Correct book title urgently needed

[Simon R]

[ I think the West Riding Territorials in the Great War is the closest I am going to get to a 49th Division history for the Great War, unless somebody out there cares to write one.

... that would be you then!! I do hope you write this up somewhere, it's an interesting area. There's a new book out on the Bradford Pals, or at least one I haven't seen before. Colleagues at work think it's the one that's been coming for a while and it was always 'next year'. Had a look - if you can afford it, get it, some really fantastic archival material in it, good photos that I have never seen before and some decent stuff on their training at Skipton - interesting parallel to other better known camps like Calsterdale and signposts way for info. on lesser known camps. Interesting to see material still popping up.

[Tony Lund]

... that would be you then!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have quite enough with the Holmfirth story just now. I have seen a little book about the Bradford men in Huddersfield library, I think it was published by Bradford library.

Tony.

[bantamforgot]

Don't forget his history of the "Butterfly" Division Terry !

Regards.

Colin

[keithmroberts]

I too have a reprint of Wyrall's 62nd division history. I am curious however about the Wyrall title that has not been reprinted, "The History of the 62nd amalgamated with the 49th - West Riding - Division, 1914-1919". Can anyone comment on its contents, and how much material it has on the 49th Division?

Keith

[Tony Lund]

I have heard this suggestion of a history of the 49th in with one of the 62nd before, but the only book I can find that comes anywhere near that title is the History of the 62nd Division, originally in two volumes, and now reprinted by Naval & Military Press. I got a copy through the library, and it was good for the 62nd Division but does not include the 49th at all. Although some local 49th men were transferred to the 62nd when their battalion was disbanded in early 1918.

The only history I have found so far is the West Riding Territorials in the Great War, which does include the 49th, although I certainly would not call it a history of the 49th. But it does seems to be all there is.

Tony.

[keithmroberts]

Tony

Following your comment I checked again - and found the reference to the "combined with the 49th division" only on Amazon UK, with no publisher details. Next stop was the Bodleian catalogue online, which had only the 62nd title, but the British Library does list a copy - so presumably it really does exist.

Keith

[Tony Lund]

Interesting. I have had a look at Amazon and they say none available. I will ask the inter-library loan service for that title and see what happens. I will post the result. The worst that can happen is that I will get the 62nd history again.

Tony.

[Brian910]

I recently ordered a book from the library which I guessed was entitled "The History of the 49th West Riding Division." I now have a query from the library about the tittle, basically they need more details. I know that a history of this division exists, any information about it would be helpful.

Thanks, Tony.

I see you are from Huddersfield, the book that will probably be of use to you is 'West Riding Territorials in the Great War' by L. Magnus. ISBN 1845740777 It is in Huddersfield Library, I have only just returned it this month.

It covers the West Riding Territorial Force from before the war to the end of the Great War, it does mainly cover the infantry not too much on the RFA. It covers the 49th Division action during the war, also the 62nd division action in the war. It lists all the names of gallantry awards for each division, 5 VCs for each division. All the causualty returns for each regiment in the divisions at Dec 1918. Plus a full list of all the regiments and peace stations of the force at the outbreak of war.

I'm sure you will find it a good and informative read

Brian

[keithmroberts]

One day I will make it to the British Library and order up their copy.

Keith

[David Filsell]

Interesting information on Wyrall he was one of number of 'hacks' - in the truest sense of the term - who accepted commissions to write regimental and divisional histories. It was quite an industry.

[Steven Broomfield]

One day I will make it to the British Library and order up their copy.

Keith

Out of interest, Keith, why do you say "order up"?

[Guest]

  Just to bump this topic again-  I have had occasion to use Wyrall's history of DCLI in the war and find it well written, as literary quality, wide-ranging and very balanced compared   to many others. But still don't know much about the man- Divorce 1919 on "Discovery"-and only a lowly 2Lt RASC during the war itself.  As a Devonian, I have always found Atkinson's "Devonshire Regiment in the War" something of an embarrassment-especially the gung-ho illustrations. Yet Wyrall's DCLI was a treat to  use and he must have used a great deal of material as the bits I wanted are only sparsely covered in the relevant DCLI war diary.  Intrigued as what his background as a military writer or commentator was.

    Plenty on Edmonds, the Offical Historian-and some of the others who were professional military historians. But Wyrall- any published accounts of his life??

[Moonraker]

Just to point out that GUEST has also bumped this in another thread
 

here

 

where there are already several replies. It would be unfortunate were we to have two rejuvenated threads running together.

 

The author has attracted interest several times before - one GWF member even presented his query in such a way that a few of us thought he was enquiring about one Wyrall Everard! (And it's very easy, as I've found, to mis-spell his surname as "Wryall.)