Original Documents
Original Documents
This is the list of the original documents the author has used as sources. Most are war diaries.
Photographs are listed separately.
Errors do appear in both the war diaries and no doubt during transcription.
The Author has spent many days photographing a selection of the original documents held in the National Archives, Kew. Sometimes these photographs are out of focus or pages have been missed, this is usually mentioned in the narrative / list.
The author has been able to download pdf copies of many war diaries from Kew.
He intends to review the site and replace earlier references with these.
When he has used the Pdf downloads he has included the original pdf file number at the bottom of the page.
This system was adopted to allow a compact referencing system to be used in the lists.
BOH - Tank Corps Book of Honour
W = War Diaries and other original documents
The War Diary reference will usually correspond to the date given in the narrative / list, where it is very different a note is usually made to that effect.
Tank unit War Diaries
Tank battalion Wars diaries are listed in three separate ways as the author has access to three different versions of the war diaries:
W1 to W16 and W301 - The number refers to the appropriate tank battalion, if no letter follows the number then the reference is to a transcript of the original document available from Bovington Tank Museum
W1a, W1b, W2a, etc. - The number still refers to the tank battalion, the letter after the number indicates the reference is to an original document usually held in the National Archives Kew.
Most often these are appendixes from the War Diaries, in the narratives the actual reference is given at the bottom of the page.
Sometimes other post nominal letters are used, these are usually explained at the bottom of the relevant narrative (i.e. W15bg = 15th Battlion's Battlegraph) .
W1t to W116t and W301t- The number still refers to the tank battalion, the "t" after the number indicates the reference is to a pdf download of the original document from the National Archives in Kew. Often this is followed by a page number which indicates the page in the pdf download. The file number of the Pdf download will be given at the bottom of the page. These will gradually replace the W1, W1a etc 32 references.
Tank brigade Wars diaries are listed in two separate ways as the author has access to different versions of the war diaries:
W21 to W26 - The fist digit (2) indicates this is a Tank Brigade War Diary entry, the second number indicates the brigade. All these records are photographs of the original documents held in the National Archives, Kew.
W1tb to W6tb - The tb indicates this is a Tank Brigade War Diary entry, the number indicates the brigade. The reference is to a pdf download of the original document from the National Archives in Kew. Often this is followed by a page number which indicates the page in the pdf download. The file number of the Pdf download will be given at the bottom of the page. These will gradually replace the W21 to W26 references.
W32. War Diary of No.2 Salvage Corp H.B.M.G.C. July 1917 – 1919. PRO WO 95/96
W1tslv and W2tslv - War Diary's of No.1 and 2 Salvage Corp H.B.M.G.C. These will gradually replace the W32 reference
W62. War Diary of No.2 Gun Carrier Coy. PRO 95/
W1gcc and W2gcc - War Diary's of No.1 and 2 Gun Carrier Company's. These will gradually replace the W32 reference
W1tcc to W6tcc - War Diary's of the six tank carrier Companies Carrier Coy. (note the units changed their names several times, see supply tank information)
WMH - Henshall papers, IWM 73/126/1 - Papers relating to 5 company, "B" Battalion at Cambrai and 4th Battalion in 1918.
WDA - Correspondence book of Captain Arthur Woods, Adjutant of D Company HSMGC Sept and early October 1916, courtesy of Stephen Pope, original held in Bovington Tank Museum.
WDB - Diary of Captain Arthur Woods, Adjutant of D Company HSMGC Sept and early October 1916, information courtesy of Stephen Pope, original held in Bovington Tank Museum.
Infantry unit War Diaries
Australian infantry units
W1Aus to W60Aus - The war diary for the indicated Australian Infantry Battalion, available online at the AWM site.
W1bAus to W20bAus - The war diary for the indicated Australian infantry Brigade, available online at the AWM site.
Canadian infantry units
W50. War Diary of Canadian Corps:
WCCorp - War Diary of Canadian Corps. This will replace the W50 reference
W1can to W60can - The war diaries of the respective Canadian battalions, available online.
W1bCan to W20bCan - The war diaries of the respective Canadian brigades, available online.
British Infantry units
Unless otherwise indicated all refer to pdf downloads of the original document from the National Archives in Kew. Usually the unit reference is followed by a page number which indicates the page in the pdf download. The file number of the Pdf download will be given at the bottom of the page.
British Infantry Corps
WIIICorp - W followed by the Corp number (in Roman numerals) followed by the word Corp.
British Infantry Brigades
W1b, W2b, etc- W followed by the Brigade number followed by b for brigade.
