Battle of the Somme Diary Found
Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme, which took place from July to November 1916, began as an Allied offensive against German forces on the Western Front and turned into one of the most bitter and costly battles of World War I.
British forces suffered more than 57,000 casualties—including more than 19,000 soldiers killed—on the first day of the battle alone, making it the single most disastrous day in that nation’s military history. By the time the Battle of the Somme (sometimes called the First Battle of the Somme) ended nearly five months later, more than 3 million soldiers on both sides had fought in the battle, and more than 1 million had been killed or wounded.
Prior to the attack, the Allies launched a week-long heavy artillery bombardment, using some 1.75 million shells, which aimed to cut the barbed wire guarding German defenses and destroy the enemy’s positions. On the morning of July 1, 11 divisions of the British 4th Army (many of them volunteer soldiers going into battle for the first time) began advancing on a 15-mile front north of the Somme. At the same time, five French divisions advanced on an eight-mile front to the south, where the German defenses were weaker.
Allied leaders had been confident the bombardment would damage German defenses enough so that their troops could easily advance. But the barbed wire remained intact in many places, and the German positions, many of which were deep underground, were stronger than anticipated. Along the line, German machine gun and rifle fire cut down thousands of the attacking British troops, many of them caught in no man’s land.
Diary from World War I discovered in barn, recounts bloody Battle of the Somme
By James Rogers
A British soldier’s battered World War I diary recounting the bloody Battle of the Somme has been discovered in a U.K. barn.
The diary, which was written in pencil by Private Arthur Edward Diggens of the Royal Engineers, starts on Feb.13, 1916 and ends on Oct. 11 of that year. His diary entry for July 1, 1916, describes the first day of the Battle of Somme.
“Something awful,” he wrote. “Never witnessed anything like it before. After a bombardment of a week the Germans mounted their own trenches and the infantry reckon that every German had a machine gun.”
Hansons Auctioneers in the U.K. will be auctioning the diary on March 20.
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Diggens’ diary was in a box found in a barn in Leicestershire, which is in England’s Midlands region. Other unrelated military items were also in the box, according to Hansons. “The owner had no idea who any of the items related to but said his mother had been the recipient of old family heirlooms,” said Hansons’ expert Adrian Stevenson, in a statement. “It’s a complete mystery how this Somme diary ended up in the Midlands, particularly as Arthur was born in London. I’m just relieved such an important piece of military history has been found and can now be preserved.”
After its discovery in the barn, the diary was brought to a Hansons valuation event. Stevenson said that, when he saw that the diary ended abruptly on Oct. 11, 1916, he feared the worst for Diggens. “Because of this we feared Arthur must have been a casualty of the conflict but my research proved otherwise,” he explained. “Not only did he survive the First World War, he returned to his loved ones in England and became a husband and father.”
Hell on earth, and an amazing find. Read the rest of the article here: Fox News
Category: Historical, Military issues
As a military historian, I wish this diary would have ended up in the Imperial War Museum instead of being auctioned. I hope that the Museum at least had the opportunity to digitally scan the diary for historical purposes before it is auctioned…
That was exactly my thought. I remember watching shows like Pawn Stars and people bringing in their great-great-grandfather’s Civil War field desk and getting a few bucks for it. No respect for the historical value let alone the family history tied up in something like that. Really needs to be in a museum instead of becoming a trophy in a private collection.
Yeppers, my sentiments exactly. FTA they were estimating somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 to 600 USD at the auction. Will be interesting to see what it does sell for. Not sure about British Tax Law, but the owner could have donated it to the museum, got it scanned, then published it in book form and made way yonder more money, if money was what they were after. An excellent find indeed. I have a number of books that are compilations of diaries, many from the WBTS, others from the other conflicts we have had. I would prefer to read the unedited versions of these than the yarns spun by the Clancys or WEB Griffins of the world. (and I have read/have had a lot of that type too)
I agree, too, on the lack of respect some have for their family’s history. Main reason history repeats itself is people don’t learn their lessons. WWI was just a repeat of the on going European Wars from the beginnings of history and WWII was just WWI writ large. And the Pawn Stars Show? The Old Man raised a jerk (Rick), whose raised a punk (Cory?), who had an idiot for a buddy (Chumlee). See my comment on the FGS for an opinion of their “Experts.” They did have a nice looking Ms Thang, books & papers(?) that I would’ve hit. Quit watching them years ago even before I got rid of the Direct TV.
