Description
Object description
Six notebooks containing detailed ms diary entries, with a collection of loose diary notes comprising another 'volume' (942pp in total) together with a bound ts transcription (430pp) covering the period November 1942 - February 1946, and his service in the ranks of the 16th/5th Lancers (26th Armoured Brigade, 6th Armoured Division), including the voyage to Algiers, North Africa (November 1942), training in Algiers and Tunisia (November 1942 - February 1943), then active service with his Regiment from February 1943 onwards, describing the attack at the Fondouk Pass and the advance to Tunis (April - May 1943) before being sent to the 104th General Hospital with jaundice (October - November 1943), rejoining his Regiment as a Squadron Clerk (November 1943 - February 1946) and serving in North Africa, Italy, Austria and Germany, notably in the advance from Cassino to Florence (June - September 1944) and the final advance across the Po Valley (April - May 1945); the diaries also include descriptions of conditions in a troopship, the experience of being part of a tank crew, descriptions of colleagues and friends, the places he visits and the customs of the local Arab and Italian inhabitants, and his service as an educational instructor in Italy (August - October 1945), and are occasionally illustrated with small pen sketches of things he had seen, buildings, plans and maps, and the bound transcription also contains photocopies of more detailed pencil sketches of places he visited. Together with: a King James Bible he carried throughout his service; a card containing a poem 'To a Young Christian on his Joining the Army' by H K Bentley (1p, n.d.); a booklet 'Short and Selected Psalms for all on Active Service' published by the Bible Study League (36pp, n.d.); a booklet 'The Battle of Britain August – October 1940, An Air Ministry Account of the Great Days from 8th August – 31st October 1940' (HMSO) (32pp, 1941); a book 'Things Seen in Rome' by A G Mackinnon, sent to Norman by his sister Barbara for his birthday, 6 May 1944, with his Special Leave Pass for Rome stuck in the front cover (November 1944); Two 16th/5th Lancers cloth Regimental shoulder titles; four cloth 6th Armoured Division formation badges; a cloth Tank Corps badge; and his silk 16th/5th Lancers Regimental Tie.
Content description
Six notebooks containing detailed ms diary entries, with a collection of loose diary notes comprising another 'volume' (942pp in total) together with a bound ts transcription (430pp) covering the period November 1942 - February 1946, and his service in the ranks of the 16th/5th Lancers (26th Armoured Brigade, 6th Armoured Division), including the voyage to Algiers, North Africa (November 1942), training in Algiers and Tunisia (November 1942 - February 1943), then active service with his Regiment from February 1943 onwards, describing the attack at the Fondouk Pass and the advance to Tunis (April - May 1943) before being sent to the 104th General Hospital with jaundice (October - November 1943), rejoining his Regiment as a Squadron Clerk (November 1943 - February 1946) and serving in North Africa, Italy, Austria and Germany, notably in the advance from Cassino to Florence (June - September 1944) and the final advance across the Po Valley (April - May 1945); the diaries also include descriptions of conditions in a troopship, the experience of being part of a tank crew, descriptions of colleagues and friends, the places he visits and the customs of the local Arab and Italian inhabitants, and his service as an educational instructor in Italy (August - October 1945), and are occasionally illustrated with small pen sketches of things he had seen, buildings, plans and maps, and the bound transcription also contains photocopies of more detailed pencil sketches of places he visited. Together with: a King James Bible he carried throughout his service; a card containing a poem 'To a Young Christian on his Joining the Army' by H K Bentley (1p, n.d.); a booklet 'Short and Selected Psalms for all on Active Service' published by the Bible Study League (36pp, n.d.); a booklet 'The Battle of Britain August – October 1940, An Air Ministry Account of the Great Days from 8th August – 31st October 1940' (HMSO) (32pp, 1941); a book 'Things Seen in Rome' by A G Mackinnon, sent to Norman by his sister Barbara for his birthday, 6 May 1944, with his Special Leave Pass for Rome stuck in the front cover (November 1944); Two 16th/5th Lancers cloth Regimental shoulder titles; four cloth 6th Armoured Division formation badges; a cloth Tank Corps badge; and his silk 16th/5th Lancers Regimental Tie.
History note
Cataloguer SHJ
History note
Catalogue date 1999-03-29