Many British Units - Keywords

[Broznitsky]

In helping somebody out, I noticed this page on our Canadian NAC/PRO:

http://www.archives.ca/02/02015204_e.html

It looks like there are some online British War Diaries!! Get going, Pals and Happy Hunting!! Caveat: No doubt the diaries will have some Canadian connection, and a limited date range, but . . .

I paste:

BRITISH WAR DIARIES:

Lahore Divisional Artillery

Lahore Divisional Ammunition

West Lancs Divisional Artillery

West Lancs Brigade

Royal Artillery

Reserve Divisional Ammunition Column

Reserve Divisional Trench Mortar Group

Trench Howitzer Battery

Royal Engineers

Royal Army Service Corps

Royal Army Medical Corps

1st Army

2nd Army

4th Army

Reserve and Fifth Army

Cavalry Corps

1st Corps

2nd Corps

3rd Corps

4th Corps

5th Corps

Lahore Division

3rd Division

4th Division

5th Division

11th Division

20th Division

24th Division

28th Division

27th Division

50th Division

55th Division

80th Infantry Brigade

9th Infantry Brigade

Royal Welsh Fusiliers

XVII Corps

XIV Corps

1st Cavalry Division

3rd Cavalry Division

Artillery Festubert

Infantry Givenchy

Second Army

St. Eloi (Note: search word: St Eloi no period after St)

Guards Division

Royal Flying Corps

Sketches and Locations

Index to Edmonds Files

Colonel Duguid

Peter in Vancouver

[christine liava'a]

Intrigued by the entry- Index to Edmonds files- I checked it out and this is what the index is to;

Who was Edmonds?

[armourersergeant]

I assume that would be Edmonds of Official History fame as he had all sorts of info coming to him from all places to help him compile the official histories.

Arm.

[Robert Dunlop]

I assume that would be Edmonds of Official History fame

I would agree. Edmonds attended the British Staff College at Camberley while he was with the Royal Engineers. He served on the General Staff at the War Office, then became chief of staff for 4th Dvision. Late 1914, he joined the office of Engineer-in-Chief, GHQ.

After the war, Edmonds was head of the staff-history team responsible for producing the British Official History of the Great War. He replaced Sir john Fortescue, who was considered too forthright, being too critical of politicians and commanders and therefore likely to damage reputations. It is said that this move was designed to produce an Official History that would omit or play down errors. In reality, it could not disguise the magnitude of the losses and any mistakes that might have contributed.

Given my personal interest in the German spring offensives, I was intrigued to find that Edmonds served on the Jeudwine Committee. This committee was established to advise on how best the British Army could deal with the forthcoming German offensive, which was predicted after the collapse of Russian military participation in the war. The report missed several key issues, not least of which was the demonstrated ability of the Germans to launch major offensives (Riga, Caporetto, counter-attack at Cambrai) without prolonged preliminary bombardments but with the ability to secretly amass large numbers of assault troops prior to the attack. It is also said that Edmond's training as an engineer led to a misplaced emphasis on static defensive positions, in the mistaken belief that these were the basis of German defensive doctrine. Edmond's account of the failure of Fifth Army in the relevant volume of the British Official History is therefore doubly interesting.

[MartinWills]

What a fascinating mix of diaries, orders and other related documents this is.

Be warned that it is as tantalising as you might expect and potentially as disappointing also when you discover that coverage is patchy (and generally Canadian related). Some of the sketch maps are fascinating!

Martin

[Ste]

After the war, Edmonds was head of the staff-history team responsible for producing the British Official History of the Great War.  He replaced Sir john Fortescue, who was considered too forthright, being too critical of politicians and commanders and therefore likely to damage reputations.  It is said that this move was designed to produce an Official History that would omit or play down errors.  In reality, it could not disguise the magnitude of the losses and any mistakes that might have contributed.

Given my personal interest in the German spring offensives, I was intrigued to find that Edmonds served on the Jeudwine Committee.

Tim Travers provides an interesting account and analysis of some of Edmonds' actions when producing the Official History, in The Killing Ground. IT seems he was never a man to let telling a good story get in the way of upholding personal percetptions!

Is the Jeudwine to whom you refer Maj-Gen Hugh Sandham Jeudwine, commander of 55th (West Lancs) Division.

I'm sorry to say that I'm ignorant of the Jeudwine Committee and its work, but given 55th Division's experience in the German counter attack at Cambrai I can see why he could have been appointed to such a role. Byng's belief that failure to repulse this attack it was largely due to insufficient vigilance and steadfastness on the part of forward infantry and machine gunners of 55th, 20th and 12th Divisions does him no credit, as the Official History points out.

55th was to perform well against the German Spring offensives.

I'd be grateful if you could point me towards any further info about the Jeudwine Committee.

Cheers,

Ste