Ancestry - War Diaries

Ancestry are showing WW2 War Diaries as "new" on their card catalogue - looking at UK, World War II War Diaries, 1939-1946 | Ancestry® they have loaded a few, but a bit haphazard in the listing without giving them useful titles, they seem to be from the WO169 series (Middle East) - at a glance it looks like about 29 files so far. When I get some time later I'll try add a list of what units they cover. Not sure if this mean they are going to start drip feeding WD's through.

 

Description
British Forces, Middle East. 01 April 1942 - 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 August 1942 - 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 December 1940 - 31 July 1943
British Forces, Middle East. 01 December 1941 - 31 December 1943
British Forces, Middle East. 01 February 1942 - 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 January 1941 - 30 September 1943
British Forces, Middle East. 01 January 1942 - 30 November 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 January 1942 - 30 September 1943
British Forces, Middle East. 01 January 1942 - 31 January 1943
British Forces, Middle East. 01 July 1940 - 28 February 1943
British Forces, Middle East. 01 July 1942 - 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 June 1942 - 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 March 1942 - 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 May 1942 - 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 November 1942 - 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 October 1939 - 31 December 1943
British Forces, Middle East. 01 October 1942 - 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 September 1942 - 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 1939-1942
British Forces, Middle East. 1939-1943
British Forces, Middle East. 1939-1946
British Forces, Middle East. 1940-1942
British Forces, Middle East. 1940-1943
British Forces, Middle East. 1940-1945
British Forces, Middle East. 1941-1942
British Forces, Middle East. 1941-1943
British Forces, Middle East. 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 1942-1943
War Office: Army Medical Services: 149th Field Ambulance RAMC

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62376/

Kyle

 

44 & 51 Reconnaissance Regts are included.

 

Would somebody with a membership be kind enough to check whether 'British' refers strictly to British units and formations, or whether it stretches to 'British and Imperial'?

 

Links cover multiple units, a quick look through the first few show

211th Field Park Coy RE/56th LAA Regiment RA

69th Medium Regiment RA/66th CW Mortar Coy RE/5th Seaforths/51st Recce/7th A&SH

12 Light Field Ambulance RAMC

174 Field Ambulance RAMC

10th Armoured Div Signals/5-6th Rajputana Rifles/505th Field Coy RE

176 Field Ambulance RAMC

2/8th Gurkha Rifles

15 Light Field Ambulance RAMC

11th Husars/8Light Field Ambulance RAMC

7 Light Field Ambulance RAMC

8th Armoured Div Signals/46th RTR/578 Field Coy RE/1-5th Queens Royal Regiment/1-7th Queens Royal Regiment/9 Field Sqn RE/44th Recce/53rd Field Regiment RA/1-1st Punjab Regiment/576 Corps Field Park Coy RE/34th LAA Regiment RA

128th Field Regiment RA/51st Div Signals/ 1-7th Queens Royal Regiment/Matruh Fortress Signals/98th Field Regiment RA/5th Cameron Highlanders/1st Gordon Highlanders/4th Royal West Kents/111st Field Regiment RA/127th Field Regiment RA/126th Field Regiment RA/5th Royal Sussex/5-7th Gordon Highlanders/4tth Royal Sussex/5th Black Watch/1/6th Queens/274th Field Coy RE/239th Field Park Coy RE/209th Field Coy RE/2nd Seaforth Highlanders/78th Field Regiment RA/146th Field Regiment RA/1-7th Middlesex/40th RTR/7th Black Watch/275th Field Coy RE/276th Field Coy RE/57th Field Regiment RA/2nd Royal Sussex/1st Black Watch

7th Armoured Div Signals

44th Div Signals/45th RTR/41st RTR/30th LAA Regiment RA/2nd Gloucester Hussars/124th RTR/5th Royal West Kents/210th Field Coy RE/73rd AT Regiment RA/84th AT Regiment RA/1st Camoflage Coy RE/5th RHA/50th RTR/11th KRRC/2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry/57th AT Regiment RA/7th Rifle Brigade/14th Sherwood Forresters/11th Field Coy RE/53rd LAA Regiment RA/47th RTR/65th Field Regiment RA/2nd Buffs/58th Field Regiment RA/

