This is by way of an appeal to all UK member's of the forum who may be able to help my publisher with a pet project he has started. Duncan Rogers is the owner of Helion Publications - one of the largest military history publishers in the world, and last month he launched an appeal in our local paper here in Warrington, for anyone with letters or diaries from soldiers who served to get in touch with him. He is trying to put together a book which is purely made up of letters and diaries, but for the time-being, he only wants letters from UK soldiers. Here is an example of what he is looking for. The following letters were written by Driver Hackney of the RGA to a Widnes newspaper. Driver Hackney is the figure at the front of the gun team.


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Duncan is looking for collections of letters and photographs rather than just the odd one or two. Any diaries must cover a reasonable time-span too. I'm sure some of our Canadian, Australian and New Zealand members must have UK relatives who fought with the British in the Great War, so please get in touch via private message. The following scan is the diary entry written around 4th July 1916 by Pte Jack Smallshaw of the Accrington Pals. These diaries came to light as a result of the appeal, and I am currently working on them to turn them into a book.

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It is vital that letters, photographs and diaries are properly recorded so that future generations will know of the sufferings and horrors endured by our servicemen during the Great War. Even if you own such material which has no connection with your family, it really is worth considering sharing it with a much larger audience. It does no good just sat there in the bottom of a drawer.

Thanks in anticipation for your help.

Steve.