website War Diary of R. M. Kirke now available online

[Guest AdamMcLean]

I have transcribed my grandfather's war diary, began when he was stretcher

bearer in the 1st Royal Fuseliers, 17th Infantry Brigade, for the period

August 4th - 20th November 1914. During this time they were near the

Marne, on the Aisne, and later moved to Armentieres. His diary is

a record of his experiences rather than an account of a campaign, and

shows the human side of war from the perspective of a stretcher bearer.

It is full of his good humour in spite of the difficult and dangerous situations

in which he often found himself.

http://www.alchemywebsite.com/war_diary/kirke_war_diary.html

Later he was commissioned on the field and became a combatant, rising

to Captain. He was mentioned a number of times in despatches and

won the Military Cross and the Croix de Guerre with palm. Regrettably

any diaries he kept after November 1914 do not seem to have survived.

In the second world war he had an administrative position and worked on

the PLUTO project.

Adam McLean