Soldier's diary gives WW1 insight

From the Lancashire Telegraph, first published Monday 27th Aug 2007.

A RARE diary - giving an unique insight into life in World War One's trenches - has been transcribed by a history student for public use.

An unknown soldier is responsible for the log, which gives an unflinching account of life on the Western Front from 1917 and 1918 and is held at Blackburn's central library.

The 40-page diary was kept by a soldier from the Royal Field Artillery's 330 Brigade A Battery - for which four Blackburn soldiers gave their lives on the field of battle.

For reasons which have become lost in the mists of time, the diary ends suddenly, just weeks before Armstice Day.

But for 17-year-old Hassan Adam, from Audley Range, it still represented a fascinating first-hand recollection of the horrors of war.

He was on a week-long placement at the library and town's museum when he was asked to transcribe the volume for a digital archive in a bid to make it more accessible to the public.

Hassan said: "It was a great opportunity to be involved in such a project. Ever since high school, I have been fascinated by history.

"There are very few diaries of this kind around because the soldiers were not obliged to keep one. That is what makes it so rare and interesting.

"The soldier was very conscientious to have kept such a detailed diary but his name will remain a mystery.

"We know it was one of the 120 soldiers in the unit but don't know which one."

Coun Michael Law-Riding, culture executive member, said: "The diary helps to bring history to life and now it has been digitised, it can be studied or enjoyed by so many more people."

The digitised version of the diary is being kept at the library for public viewing.

Here are some excerpts from the diary: Tuesday, July 24, 1917 Col. Sykes visited the battery and told us we must get on with the position, working day and night. So we turned out the men about midday to start work again, instead of giving them a rest during the day . . .

We had just got them started when the Bosche started sweeping the wood without any apparent method.

Suddenly one dropped in the middle of the telephonists who were building a control post.

It mauled them all horribly and hardly one had less than half a dozen wounds. Holden and Bonnell killed and Berry died of wounds later.

Isherwood (died), Bowler (died), Sgt. Gabbut, Mabbut badly wounded (died), Bdr. Tennant, Corr and Taylor less severely. Brown killed and Bdr. Morgan wounded on returning from taking wounded men to ADS.

A most unlucky day and it has tried the Battery a good deal. It has meant a hard and nervous day's work and the position has not advanced at all.

But everyone behaved splendidly. We started work again at six and kept it up through the night.

Thursday, Nov. 1, 1917 Burton went on camouflage course near Boulogne and came back tight (drunk) Friday, June 17, 1918 Burton's 21st and much champagne

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