Beschreibung
Oblong 8vo. Small "Walker's Service Notebook" (154 x 94 mm), lined, 26 pages filled with neat entries in pencil and pen (final page of diary loose), the remaining portion of the notebook (i.e. about 2/3) blank. Original limp cloth covers, worn. § Extraordinary manuscript diary of an anonymous British soldier, beginning April 12th, 1915 and ENDING ABRUPTLY IN THE TRENCHES AFTER A GAS ATTACK. The final entry was dated December 19th, 1915 which was THE FIRST DAY PHOSGENE GAS WAS USED AGAINST BRITISH SOLDIERS. The short diary is rich in detail of life at the front. The anonymous soldier belonged to the 49th (West Riding) Division which had a large number of gas casualties, when soldiers in reserve lines did not receive a warning in time to put on their helmets. A study by British medical authorities arrived at a figure of 1,069 gas casualties, 120 of which were fatal. It is very possible that the present manuscript was written by one of those men. It seems probable that with access to the right regimental records the identity and fate of the soldier could be learned and his story told in full; however, even as an anonymous diary the interest and poignancy of this personal record is clear. The events recorded span just nine months. On April 12th the soldier leaves Edenthorpe, near Doncaster, and crosses the channel to Le Havre that evening, "packed like herrings" and accompanying horses and wagons. Over the next few months he records laying lines, opening signal offices, handling horses, towns and villages visited, billets and meals, injuries, regiments encountered, names of comrades and O.C.s, shelling, rain, and mud. He sees the Northumberland Hussars, the Indian Corps, and Royal Horse Artillery. On May 9th he records the Battle of Aubers Ridge: "Off duty at 7am. Attack began at 5am by Artillery. Signal thro' during day showed heavy losses in E. Lancs, Lincolns., 13th London and other Batts. Had coffee in Fleurbaix and then to bed in barn. Off duty 3pm. Attack still proceeding without much impression on our line. French said to be doing well. At night we have the two windows in our Signal Office made up with corrugated iron & sandbags." For the entry dated May 12th, our author notes that the name of the Division has been "altered to the 49th," thereby confirming the identity of his Division. On May 24th: "The Allamands dropped about 6 shrapnel in our vicinity." From a period of steady work and periodic pleasures ("had tea & cakes at a patisserie & and then back after buying some books", "glorious day"), the situation deteriorates with the weather ("torrential rain, dugouts leaking & 18" water on my floor"). They move to Chateau de Trois Tours and on July 13th there is "rather an exciting night" with a bombardment from 7.30 to 10.30. On the 14th "The whole place is being encircled by barbed wire & trenches & the furniture is being moved out of the chateau." On the 15th "At 12.45pm about 12 shells fell round the chateau, made a dive for the Signal Office, Billy Edwards & Gus Harris wounded in thigh and ankle." They were shelled again on the 16th. On December 1st he travels back to Sheffield on leave, returning on December 8th. The company are now holed up near Ypres at Hospital Farm, the name given to a farm building used as a dressing station. The final entry reads "Dec 19th 'S.O.S.' Gas attack 5.30 am, things lively until 8.30am. 146 & 148 des. 148 soon repaired from chateau". The cemetery at Hospital Farm contains 115 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. On the significance of the 19 Dec. 1915 battle at Wieltje, Belgium (northeast of Ypres), see the long Wikipedia entry "German Phosgene Attack of 19 December 1915." The diary contains many clues that could help identify our writer in military records. It is not certain that he was one of the first British casualties to Phosgene gas, but it seems tragically likely. As it stands, the final entry in the diary marks an important milestone in the war: phosgene gas would eventu. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 4227
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