| Places | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | AWM2016.30.70 |
| Collection number | PR89/034 |
| Collection type | Digitised Collection |
| Record type | File |
| Item count | 1 |
| Object type | Diary |
| Physical description | 102 Image/s captured |
| Maker |
Annand, Frederick William Gadsby |
| Place made | Belgium, Egypt, France, United Kingdom |
| Date made | 1916 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copying Provisions | Digital format and content protected by copyright. |
Diary of Frederick William Gadsby Annand, 1916
Annand, Frederick William Gadsby (Lieutenant Colonel, b.1872 - d.1958)
- Series 1: Diaries of Frederick William Gadsby Annand, 1915-1919
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Description
Diary relating to the First World War service of Lieutenant Colonel Frederick William Gadsby Annand, 7th Field Company Engineers and 2nd Pioneer Battalion. The entries in this diary span the period 1 January to 31 December 1916. They begin with Annand’s arrival in Egypt in early January, having embarked from Australia as commanding officer of the 7th Field Company Engineers the previous November. In March, Annand records his appointment as commanding officer of newly-formed 2nd Pioneer Battalion, and begins to write regularly of the activities of the battalion. After being sent to the Western Front in France, Annand writes of their participation in the fighting around Pozieres, with detachments of men taking part in the assaults of 28 July and 4 August. He also writes of their support of the fighting at Pozieres, the battalion tasked with the construction of new trenches and “jumping off” trenches, the reinforcement and deepening of existing trenches, the construction of bomb stores and dugouts, and the repair and extension of the Tramway lines. The battalion subsequently supports the fighting towards Mouquet Farm. In November, Annand writes of being wounded by a shell near Longueval and his subsequent evacuation to the 3rd London General Hospital for surgery. His final entries detail his continuing recovery in England. Included amongst the pages is a pressed flower.