Andrew Hesketh Posted 5 January , 2003 Share Posted 5 January , 2003 Just a thought - which may have been discussed on the forum before, in which case apologies for bringing it up. Chris has started including war diary extracts on the site, which is a welcome idea. I know that loads of us have parts of war diaries (or in some cases complete ones). Could we therefore, with Chris's (is that correct punctuation? I was always hopeless with apostrophes) permission, develop an archive on this site? Is this okay legally (i.e. are there copyright problems)? Alternatively how about a page listing who's got what and is willing to do look ups for others? For those of us too far from the PRO for easy visits this could be a real boon. Any thoughts? All the best, Andrew (with complete 1/7th Sherwood Foresters diary and bits of most other SF battalions) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Carter Posted 5 January , 2003 Share Posted 5 January , 2003 Andrew Good idea. I have copies from the PRO of various Corps, Division, Special Bde R.E. and Brigade Diaries covering the period from mid July, 1916 to mid September, 1916 for the actions in and around High Wood. Regards Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 5 January , 2003 Author Share Posted 5 January , 2003 FAO Chris Baker. Apologies. I should really have contacted you directly with this idea rather than slapping it all over the forum. Wouldn't like you to think this is some sort of hijack attempt! Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 5 January , 2003 Share Posted 5 January , 2003 I think it's a great idea. I just need to figure out how we can best do it. I'll need to play around with it a little, but look out for a new section to appear on the forum. Obviously, all ideas welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 6 January , 2003 Share Posted 6 January , 2003 Top man that Chris Baker chap. This is an excellent idea - we'll be able to go straight to various horses mouths. I've got a 17th Manchesters as & when we're ready John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon_Fielding Posted 6 January , 2003 Share Posted 6 January , 2003 I've got the 23rd Londons on the run up to the Festubert attack on the 25th May 1915... Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hannah Posted 6 January , 2003 Share Posted 6 January , 2003 I've got 1/4th 2/4th 1/5th and 2/5th Lincolns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmac Posted 7 January , 2003 Share Posted 7 January , 2003 I have every unit in the 56th London Division plus some Corps artillery for the two months before the 1st July 1916 attack on Gommecourt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob HAmilton Posted 7 January , 2003 Share Posted 7 January , 2003 I've got the 12th East Surreys (Bermondsey Pals) from 1/4/18 - 11/11/18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 7 January , 2003 Share Posted 7 January , 2003 In response to this discussion thread, the War Diary section of the Document Repository is now open. Let's give it a try. I leave it entirely up to you if you just tell people you have a diary, or (if you have a soft copy) if you cut and paste it into your post, or if you have a URL pointing to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 7 January , 2003 Author Share Posted 7 January , 2003 Wow!! All I did was have an idle muse on Sunday afternoon about the usefulness of an archive and within two days Chris has sorted it all out!! Is this the best website ever? Thanks Chris! All the best, Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenwoodman Posted 7 January , 2003 Share Posted 7 January , 2003 Worth adding in any battalion histories that we have as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenwoodman Posted 7 January , 2003 Share Posted 7 January , 2003 Yep, Ok, got that sorted (eventually). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Holstein Posted 8 January , 2003 Share Posted 8 January , 2003 This is maybe a little bit off-topic but there is a French website that is slowly building up a scanned collection of French regimental histories. There aren't very many on line yet but it's growing. The URL is:http://www.1914-18.org/~historiques/#infanterie French regimental histories don't in any way compare with German ones and obviously not with war diaries either but it might be a useful address for someone sometime. Christina Holstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Bluestein Posted 9 January , 2003 Share Posted 9 January , 2003 Great Idea! I've got the 42nd Battalion, Royal Highlanders of Canada for Sept. 1916. The 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles for much of 1916 and 1917. The 7th Canadian Infantry Battalion (British Columbia) for most 1916-1918. 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regt. for Gallipoli August 8th 1915. 1st Bn. Inniskilling Fus. for July 1st 1916. 