I feel a bit guilty continually coming onto this forum and asking for info without really having anything to offer in return.

Thank you Colin and David for your assistance. This personal project means so much to me in so may ways and any small snippet of info is greatly appreciated.

In return I can offer a mere snippet of two of the men's story so far ...

John Wells

25674, Private, 8^th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment.

Snipers killed many men in the war and John Wells fell after coming into the sights of one enemy sniper. He was born in Santon Downham during the late 1880s and was the youngest member of the family. By the time of the 1911 Census he was living in Manor Farm, situated at Church End, Brandon, with his 63-year-old widowed mother, his sister and a niece. Perhaps John’s father had run the farm previously but in 1911 it seemed that it was John’s responsibility, as the last son in the family home, to keep it in order, while his mother and a sister were employed in one of the local fur factories. Sometime between 1911 and the autumn of 1916 - when John left Britain to join the fight in France; he married his wife, Lily Emily Wells, and together they live in ‘The Lodge’, in Santon Downham, and had two children, the youngest being born shortly before he goes off to war. The baby was merely 10 months old when the Thetford and Watton Times announced that an enemy sniper’s bullet had killed 29 year old John.

Edward Kent

12460, Private, 8^th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment.

Edward Kent was born in Brandon and was the youngest son of Henry and Eliza Kent living at 112 London Road, Brandon. When war was declared Edward was barely old enough to enlist but he did so and went to an Army Recruitment Office in Norwich and joined up with his pals in ‘Kitchener’s Army’ in 1914.

Following a training period he was then sent over to France but came back to Britain when he was wounded during his active service. Once recovered from his wounds he was returned back to France and in October 1917 he was wounded again. Initially his wounds appeared to not be too bad and he was able to write home to his parents and tell them this fact and his parents received his letter on Saturday 26^th October 1917. However, in a tragic twist of coincidence, later that same day his parents also received an official telegram from the Record Office informing them that his wounds were in fact life threatening. Two days later on Monday 28^th they received another official telegram stating that he had succumbed to his wounds and had died on Sunday 27^th.

[TARA]

In the History of the Norfolk Regt, the account of the 9th Battalion during October 1916 makes pretty grim reading. In September there had been heavy casualties and on 1st October the Battalion "composed almost entirely of fresh drafts, with only a very small percentage of experienced non commisioned officers and men."

On October 16th the Battalion was in Shine Trench facing Le Transloy. On the 18th, they commenced a general attack in the dark and in wet weather that had turned the ground into a quagmire. Conditions were so bad it proved difficult to even get out and over the parapet. In the attack companies lost direction, there were some trenches over run, others were missed and two companies were caught in an enemy barrage. The attack continued with some success but with heavy casualties, until they were relieved at midnight on the 19th.

TARA

[brandon_at_war]

TARA. Thank you for that, its greatly appreciated.

[brandon_at_war]

Just a quick update. I have downloaded the War Diary (thank you for the link Colin) and have spoke to Dick Rayner (thanks for the contact Dave). Dick has sent me some details and these have really been very helpful to me. In return I will get him some piccies of the memorial on the local church wall.

Thank you everyone for your assistance.

[Shannon Taylor]

On 23/01/2014 at 21:48, brandon_at_war said:

Does anyone know if the 8th and 9th Btn., Norfolk Regiment War Diaries are online? I am specifically looking at the time of the demise of four local lads but cannot find much of their final movements ...

• 16475, Reginald Nichols, 2nd February 1916 - 9th Btn.
• 14299, James Dickerson, 18th October 1916 - 9th Btn. ( I have copy of service record for James)

• 25674, John Wells, 11th August 1917 - 8th Btn.
• 12460, Edward Kent, 27th October 1917 - 8th Btn.

Any links or assistance would be greatly appreciated.

My great grandfather was Private John Wells of the 8th battalion. My email is shannon.e.taylor@outlook.com

I have his service bible here and some more info.