Diarists?

[Norrette]

Not sure if there's an easy answer to this. If the 9th Corps diary is not written by by the Corps Commander (and I know this to be the case as he is referred to in the third person within said diary), does anyone have any idea who would write the diary? Either through dictation or by own handwriting?

In general terms who would hand-write a diary at the Division and Corps levels?

Norrette

[Guest]

Lt Col F G Fuller and Maj M Magniac - Staff Officers (GSO I and GSO II respectively). IX Corps Gallipoli diaries. Both signed a variety of documents including reports, diaries, orders, summaries, etc.

Maj F G Fuller is mentioned in the OH page 249. Later promoted to Lt Col.

MG

[Norrette]

Thanks Martin, it would be through dictation then, as Fuller went on shore at one point, but the hand-writing didn't change (unless he wrote retrospectively)

It's probably just my reading things into this - but I see some irony in:

"A naval officer came on board to report that the landings on B & C beaches were practically unopposed but that landing in A Beach (SUVLA BAY) was strenuously opposed by rifle fire."

then an hour later 7/8/15

"Admiral CHRISTIAN who was in charge of landing asked Corps Commander where he wished the force landed. Reply A Beach."

[Guest]

Thanks Martin, it would be through dictation then, as Fuller went on shore at one point, but the hand-writing didn't change (unless he wrote retrospectively)

It's probably just my reading things into this - but I see some irony in:

"A naval officer came on board to report that the landings on B & C beaches were practically unopposed but that landing in A Beach (SUVLA BAY) was strenuously opposed by rifle fire."

then an hour later 7/8/15

"Admiral CHRISTIAN who was in charge of landing asked Corps Commander where he wished the force landed. Reply A Beach."

I don't know for sure that they wrote the diaries, but at Corps level I doubt very much that anyone below the rank of major was trusted with the job of writing what was an Official record of events. My money would be on Fuller.

I think one also needs to consider that the 'diaries' were mostly written in notebooks first and then notes were compared, returns studied, eyewitnesses consulted etc then the 'diary' was written up a consolidation of information from multiple sources. I have worked on rather a large number of diaries and my overriding feeling is that a very small proportion written on Army Form C 2118 were written on the day. Some were written days or even weeks after the events, so the absence of a Staff Officer for a day or two would largely be immaterial to the consistency of the diary narrative.

Also, thousands of mistakes were made in timings, sequence of events etc. Sometimes it is easy to spot errors, other times it is more difficult. This is why, if possible, it is important to cross-reference diaries. Rather like rock-climbing, three points of contact are fairly critical. Most of my diary work involves large bodies of diaries within the same formations which enables comparisons of events and makes it easier to spot differences and errors in accounts.

MG

Incidentally I did go to Staff College, although not in 1914-15.

[Norrette]

Ah, my shattered illusions. But thanks for this, it's interesting and good to know.