1st Manchesters for March 1916 (Mespot) 28th Battalion Canadian Infantry for their attack at Passchendale November 6th 1917. And many more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughton Posted 12 January , 2003 Share Posted 12 January , 2003 Great ideas and I think it is of particular importance for us "colonial's" who do not have the access to the PRO and other such facilities, as our friends in the home countries. How I would love to be able to hop on the train and go down to some place where I can search the records. It would be great if I could get access on-line to the war diary of the 26th Northumberland Fusiliers - does anyone have it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_Woods Posted 14 January , 2003 Share Posted 14 January , 2003 If anyone is interested I've got a copy of the 1st Bn Grenadier Guards Diary for October 4th 1914 through to 20th October - entries start again on 7th November. The Grenadiers did not have time to complete the diary after this date as they were almost constantly under fire during "First Ypres", which seems very remiss for the senior regiment of the British army. I've also got part copies of the diary for 20 Brigade for October 1914, a letter from the Guards HQ dated December 1916 complaining about the lack of diary entries in 1914 and a host of other documents - special orders of the day etc. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stephenf Posted 17 January , 2003 Share Posted 17 January , 2003 Hi, I have 1st Bn Somerset Light Infantry Aug 1914 - Feb 1919. And i am willing to do any look ups or donate any text for the War Diaries section of this site. Steve In memory of Pte J Perham 2/4th Devonshire Regt Died 1 May 1916 Mesopotamia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard_Lewis Posted 27 January , 2003 Share Posted 27 January , 2003 I've got the 14th Welsh (Swansea Battalion) diary though not word for word - I've summarised 'quiet' days etc. Happy to look up any queries that people might have. Bernard Lewis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 27 January , 2003 Share Posted 27 January , 2003 The Grenadiers did not have time to complete the diary after this date as they were almost constantly under fire during "First Ypres", which seems very remiss for the senior regiment of the British army. I've also got ... a letter from the Guards HQ dated December 1916 complaining about the lack of diary entries in 1914. Dave Hello, not really to the point in this thread but I believe several war diaries were lost during the fighting at First Ypres (the war diary of the 1st Brigade was burned during a bombardement if I recall correctly)... Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 15 February , 2003 Share Posted 15 February , 2003 As part of a team working on the history of the MGC, a group of us are working through the PRO reading all the MGC diaries and grading them for future reference in the narrative. Not too many copies of documents held, but it's being done. All variations are there, from amazingly well kept to utterly useless. Obviously, it would cost thousands to copy them all.. I couldn't begin to estimate how far through we are, but good progress is being made, and I think we've got a comprehensive list if anyone needs a shortcut to a document reference. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompeyrodney Posted 15 August , 2005 Share Posted 15 August , 2005 Hi, I have 1st Bn Somerset Light Infantry Aug 1914 - Feb 1919. And i am willing to do any look ups or donate any text for the War Diaries section of this site. Steve In memory of Pte J Perham 2/4th Devonshire Regt Died 1 May 1916 Mesopotamia <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi Steve Is this diary/history readily available anywhere please ? I am trying to find out about my grandfather, Cyril Wyndham George House, service number 27731. Cheers Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 15 August , 2005 Share Posted 15 August , 2005 Julian See my response to your other posting: Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathon Posted 20 August , 2005 Share Posted 20 August , 2005 I think it's a great idea. I just need to figure out how we can best do it. I'll need to play around with it a little, but look out for a new section to appear on the forum. Obviously, all ideas welcome. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Am interested in any war diary period covering 3rd ypres november 1917 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Stewart Posted 21 August , 2005 Share Posted 21 August , 2005 Laughton, Saw your post regarding the War Diary of the 26th Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers and can tell you that a microfiched photocopy of that battalion diary is located in the Central Library in Newcastle. For those that are interested all of the Northumberland Fusiliers War Diaries were typed up and microfiched by the curator of the old Northumberland Fusiliers Museum about thirty years ago, and copies are held by both the new Fusiliers of Northumberland Museum, Alnwick and Central Library, Newcastle. Changing tack, have you also read the book "Tyneside Irish" by John Sheen, which in effect takes up the story from where "Irish Heroes" left off. Graham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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