11th Battalion Rifle Brigade War Diary

[AngieToton]

Hi, does anyone have a copy of the 11th Division War Diary they could email me or can tell me where I could get a copy from ?

My Grandfather served in the 11th Battalion Rifle Brigade which I think was under the 20th Division / 59th Infantry / 11th Battalion Rifle Brigade.

I am hoping to visit Belgium shortly and would like to visit / see where he fought in WW1 - he died before I was born.

I know where he was serving until Dec 1915 but nothing after that.

Thanks

[jim1]

They're held by TNA:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01lcq/
They are downloadable but are in 5 lots.
They are also on Ancestry if you have a sub:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01lcr/
Unusually (very) all the men are listed under name, rank, Coy. & no.
Having had a quick look it looks like it's very informative, again unusually (for 1915 anyway) the C.O. gives map references as to where they were. These can be found & co-ords. put into your sat. nav. which will take you to the exact places (probably in the middle of a field but the local farmers are used to that).
As a taster if you go to N.8 on this map you will see his 1st. known location in Aug. 1915:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01lcs/
They were still in the same area until around mid Jan. 1916 when they moved to Cassel France where they spent a few weeks training before moving to the Ypres Salient Feb. 1916 & went into the trenches at the famous Essex Farm.
C.25 on this one:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ld3/

[AngieToton]

Thanks Jim - that's a great help. I will download the Diary over the weekend and have a perusal

The old & new maps are very interesting.

I hadn't got any information after 1916 so I'm looking forward to mapping out where my Grandfather fought.

[jim1]

He first went "over the top" at Guillemont Sept. 1916 so look out for that.
The Bde. diary gives a blow by blow account so let me know if you want it.

[AngieToton]

The Bde Diary would be a great help to me, if you could possibly send it.

I have found a newspaper cutting saying that " 1917 - 1920 he served in Egypt and Palestine as an assistant adjutant in a demobilisation camp. He assisted in establishing the European Refugee camps in Cairo.

There again, I have no information on the above - how would I find that out ?

[jim1]

So your man was an Officer. He should be mentioned in the Batt. diary.
Officers were transferred more often than OR's so you need to find out when.
What's his name ?

[AngieToton]

Albert Victor Gray - think he was a Lieutenant

[jim1]

Can't supply the whole diary as it runs to over 900 pages. Most of it not particularly relevant but the interesting parts are the details of the actions he was involved in such as Guillemont. I'm assuming he was involved in that but he must have been put forward for Officer training at some point & may have transferred to another Batt. So you need to find from the diary when that was.
You may also find it in the London Gazette notices.
OK it was Sept. 1917 according to the LG. So was at Guillemont but not as an Officer.
The diary says a Cpl. in D Coy.

[AngieToton]

Thxs, I've downloaded the War Diaries from the National Archive and will plough through them.

I'll try looking on the internet at Demobilisation camps in Egypt & Palestine.