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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

11th Nov 1918


Barry Hayter

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On 31/03/2006 at 23:21, Barry Hayter said:

Would be interested to learn how the onset of peace was recorded in any War Diaries you may hold.

Having check the 11th Nov for the 4th RWF Pioneers I was left almost deflated as I read;

--------------------------------------------------

BIZENCOURT Damp

C Coy employed on Northern Divisional route.

Hostilities ceased 11am.

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And that was it! I suppose on reflection there might well not have been a huge degree of elation, just utter exhaustion after so many dreadful years of conflict.

Are there any more interesting or indeed similarly melancholic examples out there?

 

I suppose we should be grateful it didn't add "Chops for lunch.  Good oh"?  I suspect there was a sense that writing anything more grandiose was putting on side or somehow overblown?

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6 hours ago, Robin Garrett said:

It's last operational duty was a recce patrol which crossed the battlefield of Malplaquet, where Marlborough defeated a French Army in 1709.

There are records, including photographs, of the BEF marching past the memorial to Malplaquet, and spending the night on the battlefield, in August 1914. It confirms the old saying "once a battlefield, always a battlefield".

 

Ron

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11 hours ago, BullerTurner said:

 

I suppose we should be grateful it didn't add "Chops for lunch.  Good oh"?  I suspect there was a sense that writing anything more grandiose was putting on side or somehow overblown?

 

11 hours ago, BullerTurner said:

BIZENCOURT Damp

C Coy employed on Northern Divisional route.

Hostilities ceased 11am.

 

Hmm: if I was at a place which enjoyed the name Bizencourt Damp (?Dump - both as bad), I would find that pretty dispiriting and can quite understand the rather curt WD entry.

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Several war diaries I've looked at make no explicit mention of the armsitice at all.  Otherwise a single line like that is fairly typical.

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281 Bde RFA at "Convent Quevy le Petit" Belgium

 

"Enemy infantry retired on our advance some machine gunning. Hostilities ceased at 11 am. 109th Battery in action on the Mons-Mauberge road, 3 miles south of Mons, fired on hostile battery (4.2) at 10.56am enemy retaliated on battery position."

 

I think my Grandfathers Diary is more interesting for its brevity and arguably what was considered as if not more important.

 

"Quevy le Petit? Peace declared. No rations up"

 

Bob

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4 hours ago, nigelcave said:

 

 

Hmm: if I was at a place which enjoyed the name Bizencourt Damp (?Dump - both as bad), I would find that pretty dispiriting and can quite understand the rather curt WD entry.

 

Having been a co-author of a war diary (well two actually) it is difficult to avoid the banal, even in the shadow of great events.  Especially when it is, say, day 127 of the magnum opus...😉

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