Somebody remind me to follow up on what the diary sells for. Thanks ‘Ed!
Welcome. WWI devastated Europe for a generation, and just when it recovered Hitler came along with his madness.
I’ve read the WBTS, as you put it, was sort of a warm-up for WWI, with many of the same conditions. Trench warfare, barbed wire, rifles, fast firing guns, aerial observation, and mass charges all played their parts in the worst war Americans have fought in.
What was that about history repeating again?
Yeah it was the warm up. Prolly the FIRST war where technology had defeated the art of war. The tactics of Napoleon did not bode well when confronted by Rifles loaded with Minei’ balls, rifled cannon with fused case shot, or solid shot against brick forts, “torpedoes”, land and water (mines), the FIRST “ironclads” (and a cheese box on a raft), breech loaders (man portable and towed (Whitworth) Artillery). And don’t forget them damned insurrectionist rebels made the FIRST operating submarines, the David Class (CSS Hunley), also the FIRST Aircraft carrier when they placed a balloon on a boat and launched it down the James River.
Multitudes of European Officers came over to “observe” that unpleasantness, you’d of thought they would have learned some lessons. They did…how to kill troops on an industrial scale. After Grant took over he made his Chief of Staff understand that they were to be kept away from his headquarters. ‘Cump Sherman had even less use of them than he did the press.
It was one of several. The Crimean War had some similar nastiness, but the only big lesson anyone took away from it is that they shouldn’t assign command based on who’s the Duke/Earl/Baronet/Eighth Viscount of Whogivesashit. Both the Civil War and the Crimean War demonstrated that technology had left Napoleonic tactics in the dust, but few paid attention. Then there was the Mahdist War (where the British introduced the moslems to Mr. Maxim), the Boer War, and the Russo-Japanese War, to name a few. The last one should have been a major wakeup call to the world, as Port Arthur was a geographically-small version of the Western front with different languages being spoken.
I suppose selling them beats throwing them away, but it’s still not right. I have my Great-Uncle Ollie’s dog tags, ribbon rack (WWII Service, European Campaign, and Army Good Conduct Medal), his Ruptured Duck, his dog tags, and the rosary my Great-Grandma gave him when he shipped out. They will never be sold, pawned, or traded.
Been so tired and disgusted with Hollywierd… when dating we used to do at least 2 movies a week, for the last decade maybe one a year. The ONLY bright spot has been “They Shall Not Grow Old”, maybe the best documentary I have ever seen. I strongly recommend it, especially since it is told from a Brit-centric viewpoint.
I saw that during its too brief run. I wept. When will it come out on DVD?
Its on Amazon, $21 for Blu-ray.
Brilliant movie. I’m waiting for 1917 to come out on home media. From what I’ve heard it’s excellent as well. Looks like it’s going to be very much like Dunkirk.
Hardcore.
To our brothers in arms before us, I only hope that I can live up to your honor and courage.
Rest well.
It’s a minor point, but as we all know, little details make a big difference.
WWI was hardly the first war in which “technology had defeated the art of war.”
The Thebans beat the Spartans due, to some degree, by a more robust spear. The Macedonians did the same to the Thebans with their sarrisa.
The bodkin crushed French armor at Poitiers. Agincourt (damn autocorrect for not recognizing the word) exhibited the opposite – while French armor had largely caught up to the British arrow, tactics won the day.
Regardless, the dance between technology and the art of war is a timeless one.
Meant in response to 5th/77th FA, above.
I don’t internet very well.
Agree with your points Bro Hate_Me on the above battles and the evolving of technology. Go back and re-read the 1st paragraph. I was making reference to the War Between The States as the FIRST war to where technology had truly defeated the art of war. Your references were to individual battles where the “war” was decided by that one battle. The military “experts” during the 1861-1865 time frame had all studied the Napoleonic Tactics of said Frenchman. A bombardment of Artillery followed by a massive assault by shock troops, marching shoulder to shoulder until within musket (smooth bore) range, firing a volley, then going in with the bayonet. All of that worked fairly well until the rifled musket allowed a fairly trained man to kill at 300 yards +, rifled cannon took out the opposing Artillery with counter battery fire along with tearing great big holes in the ranks marching forward. All of the above is what contributed to the massive amounts of casualties of Americans between 1861-1865. For decades the semi accepted figures for deaths was 600 thousand and some change. Over the last few years, further research puts that number closer to a million total.
