Tony Lund Posted 1 October , 2005 Share Posted 1 October , 2005 The Diary of Sergeant Sanderson. Following recent posts mentioning this battalion in 1914 I thought it might be useful to provide this link. It was done once before but I repeatedly made a mess of it, which made it difficult to find. So it may help to do it again, properly this time. The Diary of Sergeant B. Sanderson, Far Cliff, Holmfirth, 2nd Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps. Sergeant B. Sanderson was the son of Walter Sanderson and brother of Lance Corporal Frank Sanderson. He had served his time as a regular soldier and was recalled from the army reserve on the 4th of August 1914. After arriving at Melton, he travelled with the other reservists to the regimental depot at Winchester. He then begins a remarkable eye witness account of a war of rapid movement, followed by the evolution of trench warfare, on the Western Front in 1914. The battalion then moves north to Ypres in Belgium and after a few days the sergeant is shot in the ankle. The diary finishes when he reaches the base hospital. There are around 12,000 words, first published in the Holmfirth Express, January 1915. Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 1 October , 2005 Share Posted 1 October , 2005 Tony, Interesting read, many thanks for posting this. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6th Shropshires Posted 1 October , 2005 Share Posted 1 October , 2005 Hi Tony Many thanks for posting link to Sergeant Sanderson diary. A very interesting read, and indeed a remarkable eye witness account of the fighting of those early days. Annette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 3 February , 2006 Share Posted 3 February , 2006 Tony Many thanx for this - not only an interesting read but it has helped me trace the movements of one of the Grateley men (Archie Hoare) who was RSM of the Bn and commissioned in the field on 1 Oct 1914. By the way -do you know the "proper" Christan name of B Sanderson? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 3 February , 2006 Share Posted 3 February , 2006 Yes, a good read! A couple of transcription clarifications: (both officers) . Can't go into detail as my notes on the Bn (derived from a relation's - Company Sergeant Major in the same Bn, commissioned December - diary of the same period) are located elsewhere: 'Catheart' should be CATHCART 'Bonverie' is BOUVERIE, even PLEYDELL-BOUVERIE Don't quote me, think both were ultimately fatalities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lund Posted 4 February , 2006 Author Share Posted 4 February , 2006 'Catheart' should be CATHCART 'Bonverie' is BOUVERIE, even PLEYDELL-BOUVERIE Thanks for that, I have now found them both at the CWGC website. I got the diary from the local paper where it appeared in six instalments between December 1914 and February 1915. I have tried to copy it exactly unless I spot an obvious misprint. Sergeant B Sanderson is a bit of a mystery. I think the Holmfirth Express says he is the son of Walter Sanderson of Far Cliff, Holmfirth, and the brother of Frank Sanderson, but now I come to look for the copy of the relevant page I do not seem to have it. So I shall have to check that. I know he was old enough to have served his time in the army before August 1914, but he is not listed on the 1881 census with Walter’s family and a four year old Frank. There is a B Sanderson named on a local memorial but I am expecting him to turn out to be a second line territorial born in 1880 and killed in 1918. Although one of Walter Sanderson’s sons does mentions that one of his family has been killed and one crippled in a letter to the newspaper written in 1917, he does not say who, or even his own christian name. I expect a lot of these little mysteries will clear themselves up by the time the main newspaper search of the war years is completed, but if I can find out who’s who now I will do. I shall get one of those census cards from the library and see who is with Walter Sanderson’s household in 1901, and check the first report of the Sergeant being wounded, that might help sort things out. Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 4 February , 2006 Share Posted 4 February , 2006 Thanx Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwsmith Posted 8 February , 2006 Share Posted 8 February , 2006 Yes, a good read! A couple of transcription clarifications: (both officers) . Can't go into detail as my notes on the Bn (derived from a relation's - Company Sergeant Major in the same Bn, commissioned December - diary of the same period) are located elsewhere: 'Catheart' should be CATHCART 'Bonverie' is BOUVERIE, even PLEYDELL-BOUVERIE Don't quote me, think both were ultimately fatalities. Phil, I have my grandfather's diary covering 2KRRC August to Nov 1914 when he was wounded. What info do you have aboput the Battn during the war? I have done a great deal of research which I am willing to share if of use to you. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lund Posted 9 February , 2006 Author Share Posted 9 February , 2006 Sergeant Bradlaugh Sanderson, (6336), 2nd Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps. Born Holmfirth 1886ish, son of Walter Sanderson, Far Cliff, Wooldale, Holmfirth. In 1901 he was working as an apprentice Nurseryman and living as a lodger at 6 Pell Mell, Melton, Mowbray, Leicestershire. In August 1914 he was a reservist who was recalled to the army, travelling first to Melton and then to Winchester. The dead member of his family his unnamed brother mentions in a letter to the local newspaper is Joseph Walker Wood, 13 years old in 1901 he was the brother of Mrs Sanderson and lived as part of Walter Sanderson’s family, and joined the local territorials as Drummer Joseph Sanderson very soon after they were formed. He was hit by shellfire at Ypres in 1915 and died without regaining consciousness at Boulogne. He is recorded as Sanderson on Soldiers Died and Wood on the CWGC website. Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta Posted 9 February , 2006 Share Posted 9 February , 2006 Tony - thanx for passing the info; first time I have heard of "Bradlaugh" as a Christian name; presumbaly he joined the KRRC in the early years of the century. Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lund Posted 9 February , 2006 Author Share Posted 9 February , 2006 It looks like he got bored with gardening and joined up from the area where he was working while he was still a teenager, Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradley Posted 21 August , 2006 Share Posted 21 August , 2006 really enjoyed that,cheers.............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonwpb Posted 7 May , 2007 Share Posted 7 May , 2007 The Diary of Sergeant Sanderson. Following recent posts mentioning this battalion in 1914 I thought it might be useful to provide this link. It was done once before but I repeatedly made a mess of it, which made it difficult to find. So it may help to do it again, properly this time. The Diary of Sergeant B. Sanderson, Far Cliff, Holmfirth, 2nd Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps. Sergeant B. Sanderson was the son of Walter Sanderson and brother of Lance Corporal Frank Sanderson. He had served his time as a regular soldier and was recalled from the army reserve on the 4th of August 1914. After arriving at Melton, he travelled with the other reservists to the regimental depot at Winchester. He then begins a remarkable eye witness account of a war of rapid movement, followed by the evolution of trench warfare, on the Western Front in 1914. The battalion then moves north to Ypres in Belgium and after a few days the sergeant is shot in the ankle. The diary finishes when he reaches the base hospital. There are around 12,000 words, first published in the Holmfirth Express, January 1915. Tony. Hello Tony, I am very interested in the diary you referenced, but the link does not seem to work. Is the document still available? My grandfather was called up from the reserves at the beginning of the war, and deployed to France 2 Nov 1914 (according to his MIC he was in 2/KRRC). Regards, Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lund Posted 7 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 7 May , 2007 A couple of people have said they are having trouble getting at the history section of this website. It is the Holmfirth website and not under my control. I will post the diary directly onto the Forum in the document repository section in a few minutes and post a link here in case it is needed. Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lund Posted 7 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 7 May , 2007 I have posted the full text of this diary on the Forum to prevent any further difficulties. Just click this link. Sergeant Sanderson's diary. Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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