Personal diary of Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood, 1 January 1916 - 1 January 1917

Birdwood, Lord William Riddell (Field Marshal, b.1865 - d.1951)

- Series 1: Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood's Personal Diaries, 1915-1920

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Places	Africa: Egypt, Alexandria Africa: Egypt, Cairo Africa: Egypt, North Egypt, Tel el Kebir Africa: Egypt, Suez Canal, Ismailia Europe: Belgium, Flanders, West-Vlaanderen, Ypres Europe: France, Nord Pas de Calais, Nord, Bailleul Europe: France, Nord Pas de Calais, Nord, Lille, Armentieres Europe: France, Picardie, Somme Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Albert Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Albert Bapaume Area, Pozieres Area, Mouquet Farm Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Vignacourt Europe: United Kingdom, England, Greater London, London Middle East: Ottoman Empire, Turkey, Dardanelles, Gallipoli, Cape Helles Area, Sedd-el-Bahr
Accession Number	RCDIG0000004
Collection number	3DRL/3376 1/2 Part 1
Collection type	Digitised Collection
Record type	File
Item count	1
Object type	Diary
Physical description	207 Image/s captured
Maker	Birdwood, William Riddell
Date made	1916
Conflict	First World War, 1914-1918
Copying Provisions	Digital format and content protected by copyright.

Description

This personal diary of Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood commences with a narrative of the events of December 1915, the troops being en route to Egypt after their withdrawal from Gallipoli. Entries begin on 1 January 1916 with a visit to Sedd-el-Bahr to see General Brulard. Subsequent entries detail his time in Cairo, Ismailia and Tel-el-Kebir before leaving Alexandria on 30 March 1916. Birdwood arrives in France on 4 April 1916. Subsequent diary entries cover visits to Buckingham Palace, conferences with corps commanders and church parades. Places mentioned include Vignacourt, Bailleul, Armentières, Albert and Ypres. The diary contains detailed entries on the capture of Mouquet Farm on 3 September 1916 and an offensive during the night of 6/7 November 1916. This diary also includes some newspaper clippings and pressed flowers. At the very end of the diary there is a list of names and addresses. The final entry in the diary is for 1 January 1917.