Description
Object description
[BASIC ACCESSION RECORD] 14 ms diaries and notebooks (1939 – 1949), written by a schoolboy, later soldier, from West Worthing, Sussex, containing daily entries, the first started when he was 11, comprising: seven diaries, 'Charles Letts's School-Boy's Diary' 1939, 'Charles Letts's School-Boy's Diary' 1940, 'Charles Letts's School-Boy's Diary' 1941, 'Pepys Diary' 1942, 'Datada Diary' 1944 with details of his own personal doings, attending Broadwater Manor prep school (BMH), 'Charles Letts Pocket Diary' 1944, with details of news from the war, and Pocket Diary, 1945 to the end of schooling, the end of the War (August 1945), being called up, putting in for a deferment, and each containing brief daily entries about what he had been doing, school, leisure time, including lists of films he had seen with his verdicts, from August 1940 listing the number of raids/warnings, and from 1942 details of war news; Seven detailed ms diaries covering his Service with Intelligence and the Royal Army Education Corps, comprising a notebook Diary (120pp, August – December 1946), Physical Training and Welfare (PTW) and ITC (Infantry Training Centre), arriving at barracks in Kent, in 'A' Company, kit, weapon, training, routines, rifle ranges, hoping for the Intelligence Corps, getting an interview at the War Office and home leave (September 1946), dislike of 'bullshit', Naafi, joining the Intelligence Corps and attached to Sherwood Foresters at an ITC based in York (September 1946), passing out of training (December 1946), on leave, a notebook Diary (128pp, December 1946 – April 1947), returning to York, moving to Aldershot (December 1946), learning to ride a motorbike, turning down commissioning prospects, applying for the RAEC (January 1947), passing the interview, moving to No 3 Army College, Chisledon for a six week instructors course (February – April 1947), lectures, passing and promotion to Sergeant, leave period (April 1947), a notebook Diary (129pp, April – August 1947), returning to Chisledon, posting to HQ 10 Anti-Aircraft Brigade Royal Artillery, Fort Fareham, then 10th AA Regiment RA, Isle of Wight (April 1947), teaching classes in English and Arithmetic, attending a course about science in Nottingham (May 1947), working with 316th Battery and 308th Battery, a notebook Diary (130pp, October 1947 – February 1948), moving to Drymen, Stirling (October 1947), issued with khaki drill, new duties, boarding RMS OTRANTO for Egypt (November 1947), life on board, stopping at Malta, and Port Suez, move to Fayid, learning he was due to go to Palestine, moving to Jerusalem, hearing explosions and an air of tension in the place, arriving at 3rd Army Group Royal Artillery (3 AGRA), posting to 1 Royal Horse Artillery (1 RHA) (December 1947), teaching languages and geography, posting to 843 Company Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) (January 1948), Arab thefts from stores, a Surrey 'Lightweight Diary' 1948 (entries February – August 1948), posting to HQ 6th Airborne Division near Haifa (February 1948), working in a mobile library, receiving a red beret, being fired on by Arabs (March 1948), moving back to Fayed, Ismailia, Egypt (April 1948), boarding AUSTRALIA (July 1948), the journey back to the UK, a notebook diary (154pp, August 1948 – June 1949), demob, returning home, back to working at BMH, and a notebook Diary (20pp, June – September 1949), setting exams, summer holidays, camping in Shropshire with the local boy's club, with throughout good details of daily routines, types of training, attending Catholic church services, cinema, leisure time, cinema and theatre, books read, thoughts about NCOs and Officers, weather, leave, trips into town and home, news of friends and family, and news of troubles in Palestine and Egypt. Together with editions of the daily 'Pegasus News Sheet' produced by Education branch of HQ 6th Airborne Division in Palestine (Vol. 1, Numbers 46, 47, 49 and 50, 30 March - 3 April 1948 ) and the 'Paranews' also by HQ 6 AB Division (Vol 2, No 53, 7 April 1948), each containing local and international news digests, including sports news and results, for troops in Palestine.