233rd Field Coy RE/1st Royal Northumberlnd Fusiliers/8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars

2 Armoured Field Ambulance

HQ 10 corps/154th Field Regiment RA

577 Army Field Coy RE/21st Field Squadron RE/61st AT Regiment RA

131st Field Ambulance RAMC/3rd Armoured Field Ambulance RAMC

186th Field Ambulance RAMC

132nd Field Ambulance RAMC

200th Field Ambulance RAMC

14th Light Field Ambulance RAMC/1st Light Field Ambulance RAMC/17th Indian Field Ambulance R(I?)AMC

149th Field Ambulance RAMC/175th Field Ambulance RAMC

26th Indian Field Ambulance R(I?)AMC

166th Light Field Ambulance RAMC

6th RTR/44th RTR/32nd Field Regiment RA/76th AT Regiment RA/4th Field Squadron RE/16th LAA Regiment RA/94th HAA Regiment RA/11th Field Coy IE/3rd Field Squadron RE/143rd Field Park Squadron RE/7th Medium Regiment RA/14th LAA Regiment RA/124th Field Regiment RA/4-7th Rajputana Rifles/121st Field Regiment RA/3rd Field Regiment RA/97th Field Regiment RA/149th AT Regiment RA/1-2nd Gurkha Rifles/4-6th Rajputana Rifles/295th Army Field Coy RE/3-10th Baluchs/3-7th Rajputana Rifles/88th HAA Regiment RA/570 Corps Field Park Coy RE/566 Army Troop Coy RE/12th Field Coy IE/573rd Army Field Coy RE/Royal Scots Greys/Warwickshire Yeomanry/3rd Hussars/50th Div Signals/4th RHA/30 Corps Signals/1st Field Regiment RA/11th Field Regiment RA/1st Royal Northumberland Fusiliers/13 Corps Signals/57th LAA Regiment RA/15th LAA Regiment RA/1-4th Essex/6th Green Howards/9th Field Coy IE/65th AT Regiment RA/2nd Field Coy IE/1st Armoured Div HQ Signals/5th Easy Yorks/4th Field Coy IE/102nd AT Regiment RA/9th DLI/1st RHA/69th HAA Regiment RA/2nd Cheshires/2nd Rifle Brigade/571st Army Feld Coy RE/Staffordshire Yeomanry/Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry/1 RTR/4th Field Regiment RA/8th DLI/64th Medium Regiment RA/Yorkshire Dragoons/SHerwood Rangers Yeomanry/9th Queens Royal Lancers/1st A&SH/6th DLI/3rd RTR/The Royal Dragoons/8th RTR/588th Army Troop Coy RE/1st Royal Sussex/1st Armoured Div RE HQ/7th Green Howards/3rd RHA/4th Survey Regiment RA/1st Field Park Squadron RE/1st KRRC/2nd KRRC/1st Rifle Brigade/The Queens Bays/42nd RTR/12th Royal Lancers/Household Cavalry/4th County of London Yeomanry/10 Corps Signals/4th Hussars/5th RTR/118th RTR/235th Field Park Coy RE/2nd Field Squadron RE/RHQ 27th LAA Regiment RA/2nd RHA/74th Field Regiment RA/1st Field Squadron RE/42nd LAA Regiment RA/2nd LAA Regiment RA/27th SL Regiment RA/11th RHA/4-16th Punjabs/141st Field Park Squadron RE/7th Field Squadron RE/572nd Army Field Coy RE/1-6th Rajputana Rifles/4th Indian Div Signals

75th Indian Light Field Ambulance/151st Light Field Ambulance

149th Field Ambulance



So this looks a useful release if its 29 files each with a few diaries - I'll keep looking through them and update so people at least have an idea of what's covered

 

Almost done - the 3rd last file has 34,063 scans so is going to be a fair few diaries - when I started checking through I thought it'd be a 10 minute job with 1 unit in each link, but its been quite a trawl, but thats got to be a good thing as it seems a good range of WD's now available and hopefully they will follow up with more.