This was what the European Military “experts” were studying and not learning their lessons about. If we had not of entered WWI the opposing sides would have continued to grind one another up thru attrition on the Western Front. If Pershing had not of insisted that the Americans be kept together and fight as a unit under their officers, the Brits and the French BOTH wanted to spread the American Troops thru out their ranks and use our boys as fresh cannon and Maxim machine gun fodder. Pershing’s throwing out their playbook and the fighting spirit of the “Dough Boys” is what won that war. Rinse and repeat for WWII. It was not until Vietnam that the small unit tactics and giving the individual soldier massive amounts of firepower came to be really taught and applied. Just my studied opinion. YMMV
By “ Prolly the FIRST war where technology had defeated the art of war.” are you referring solely to the Napoleonic art of war? That might be the disconnect.
Yeah. The supposed last of the “Romantic Wars” Chivalry with all that went with it, and the big transition to killing on a mass scale, for more than just a battle or two. Keep in mind that Grant lost more men from the Army of the Potomac in May and June of ’64 than Lee had total in the Army of Northern Virginia. Sherman lost heavily too. They could replace their losses whereas the Confederates couldn’t Most of those replacement came from immigrants straight off the boat and formerly REMFs scattered all over the countryside. There were a number of Federal Commanders who issued orders in up to seven different languages. TOW made good points in his comment ‘specially the “but few paid attention.”
Politicians…(spit)…they start the wars and in some cases command the troops that they send into the slaughter. Bastards!
Apologies on confusing which war you were speaking of.
I hear you, and agree that my examples from the 100 Years War are just battles as part of a larger conflict (not sure if either could be considered a deciding battle in the war), but the Thebans vs the Spartans and the Macedonians vs the Thebans were full campaigns (and the Macedonians continued such technological one-upsmanship against many enemies in several different wars.
I also agree with all your points regarding the mistakes made by European commanders at the time, just taking issue with the idea that technology first trumped accepted military science during that period. Both the Crusades and the Mongolian conquests show large wars where accepted protocol is confounded, multiple times, by divergent technology. I’ll admit, though, they were lessons that were later ignored.
Different note, as you mention Pershing and what he did for WWI, I’ve always thought his report to Clemenceau was the most bad-ass thing any American commander has ever said: “We are here to fight and be killed. Do with us as you will, without counting.”
Good thing for the world, he only took that promise so far.
Why does this keep replying wrong? I suck at this.
Looks fine to me, Hate. Are you replying to a specific comment or adding a new one? Click on the lower left ‘Reply’ and you should be doing just that, replying to the comment of interest. You’ll also see a ‘Leave a Reply’ title line. Looks like you’re adding a new comment instead of replying to another.
Not a big deal either way, and welcome.
Was meant as a reply specifically to 5th/77th FA.
I have to use my phone, as I’m currently someplace where it’s not easy to just jump on a computer. I think the problem happened when I switched to another app in the middle of typing my response, and when I reopened the browser to finish and post it somehow read it as a general “leave a reply” instead of the initial “reply.”
I don’t know, I’m much better at breaking things than worrying about how they go back together.
This is great stuff about the Somme, including original footage of the Lochnagar crate detonating beneath the German line.
I was fortunate to get an overnight read through a flight log/diary kept by a local pilot who’d flown bombers into Germany during the Second War, and then other aircraft on into the Berlin Airlift. I didn’t know him personally. I asked the guy who was in possession of it what he’d been in relation to him, and was dumbstruck when he told me he’d bought it at an estate auction. I could not imagine how relatives, or friends if no relatives would let something like that go. It was in a safe harbor when I read it around 20 years ago. I told the guy he had to at least pass it to the VFW, or American Legion when he goes. It was fascinating especially in the pilot’s own hand. I guess it wasn’t worth having being ‘analogue’ and all. Shameful. So was our involvement in this war. Wilson was the first Presidential fool of the 20th century. Euro Blue-Bloods playing a shit game of chess with real men…Yeah, we needed to get in on THAT after Hiram had sold his Machine-gun to pretty much anyone who’d pay, and the Germans and Brits had all but invented modern industrial chemistry shortly before. IMO it made the damned Influenza Pandemic a lot worse for us as well. “Leaders of Men” indeed. I’d spit too if I could.