2nd Lincolns Ancestry War Diary Search

[Foxkarej]

Can someone please remind me how to do  a War Diary Search on Ancestry please.

I'm looking for the 2nd Lincolns, 25th Brigade , 8th Division for the whole of September 1915

 

The answer is probably very simple but no matter how I enter it I get over 11000 hits.

As you can tell, my computer literacy is poor so a nice easy steps answer please.

Thanks

[Ron Clifton]

Here is the reference:

WO 95/1730 2 Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment 1914 Nov. - 1918 Jan.  

It can be downloaded from the Kew website, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk, currently free. You will need to add a suffix such as /1, /2 etc as there are several diaries in each file.If you have access to Ancestry you should also be able to get it free.

 

War Diaries rarely mention individuals by name other than officers, but numbers of casualties each day are nearly always given, and the location of the unit, with a short description of its activities, is given on each day.

 

The thing about the search engines is that you have to get the syntax right!

 

Ron

[Foxkarej]

Thanks. I do have Ancestry, that the problem in that I can't remember what to put in the search fields. I need 'talking through that.

[clk]

Hi,

 

Usually the easiest way to find it on Ancestry, is to find it at the National Archives first. So, by putting "2 lincolnshire" in their search page (link) you get these results - link. Select the one that you want, and from the WO 95/1730/1 file reference, put the 1730 number in the Ancestry search page as an exact term in the 'Keyword' field.

 

 

In your case you get these hits  which show that the diary has been bundled together by Ancestry at the Brigade level:

 

If you go into any of the records then (probably easiest by using the 'film strip' view) scroll back/forward in chunks until you find the unit diary in the bundle that you are actually after. Then further fine scroll to the dates that you require - the direct link to the month of September 1915 is here. You can then download it a page at a time.

 

Personally, I'd tend to go with the National Archives option where you can often download a whole diary in one go.  They are currently free of charge once you've completed a very straight forward online registration (at no cost). The registration form is here.

 

Regards

Chris

[PRC]

3 hours ago, Foxkarej said:

Can someone please remind me how to do  a War Diary Search on Ancestry please.

I'm looking for the 2nd Lincolns, 25th Brigade , 8th Division for the whole of September 1915

 

The answer is probably very simple but no matter how I enter it I get over 11000 hits.

As you can tell, my computer literacy is poor so a nice easy steps answer please.

 

 As Ron and Chris says, the simplest way of all currently is to download it for free from the National Archive. This part covering from November 1914 to January 1918 will cover your needs

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7352498

The page even gives you the option to sign in which then give you a choice of registering for an account.

 

However if Ancestry is your preferred route, and if Chris's method doesn't work for you, then as I only access Ancestry when it's a free weekend, I had to write myself a litle crib sheet to remember how to find war diaries. (I've skipped the steps that don't apply in this case)

 

1: Check the LLT to see what Brigade & Division the Battalion was in at the time and see where in which Theatre of War they were serving.

So here:-https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/lincolnshire-regiment/

8th Division, 25th Brigade. France & Flanders.

 

2: If France & Flanders go to this Ancestry web-page. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/60779/

 

4: Right hand side of the page, use dropdown box "Regiment or Unit" and select required unit.

5: Then use next drop down box to choose appropriate Division.

 

8: If appropriate Division doesn't show up then Battalion will be bundled in a Brigade War Diary. Go back to "Regiment or Unit" drop box and select "Various (Infantry Bridages, XX Division)"

XX is the number of the relevant division and "Bridages" is how they spell it :-)

 

9: Complete drop-down box "Division" - but the only choice will be the XX Division.

 

10: The available War Diaries should then display - Brigade ones may well incude a typed up copy of each sub-unit diary for the same period.

 

Webpage should look something like this:-

 

 

Hope that helps,

Peter

 

[Foxkarej]

Thank you very much guys. Diary now found. Needless to say, I've now made sure to save your suggestions for future searches.

My request was on the back of a very graphic newspaper article I have, on the death of a relative which explained in detail how he met his end storming an enemy trench.

The Diaries of course now put that article into context.