Understanding References

[andigger]

On the firm belief that the only stupid question is the one not asked, I am hoping the Pals can help meunderstand some refernces in a bibliography.

In Ian Beckett's First Ypres he lists Manuscripts as his first references including IWM, London Baines Mss Bremner Mss Craig Brown Mss, et al.

Does this mean that these individuals all had diaries or some sort of personal record which Beckett used in his research? Also it seems odd that there is no other information given about these documents, such as the writer's rank or regiment. Is this the proper way to reference manuscripts?

I also notice for the NA/PRO he has CAB44, WO157 and others referenced. What is this?

Thanks for the help.... Andy

[armourersergeant]

Andy,

You will often see this type of reference whe used by scholarly types.

The answer to your question is yes

Pro documents are catalogued as you say and then sub sectioned even further than this as you get more specific. if you visit the NA homepage and use the search facility you can see what category these references are.

often people quoted may be from personell letters and thus not always military sources, such as wife mother and other personell papers. Mss i think stands for manuscripts?

regards

Arm.

[Halder]

I also notice for the NA/PRO he has CAB44, WO157 and others referenced.  What is this?

Thanks for the help.... Andy

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Documents in the PRO or NA as it now is are all sorted into the relevant government departments - ADM is Admiralty, CAB is the Cabinet Office (official Cabinet records, but also the source material for Official Histories), WO is War Office (and subsequently DEFE for the MoD). Each department category is then split into various numbered files e.g. WO106 for military intelligence WW1- and from there into the actual files so WO106/1 might be reports from the military attache in Germany. And in that actual folder there can be as many as 30 or 40 reports! It's daunting searching through them all!