For the first time today I copied a Divisional General Staff Diary for NWE today outside of my normal BEF divisional diaries and I was astounded by the amount of detail it contained. Any researchers out there working on Bn's or Brigades I would seriously recommend you consider viewing or copying the divisional ones related to the battalions or brigades you are researching. The file I copied today appears to answer the old thread about wooden bullets amongst offer things.
I am not surprised at all, Drew. I saw the 50th Div war diaries from 1940 and those from 1944, and there is absolutely no comparison. The later diaries are as thick as telephone books with reports, returns, maps, etc etc. This is especially true of the diaries immediately before OVERLORD.
I learned a long time ago to go with the higher commands, ref artillery, regarding war-diaries. As Andy says the info can sometimes be astounding & you gain the bigger perspective with your research. Always work upwards, (and sideways) Best Rob
Indeed. Especially battalion WDs seem to be heavily dependent on whether the writer had a literary bent. So you definitely need the higher commands for the context. All the best Andreas
