pdf file of the transcription of my Grandfather's WWI diary. It brings home what my Grandfather experienced. Only by transcribing his diary did I discover that he had been wounded, although the diary does not mention it.

George Grisdale Atkinson was born in Staveley in Cumbria to Robert and Mary Atkinson and was employed by the Kendal Cooperative Society before the war. He joined the Grenadier Guards in November 1916 and was wounded in the Summer of 1917 but recovered and rejoined the battalion in September. At 5.25am on 12 October 1917 the Guards attacked on the opening day of the 1st Battle of Passchendaele. George was one of more than 300 Grenadiers who were killed during the day. He received a bullet wound in the neck and died on the ambulance train. He was 19. The muddy conditions on the battlefield were so bad and the losses so great that 1st Passchendaele was called off 24 hours later. George is also commemorated at Staveley and his Skelsmergh link is not known, although his although his mother, Mary Grisdale, was from Selside. || || Photograph || Photo of George Grisdale Atkinson || || News-clipping || New-clipping relating to George Grisdale Atkinson's death

19017---PTE. W.H. FINCH G.GDS The front inside cover has a small pocket inside which was a theatre ticket for 11th November---could this be from the first Veterans’ Day? Transcript of the diary: Battle on Hill 70 ; Damned hot ; Festubert just warm ; Grambell dead given up all hope of hearing from him ; Dernier ans Last year ; Augustine Dutoit Marie Charles 66 Norman St N Cotmanhay 1 Chester Derby _______________________________________________________ 14 September 1914 – enlisted in the Grenadier Guards ; 15 – Guards depot Caterham Surrey ; 22 November – Chelsea ; 23 November – Met M & H ; 28 February 1915 – Met L.J. ; 6 March – Croydon ; Drawing of the bay at Le Harve where William entered France ; 16 April – Béthane Below is a photo postcard of the destruction there ; Smoldering Bethane, ignited by Bosche guns to vent their spite for their costly defeat at Festubert'. ; 18 April – Givenchy ; 11 May – Lacoutre ; 16 May – Festubert ; 18 May – Wounded in Arm ; 19 May – Beuvry ; 20 May – Letters unsure of handwriting ; 21st May – Rouen ; 1st June – Cardiff ; 15th June – Penarth ; July – Marlow ; 15th August - Le Harve ; 17th August – St Omer Photo below shows men marching to St Omer ; 17th August – Blendecques ; 17th August – Wizernes ; 17th August – Arques ; September - Ecques, Lambres, Aines ; 25th September – Loos ; 25th September – Hill 70 ; 26th September – Poor Yell Killed This is the first of many deaths William reports in his diary ; 29th September – Grenay ; 3rd October – Trenches again ; 4 October – Hulluch ; 6 October – Vermelles ; 7 October – Hulluch ; 8 October – Vermelles ; 10 October – Sailly ; 12 October – Hulluch ; 13 October - Sailly-Labourse ; 14 October – La Bourse ; 15 October – Hulluch alley ; 16 October – La Bourse ; 17 October – La Bourse ; 18 October – La Bourse ; 19 October – Vermelles ; 20 October – Vermelles ; 21 October - Annequin ; 22 October – Annequin near Cambrin ; The below map illustrates areas where William’s regiment fought in the autumn of 1915 as described in his diary ; 23 October – North of Vermelles ; 24 October – Near Hohenzollen Redoute unsure of this transcription from the diary, cannot find on any maps ; 25 October – Near Hohenzollen Redoute ; 26 October – Allouagne ; 27 October – Allouagne ; 28 October – Allouagne ; 29 October – Allouagne ; 30 October – Lozinghem ; 31 October – Allouagne ; 1 November – Allouagne ; 2 November – Allouagne ; 3 November – Burbure ; 4 November – Burbure ; 5 November – Allouagne ; 6 November – Allouagne ; 7 November – Allouagne ; 8 November – Allouagne ; 9 November – Merville ; 10 November – Merville ; 11 November – Merville ; 12 November – Merville ; 13 November – Laventie ; 14 November – Laventie ; 15 November – Laventie ; 16 November – Laventie ; 17 November – Out of trenches ; 18 November – La Gorgue ; 19 November – La Gorgue ; 20-25 November – between Laventie and Epinette ; 26 November – Merville || This is the diary of W.H. Finch from WWI including a full scan of the diary with additional photographs and information || || Front || Diary || A full & complete transcript with images of this war diary. Wherever possible, information was added, such as reports, internet articles, maps, photos help illustrate his diary || William Finch's WWI Diary || English || William FInch