Content description
[BASIC ACCESSION RECORD] 14 ms diaries and notebooks (1939 – 1949), written by a schoolboy, later soldier, from West Worthing, Sussex, containing daily entries, the first started when he was 11, comprising: seven diaries, 'Charles Letts's School-Boy's Diary' 1939, 'Charles Letts's School-Boy's Diary' 1940, 'Charles Letts's School-Boy's Diary' 1941, 'Pepys Diary' 1942, 'Datada Diary' 1944 with details of his own personal doings, attending Broadwater Manor prep school (BMH), 'Charles Letts Pocket Diary' 1944, with details of news from the war, and Pocket Diary, 1945 to the end of schooling, the end of the War (August 1945), being called up, putting in for a deferment, and each containing brief daily entries about what he had been doing, school, leisure time, including lists of films he had seen with his verdicts, from August 1940 listing the number of raids/warnings, and from 1942 details of war news; Seven detailed ms diaries covering his Service with Intelligence and the Royal Army Education Corps, comprising a notebook Diary (120pp, August – December 1946), Physical Training and Welfare (PTW) and ITC (Infantry Training Centre), arriving at barracks in Kent, in 'A' Company, kit, weapon, training, routines, rifle ranges, hoping for the Intelligence Corps, getting an interview at the War Office and home leave (September 1946), dislike of 'bullshit', Naafi, joining the Intelligence Corps and attached to Sherwood Foresters at an ITC based in York (September 1946), passing out of training (December 1946), on leave, a notebook Diary (128pp, December 1946 – April 1947), returning to York, moving to Aldershot (December 1946), learning to ride a motorbike, turning down commissioning prospects, applying for the RAEC (January 1947), passing the interview, moving to No 3 Army College, Chisledon for a six week instructors course (February – April 1947), lectures, passing and promotion to Sergeant, leave period (April 1947), a notebook Diary (129pp, April – August 1947), returning to Chisledon, posting to HQ 10 Anti-Aircraft Brigade Royal Artillery, Fort Fareham, then 10th AA Regiment RA, Isle of Wight (April 1947), teaching classes in English and Arithmetic, attending a course about science in Nottingham (May 1947), working with 316th Battery and 308th Battery, a notebook Diary (130pp, October 1947 – February 1948), moving to Drymen, Stirling (October 1947), issued with khaki drill, new duties, boarding RMS OTRANTO for Egypt (November 1947), life on board, stopping at Malta, and Port Suez, move to Fayid, learning he was due to go to Palestine, moving to Jerusalem, hearing explosions and an air of tension in the place, arriving at 3rd Army Group Royal Artillery (3 AGRA), posting to 1 Royal Horse Artillery (1 RHA) (December 1947), teaching languages and geography, posting to 843 Company Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) (January 1948), Arab thefts from stores, a Surrey 'Lightweight Diary' 1948 (entries February – August 1948), posting to HQ 6th Airborne Division near Haifa (February 1948), working in a mobile library, receiving a red beret, being fired on by Arabs (March 1948), moving back to Fayed, Ismailia, Egypt (April 1948), boarding AUSTRALIA (July 1948), the journey back to the UK, a notebook diary (154pp, August 1948 – June 1949), demob, returning home, back to working at BMH, and a notebook Diary (20pp, June – September 1949), setting exams, summer holidays, camping in Shropshire with the local boy's club, with throughout good details of daily routines, types of training, attending Catholic church services, cinema, leisure time, cinema and theatre, books read, thoughts about NCOs and Officers, weather, leave, trips into town and home, news of friends and family, and news of troubles in Palestine and Egypt. Together with editions of the daily 'Pegasus News Sheet' produced by Education branch of HQ 6th Airborne Division in Palestine (Vol. 1, Numbers 46, 47, 49 and 50, 30 March - 3 April 1948 ) and the 'Paranews' also by HQ 6 AB Division (Vol 2, No 53, 7 April 1948), each containing local and international news digests, including sports news and results, for troops in Palestine.
History note
Cataloguer SJO