 

I've quickly scanned through all the Ancestry links and completed the above list of Units that are covered, it wasn't always easy to see changes in units so I will have missed some but it's a decent start - I think I'll leave it for the night and go back tomorrow and check if any of these are ones I'm after. It's a pretty impressive list of units covered and wasn't something I was expecting, hopefully they are planning more big hits of WD's

 

Thanks for finding this. We all appreciate your efforts.

 

Much appreciated.

Are these literal 'scans' or colour photographs of diary pages?

I can only assume this is an official enterprise with the National Archives.

Given your list, I fear I may have to sign up with them again.

 

I have noticed on a casual browse that they have included all blank pages and the backs of typed pages where there is clearly no typing on it.

Can't think of a reason why anyone would think we would like to see them.

Not taking away from the fact this is probably going to be a great online resource eventually.

However, as Ancestry Military records search form doesn't even have a service number box, I am not feeling confident about how I am going to be able to search for anything.

Gus

 

An example page, I resized this to 50% as it was too big to upload

 

Thank you—they look excellent.

What would be extremely interesting is a photograph of the Kew copy to confirm that is indeed the source.

Anyone have 2/8 GR for May 1942?

Edit: if you're able to snag one of those 1/4 Essex diary pages, I can cross reference with my copy.

 

I will happily second that sentiment.

 

In my view it is normal for blank pages to be scanned, it shows that all pages are accounted for and that whoever has scanned them hasn't used their own judgement on what to include - or leave out.

As for the lack of service number field - just put it in the keyword box, work just fine.

 

I notice it says "Duplicate". Are all the diaries marked duplicate and do they include all appendices and field returns?

If they are the duplicates then the source may not be Kew.

 

They seem to include all the appendices and Field returns (the lists of officers, the OR's whose return is desired etc) - I'm sure I have noticed others where they have "Original" written on the monthly cover sheet

 

That's great and, if originals, must be from Kew. I wonder if Ancestry are transcribing them as well to make the diaries searchable.

 

James:

I compared the Ancestry 1st/4th Essex to the copies you provided to me. They are identical - same source.

Though the Ancestry copies appear to be a better quality copy.

 

Ancestry also have:
UK, D-Day War Diaries and Photographs, 1944 | Ancestry®

1 Hampshire Regiment Infantry
1 King´s Own Scottish Borders Infantry
1 Royal Norfolk Regiment Infantry
102 Anti-Tank Regiment
114 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
120 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery
141 Regiment Royal Armoured Corps
168 Light Field Ambulance
186 Field Ambulance
2 Essex Infantry
2 Gloucestershire Infantry
2 Lincolnshire Regiment Infantry
203 Field Ambulance
223 Field Ambulance
224 Field Ambulance
24 Lancers
3 Commando Special Services
33 Field Regiment
4-7 Royal Dragoon Guards
505 Company Royal Engineers
53 Medium Regiment Royal Artillery
6 Airborne Division Armoured Recce Regiment
6 Airborne Division G
6 Commando Special Services
62 Anti-Tank Regiment
7 Battalion Parachute Regiment
716 Company Royal Army Sevice Corps
73 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery
76 Field Regiment Royal Artillery
8 Brigade Field Ambulance
90 Company Royal Army Sevice Corps
HQ 185 Infantry Brigade
HQ 231 Infantry Brigade
HQ 27 Armoured Brigade
HQ 5 Para Brigade
HQ 8 Armoured Brigade GP
HQ 9 BR Infantry Brigade
Inns of Court Regiment
Marines War Diary Landing Craft Reports Normandy area
Staffordshire Yeomanry

 

BTW, the selection for the first sets of war diaries published is listed at Ancestry as:

"Please Note: In this first release, we have published diaries for the period covering The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942)."