Specific records of a regiment

[Ayashi]

You see on Who Do You Think You Are where a handy historian digs out the regimental book and it has all the in depth information of what a regiment/company/battalion did on a particular day... Has anyone been able to access these themselves? Is it possible or easy to do?

Thanks.

[clearly]

I think I am right in saying that most regimental museums will have copies of war diaries, where they survive.  The one I volunteer at certainly has most of the diaries of the various battalions and most have been transcribed. They don't have the individual records, these are either at the National Archives for WWI or still with the MOD for WWII.
Of course what WDYTYA does not show is the the researcher arriving two months ahead of filming to find out what is available at any particular location or them contacting some retired professor who will dig up a few facts.  It is presented as a voyage of discovery when in fact it is minutely scripted right down to the last detail.

[Ayashi]

Thanks War diaries... that's what I was thinking of. I guess now I've got to find the museums next 

I've got the individual records for everyone apart from my grandfather (who, hopefully, is en route from the MoD in the next few months). I think it would be very interesting to know more about what was actually going on at any given moment, especially for my great-grandfather who got himself clapped in irons for 2 days in France during WW1... I would love to know if there's any more information on why!

[GrahamSimons]

Thanks War diaries... that's what I was thinking of. I guess now I've got to find the museums next 

Good central register of army museums: http://www.armymuseums.org.uk/

[Ayashi]

Thanks! I'll have a look now

[clearly]

Most of the copies of war diaries originate from the National Archives at Kew, so it may be easier for you to access them there.  However a lot of mueums have transcribed the diaries and this makes searching an awful lot easier.

[Ayashi]

Thanks! I found a link to "Brompton Barracks" which has "77 boxes" of RE WW1 war diaries (although doesn't say which ones...) and a few other relevant things...