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Life on the Front Line: Diaries, News, and Letters from the First World War, 1914–1919 - Volumes
Volumes
6 volumes in Life on the Front Line: Diaries, News, and Letters from the First World War, 1914–1919
Officer Diaries, August 1914–October 1919
These diaries span from November 1915 to November 1916. Thus, they document the Battle of the Somme. They also offer detailed narratives of engagements in key locations such as Beaumont Hamel, Flers-Courcelette, the Fricourt sector, Ginchy, Lesbœufs, and Le Transloy Ridges. Furthermore, the diaries focus on the conflicts around the town of Ypres between 1915 and 1917. These sources include vivid accounts from the second and third battles of Ypres and the intense struggle for the Messines Ridge. Additionally, the officer diaries in this volume feature two detailed records of the Battle of Loos (1915) and two compelling accounts of the Battle of Vimy Ridge (1917). Read more →
Non-commissioned Officer Diaries, September 1914–November 1918
These diaries provide accounts of the Somme offensive and the conflicts around Ypres that were written by non-commissioned officers (NCOs). In the Ypres area, NCOs recorded details of the Battle of Passchendaele and of the fight for Messines Ridge. Accounts of the Somme include an NCO’s description of the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. An NCO's account of his experience of fighting at Bethune also features. Additionally, the diaries in this volume contain accounts of fighting at Suvla Bay on the Gallipoli peninsula and in the Hallencourt area of France. Read more →
Privates' Diaries, August 1914–February 1919
These series of recollections discuss the battles around the Ypres Salient, focusing in particular upon the Battle of Passchendaele. Additionally, they provide perspectives on the Battles of Loos and Arras, and the fighting at Bethune. Several descriptions of the Somme offensive also feature. Certain information contained in this volume is less likely to be found in an Officer's diary. For example, the diaries in this volume record experiences of moving supplies to the battlefront. They likewise supply candid opinions on poor organisation, the conditions of the army, the perceived inequalities of military life, commentary regarding conscientious objectors, and the minutiae of trench life. Read more →
Civilian Diaries, May–September 1916
This volume contains the diaries of two non-combatants: an Anglican chaplain and a French civilian. The Reverend Ernest C. Crosse, served as a Church of England Chaplain to the 8th and 9th Battalions Devonshire Regiment (7th Division). Crosse records his thoughts and experiences whilst serving during the Battle of the Somme. From 30 June to 5 September 1916, he was largely concerned with the recovery of the wounded and the burial of the dead. The translated diary of N. Hersent, a 55-year-old French civilian residing in the occupied village of St. Leger, offers vivid accounts of air raids, bombardments, gas attacks, and the treatment of Prisoners of War (POWs). Hersent's narrative adds supplies a distinctive, personal perspective to unfolding events in the Arras region. Read more →
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