War Diaries Talk

Mobilisation - New Blog Post

  • HeatherC by HeatherC moderator

    Check out our new Blog post on the start of war and the mobilisation of the British Army

    http://blog.operationwardiary.org/2014/08/04/mobilisation-the-war-diaries-begin/

    Britain declared war on Germany 100 years ago today and immediately the well-oiled machinery that mobilised the British Army swung into action. Read more about this and see extracts from the first days of the War Diaries in this post.

    If you have any good ideas for things you'd like to see in future Blog posts, or if you'd like to write one, do let us know!

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  • cyngast by cyngast moderator

    Nicely done blog post, Heather!

    I recently tagged a cavalry unit--I think it was the 3rd (King's Own) Hussars--that noted in the diary as early as 29 July 1914 that they had orders to begin recalling horses that had been boarded out. Where the horses were boarded was not specified, but they managed to collect most of them by the time they were ready to move to France. I thought it was interesting because most diaries begin with receiving mobilization orders sometime in the late afternoon of 4 August, as if there had been no inkling that they would be going to war before that moment.

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  • HeatherC by HeatherC moderator

    Thanks! I think they had received plenty of warning orders, but the Regulations said the war diary wasn't supposed to be started until they were "on active service" and it seems Units interpreted that slightly differently, although most went for 4 August.

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  • David_Underdown by David_Underdown moderator

    There was a precautionary period which began over the first weekend of August, units had to guard strategic opints and so, so some units begin with that (or perhaps more likely, included it retrospectively after receiving the "Mobilize" telegram). For cavalry units in aprticular, I've an idea that July and August were "grass months", the horse were generally given rest, and some light training - even today the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment decamps to Norfolk around this time of year (if you look at the British Army or MOD website you'll probably find some photos from this year).

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  • HeatherC by HeatherC moderator

    Precautionary period seems to have begun on 29 July if you look at the entry for 1st Royal Warwicks that I quoted in the Blog. I did find quite a few Units started their diaries when they started the precautionary period - others waited till 4 August. Interesting you mention the Cavalry "grass months" David - I also had a quote from a Unit who complained about their horses being "soft and straight from grass", so that explains why!

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