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Description: | Ts transcription (49pp, illustrated) of a memoir, undated, recording his military service as a Private during the First World War and describing his enlistment into the 3/9th Battalion London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) (November 1915) and initial training at Fovant, Dorset, his embarkation to France (July 1916), transfer to the 2/20th Battalion London Regiment (180th Brigade, 60th Division) based near Mont St Eloi, the class differences among the men in his unit, trench routine and living conditions, trench raids, his embarkation to Salonika (December 1916) where he recounts the appalling weather conditions and a disastrous attack which led to significant casualties (24 April 1917), his embarkation to Egypt (June 1917) where he recalls life in Ismailia, sight-seeing in Cairo, the advance into Palestine and the capture of Jerusalem (December 1917), an unsuccessful hydroplane expedition across the Dead Sea (February 1918) and raids across the Jordan into Moab (March – April 1918), back to France (July 1918) for the battles of the Hindenburg Line, the inexperienced young men drafted into active service towards the end of the war, relations with liberated French and Belgians, and the announcement of the Armistice. The memoir includes an interesting section devoted to ‘religious affairs in the Army’ which describes the moral tone of the men he encountered, religious parades and services, the work of the YMCA, and the role of Divine Providence in keeping him safe. Also held with the collection are notebooks containing earlier ms drafts of the memoir (undated: 63pp, 71pp and 29pp); a photograph of him in uniform and two group photographs showing the 3/9th Londons at Fovant Camp; and the Fovant Badges Society annual newsletter 2004 (5pp) containing a small article on Culliford.
Cataloguer APR | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Culliford, Walter Charles | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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