ddycher Posted 14 August , 2018 Share Posted 14 August , 2018 All There was a Regimental history of the 5th Devons time in India written called "The Dumpling Abroad" but I have been unable to find any ref's for it. Anybody have any ideas ? Regards Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaureenE Posted 14 August , 2018 Share Posted 14 August , 2018 (edited) I could not find it in the British Library catalogue, or in worldcat.org. Perhaps it was printed privately for members of the Battalion. Have you tried the Regimental Museum? Cheers Maureen Edited 14 August , 2018 by Maureene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 14 August , 2018 Share Posted 14 August , 2018 Likewise eluding me. The best bet was the West Country Studies Library, now part of Devon Archives -but nary a trace. There is a c. Christmas 1914 with a rhyme about "Devon Dumplings" but the main use of the name is for the long-standing cricket team- whose average girth in past years more than justified the team name. There is a 1931 publication called "A Devon Dumpling" but I think this is unlikely to be the beast. The best way of tracking what it is - ask you for the source of your information and work backwards from there. I am aware that there are many local news-sheets for overseas battalions- apart from the large numbers of what are usually called "trench journals" for units in the west. Are we looking for a book, a pamphlet, a battalion newspaper???????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddycher Posted 16 August , 2018 Author Share Posted 16 August , 2018 Both Many thanks for your input. The 5th Devon’s printed a “Regimental Gazette” whilst in India. I believe it was printed monthly from November 1914; initially in Multan then Lahore. Best I can ascertain is that the “Dumpling Abroad” is a compilation of this but I have no original copies of either to substantiate this. Regards Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddycher Posted 16 August , 2018 Author Share Posted 16 August , 2018 One lead I do have is that potentially it was printed by members of the Western Morning News staff then serving with the 5th Devons. I have tried contacting the paper to see if they have any archive material. I will let you know if I hear anything back. Regards Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 16 August , 2018 Share Posted 16 August , 2018 On 16/08/2018 at 05:23, ddycher said: Both Many thanks for your input. The 5th Devon’s printed a “Regimental Gazette” whilst in India. I believe it was printed monthly from November 1914; initially in Multan then Lahore. Best I can ascertain is that the “Dumpling Abroad” is a compilation of this but I have no original copies of either to substantiate this. Regards Dave I guessed the item must be a battalion newspaper of some sort- and that the only chance would be a stray issue somewhere in someone's personal papers-which,given men came from all over the place, means that an odd issue could be anywhere. So, I suspect you may be going to God's Own Country or at least using the telephone-as "Discovery", the National Archives catalogue has the following: Obviously came in with some family papers deposited in Brixham. Please let us know how you get on-if poss., scan the titlepage and let us all see it!! At least we now know it really exists. THE DUMPLING ABROAD Regimental Record of 5 (P. of. W) Devon Regt. in India FAMILIES - BRIXHAM. THE DUMPLING ABROAD Regimental Record of 5 (P. of. W) Devon Regt. in India Held by: Brixham Heritage Museum Date: December 1914 Reference: A/FA/2301 PS- A call to Brixham Museum suggests that this item may be part of a larger family deposit of a prominent town family of yesteryear called Smardon- who had a son in the Great War. Nice chap at the Museum says there is quite a lot of ephemeral stuff relating to the son-Christmas cards, etc. so if he was a 5th Devonshire man, then well worth getting in touch with Brixham to see what else they have Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 16 August , 2018 Share Posted 16 August , 2018 Interesting that "Dumpling Abroad" gets nothing on Google but on DiscoveryNA there it is. A useful tip. Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 16 August , 2018 Share Posted 16 August , 2018 38 minutes ago, charlie962 said: Good find Mr PipPip. Interesting that "Dumpling Abroad" gets nothing on Google but on DiscoveryNA there it is. A useful tip. Charlie Technology,dear boy- No idea how it works properly-just bash at it sideways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddycher Posted 29 August , 2018 Author Share Posted 29 August , 2018 Heard back from Brixham Museum : “We do not have a copy of the book you mentioned but do have letters written by serving soldiers which were published in the Brixham Western Guardian”. So back to square one. Regards Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 29 August , 2018 Share Posted 29 August , 2018 27 minutes ago, ddycher said: Heard back from Brixham Museum : “We do not have a copy of the book you mentioned but do have letters written by serving soldiers which were published in the Brixham Western Guardian”. So back to square one. Regards Dave This not good. The archive listing did not come out of thin air. I suspect they do have it but only looked at "books" , rather than "archives". I will see if TNA Discovery can be added to- They usually take information for "Accessions to Repositories" from either direct submission or from published archive guides. Did you chase them on the reference number given-which is an archive ref. number, not a usual book classification?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddycher Posted 29 August , 2018 Author Share Posted 29 August , 2018 i asked them to check the Smardon collection and am at TNA tomorrow so will cross check. thanks Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 30 August , 2018 Share Posted 30 August , 2018 I wish you luck. It's hard enough to find dumplings in the UK now, must be almost impossible to find them in India! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddycher Posted 3 September , 2018 Author Share Posted 3 September , 2018 With the support of Philip Armitage (the Curator at the Brixham Heritage Museum) I now have a copy of the inaugural issue (December 1914) of the Dumpling Abroad. A 4 sheet monthly it has immediately answered a number of long time outstanding queries I had. Fantastic folks !! The forum at its best.... Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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