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Description: | Microfilm copy of four well-written ts transcript diaries (288pp in total) covering his service with the 13th Divisional and, from February 1918, the 40th Divisional Signal Company RE, initially in the United Kingdom (September 1914 - June 1915) and describing his initial training and living conditions at Chatham, Swindon and Bulford Camp, and his duties as a motorcycle despatch rider; then his embarkation in HMT BRAEMAR CASTLE for Egypt and active service at Gallipoli (July 1915 - January 1916) where he was based in Gully Ravine and employed on despatch duties, describing conditions on the Peninsula and the heavy casualties, the storms of November 1915, and the final evacuation on 9 January 1916; transfer to Mesopotamia (February 1916 - June 1917) where he was based on the Tigris Corps Front and describes the final attempts to relieve the besieged Kut, news of General Townshend's surrender, the lack of adequate food and prevalence of sickness, improved conditions after a move down river to Amara, and his involvement in the new offensive at Sannaiyat in November 1916 before receiving orders in January 1917 to return to the United Kingdom to be commissioned; then following officer cadet training at Fenny Stratford, Haynes Park and Bedford, he embarked for the Western Front (February - December 1918) where he was impressed by the excellence of communications and general organisation compared to those at Gallipoli and Mesopotamia, and describes his temporary command of the Divisional Artillery Signal Section at Hamelincourt during the German Spring Offensive, his command from April of the 119th Brigade Signal Section, his opinion of Chinese labour companies, the setting up of a Signal School, and his evacuation in October 1918 to No 8 British Red Cross Hospital suffering from the effects of poison gas. Also held as part of the collection are some original documents: his first two ms diaries covering service at Gallipoli (17pp, July 1915 - January 1916) and in Mesopotamia (25pp, January 1916 - January 1917), a ts memoir (68pp) of his service from enlistment through to his evacuation from Gallipoli, two photographs of him in uniform including one with his sister, and two printed maps of Anafarta Saghir, Gallipoli (1915) and Kut (January 1917).
Cataloguer APR
Catalogue date 2001-01-12 | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Lamb, H A J | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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