British Infantry Battalions
W1.2SWB – W followed by the battalion number, followed by the authors Regimental abbreviation as follows
ASH Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Bed Bedfordshire Regiment
Berk Princess Charlotte of Wales Royal Berkshire Regiment
Bord The Border Regiment
Buff The Buffs, East Kent Regiment
BW Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
Camb Cambridgeshire regiment (part of Suffolk’s but numbered separately, only 1/1 Battalion served overseas) - wikipedia
Camr Scottish Rifles, Cameronians
CG Coldstream Guards
CH Queens Own Cameron Highlanders
Ches Cheshire Regiment
Conn Connaught Rangers
DCLI Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
Dev Devonshire Regiment
DLI Durham Light Infantry
Dor Dorsetshire Regiment
DOW Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment
Dub Royal Dublin Fusiliers
EL East Lancashire Regiment
ES East Surrey Regiment
Essx Essex Regiment
EY East Yorkshire Regiment
GG Grenadier Guards
GH Alexandra Princess of Wales Own Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards)
Glos Gloucester Regiment
Gord Gordon Highlanders
HAC Honourable Artillery Company (nominally the 26, 104 and 105 battalions of the London Regiment but never accepted that identity -wikipedia)
Hamp Hampshire Regiment
Hart Hertfordshire regiment, (part of Bedford’s but numbered separately, only 1/1 Battalion served overseas) - wikipedia
HLI Highland Light Infantry
IG Irish Guards
Inns Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
Iris Royal Irish Regiment (Fusiliers ?)
KOSB Kings Own Scottish Borderers
KOYLI Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
KRRC Kings Royal Rifle Corps
Lanc The Kings Own Royal Lancaster Regiment
Leic Leicester Regiment
Lein Royal Canadians (Prince of Wales's, Leinster Regiment)
LF Lancashire Fusiliers
Linc Lincolnshire Regiment
Liv The King's Liverpool Regiment
LNL Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
Lon The Royal Fusiliers, City of London Regiment
Manc Manchester Regiment
Midd Duke of Cambridge's Own Middlesex Regiment
Mun Royal Munster Fusiliers
NF Northumberland Fusiliers
Norf Norfolk Regiment
Nort Northamptonshire Regiment
NStf Prince of Wales's North Staffordshire Regiment
O&B Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
RB Prince Consorts Own Rifle Brigade
RIF Princess Victoria’s Royal Irish Fusiliers
RIR Royal Irish Rifles
RM Royal Marines
RS The Royal Scots
RSF Royal Scots Fusiliers
RWF Royal Welch Fusiliers
RWK Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment
Sea Royal Seaforth Highlanders
SF Sherwood Foresters, Notts and Derby Regiment
SG Scots Guards
Shrp Kings Own Shropshire Light Infantry
SLnc Prince of Wales's Volunteers, South Lancashire Regiment
SLI Prince Alberts Somerset Light Infantry
SStf South Staffordshire Regiment
Suf Suffolk Regiment
Suss The Royal Sussex Regiment
SWB South Wales Borderers
War Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Wel Welsh Regiment
WG Welsh Guards
Wilt Duke of Edinburgh's Wiltshire Regiment
Worc Worcestershire Regiment
Wsur The Queens Own Royal West Surrey
WYrk Prince of Wales's Own West Yorkshire Regiment
Y&L York and Lancaster Regiment
British and imperial Cavalry regiments
W1.2SWB – W followed by the authors Regimental abbreviation as follows
DOCL 17 (Duke of Cambridge's Own ) Lancers
POWH 10 (Prince of Wales Own Royal) Hussars
PAH 11 (Prince Alberts Own) Hussars
POWL 12 (Prince of Wales Royal) Lancers
13H 13 Hussars
KH 14 (Kings) Hussars
TKH 15 (The Kings) Hussars
QL 16 (The Queens) Lancers
QMH 18 (Queen Mary's Own) Hussars
QAH 19 (Queen Alexandra's Own) Hussars
RD 1 (Royal) Dragoons
KDG 1 (Kings) Dragooon Guards
20H 20 Hussars
EIL 21 (Empress of India's) Lancers
29L 29 Lancers [Indian]
SGr 2 Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys)
QB 2 Dragooon Guards (Quesns Bays)
3DG 3 (Prince of Wales)Dragooon Guards
KOH 3 (Kings Own) Hussars
4DG 4 (Royal Irish) Dragooon Guards
4H 4 (Queens Own) Hussars
5DG 5 (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragooon Guards
RIL 5 (Royal Irish) Lancers
6C 6 Cavalry (Indian)
6D 6 (Inniskilling) Dragoons
6DG 6 Dragooon Guards (Carabineers)
7DG 7 (Princess Royals) Dragooon Guards
7H 7 (Queens Own) Hussars
RIH 8 (Kings Royal Irish) Hussars
QRL 9 (Queens Royal) Lancers
BY Bedfordshire Yeomanry
CIH Central Indian Horse, 38 Cavalry [ Indian ]
DH Deccan Horse, 20 Cavalry [ Indian ]
EY Essex Yeomanry
HH Hodsons Horse
JH Jacobs Horse, 26 Cavalry [ Indian ]
LY Leicestershire Yeomanry
OH Oxfordshire Hussars
PH Poona Horse, 34 Cavalry [ Indian ]
RLG Royal Life Guards
RHG Royal Horse Guards
H = War Histories
As for War diaries, the author doesn't usually use the post nominal letter to indicate the origin of the document.
The War History of the sixth tank Battalion (H6) was published in 1919, it is available in book form from The Naval and Military Press .