My maternal grandfather, Arthur Wallis, fought throughout the war on the Western Front as a member of the Machine Gun Corps. This is his diary from 1918... While on the front my grandfather bought a card embroidered by one of the local French women. He sent this card with a message inside to his daughter, Minnie, who is my mother. The letter reads: 'Dear Minnie, Just a few lines to let you know I am quite well, so I trust you and all at home are the same, trusting I may soon see you all.' The letter was written in August 1918 as the war was nearing the end. || 1918 diary, also containing a photograph and money, some from Yugoslavia. German shell case July 1917 from 77mm field gun Embroidered card

Arthur Hutt VC (12 February 1889 – 14 April 1954) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was the first person born in Coventry to be awarded the Victoria Cross. He was 28 years old, and a private in the 1/7th Battalion of The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place at the battle of Passchendaele for which he was awarded the VC. On 4 October 1917, at 'Terrier Farm', southeast of Poelcapelle, during the advance on the villages of Poelcapelle and Passchendaele, Belgium, when all the officers and NCOs of No. 2 Platoon had become casualties, Private Hutt took command of and led the platoon. He was held up by a strong post but immediately ran forward alone and shot the officer and three men in the post; between 40 and 50 others surrendered. Later, having pushed too far, he withdrew his party, covering them by sniping the enemy, and then carried back a wounded man to shelter. After he had consolidated his position, he then went out and carried in four more wounded under heavy fire. The attached account of his actions was written by James Price Lloyd of the Welsh Regiment, who served with Military Intelligence. After the war, the government to destroyed all the archives relating to this propaganda (section MI 7b (1)). They were regarded as being too sensitive to risk being made public. Remarkably these documents have survived in the personal records of Captain Lloyd. Many of these papers are officially stamped, and one can trace the development of many individual articles from the notes based on an idea, to the pencil draft which is then followed by the hand-written submission and the typescript. The archive Tales of the VC comprises 94 individual accounts of the heroism that earned the highest award for valour, the Victoria Cross. These are recounted deferentially and economically, yet they still manage to move the reader. Date stamp: 3 June 1918. || Article with annotations.

My Grandfather Arthur Newstead served with the 225th and 101st Field Company Royal Engineers from July 18th 1916 until he returned home to Norwich April 4th 1919. His diary details hair-raising day to day events, names and addresses of fellow soldiers, formulas for demolition and for bridge building, a record of his pay etc. he was the youngest of eight brothers who served in WW1. Amazingly all of them survived. || 33 Diary scans and various documents relating to demob and war pension || || Diary || Diary page July 18th 1916 - Sept 26th 1916 Joins 225th company R E. at the Somme. Present at the offensive of 3rd September. Heavy losses || Joins 225th RE || || Goes over the top, 400yds of trench captured || Diary page September 26th - Oct 28. Digs communication trench through no mans land. Goes over top 28th October. 400yds trench captured || || Major offensive Beaumont Hamel? || Diary entry November 13th 1916 - big offensive 5000 prisoners captured || Diary || || Comparatively quiet Friday || Diary entry November 15th - 26th 1916. Troop movements || || Diary || Ypres. 6000 prisoners. || Diary entry Dec 21st 1916 - June 7th 1917. June 2nd bombardment. Slightly gassed - in hospital for 26 days. Runs into a brother Ernie || || Diary entry June 11th - July 24th (page order is confused) || Diary || Ypres. Mines. Hill 60 || || Carnage in the open. Only cover shell holes || Diary || Diary entry July 28th - August 20th 1917 || || Intense bombardment, company loses, 30 horses killed. || Diary entry August 21st - September 4th 1917 || || Fed up with this front 15,000 prisoners taken || Diary || Diary entry September 14th - October 14th 1917 || || Diary entry October 18th 1917 - February 16th 1918 || Arrives Italian front Dec 2nd || Diary || || Diary entry February 22nd - March 22nd 1918 || Home leave March 2nd - 16th || || Osiago Plateau ? || Diary entry March 27th - June 15th 1918 || || Major Offensive, gas shells || Diary entry June 15th - 18th 1918 || Diary || || Diary || Diary entry July 20th - Sept 27th 1918 || Various billets || || Diary entry October 13th - 27th 1918 || Big attack October 27th || Diary || || Diary || Diary entry November 4th 1918 || Armistice to be signed by Austria || || Earthquake. Germany signs Armistice || Diary entry October 6th - November 11th 1918 || || Diary entry November 21st 1918 - March 4th 1919 || Attached to 101st || || Arrives home || Diary entry March 23rd - April 4th 1919 || || Starts work || Diary entry May 5th 1919 - October 24th 1919 || Diary || || Diary || Diary entry no date || Calculate load bearing capacity of temporary bridges || || Addresses and map of GB || Diary || Diary entry no date || || Diary entry figures for 24/2/18 to 23/3/19 || Diary || List of monies || || Diary entry March 14th 1919 The 6 Points of the 101st || Diary || Rebellion in the ranks? || || Diary entry no date || Diary || List of authors, notes about leatherworking? || || Diary entry no date || List of french towns, addresses || Diary || || Diary entry no date || Addresses and map of GB || Diary || || Diary entry no date || notes and figures || Diary || || Pvte F Soames? || Diary || Diary entry no date || || Remittance home, notes on commencement of war || Diary entry no date || Diary || || Diary entry no date || Diary || Addresses, notes on demolition || || Last page, largely indecipherable || Diary || Diary entry no date || || Official document || Birth Certificate || || Official document || Recruit's Identity Slip || || Demob Document Cover || Official document || || Official document || Demob Account || || Identity Certificate || Official document || || Official document || Transfer to Reserve || || Pension Award || Official document || || Pension Certificate || Official document || || Pension Certificate || Back || Official document || || Official document || Pension Stopped