Book Description

This book is a compilation of Diaries and Trench Mortar Memories contributed by various members of the 32nd Divisional Artillery, and apart from anything else it goes some way to make up for the lack of a full divisional history. The 32nd Division landed in France in November 1915 without its artillery which had been transferred to the 31st Division. In return the 31st Divisional artillery joined the 32nd Division in France in December 1915 and was redesignated 32nd Divisional Artillery. The War Office worked in even more mysterious ways than the Lord! The diaries make up the bulk of the book which begins with the diary of Lieut A.B.Scott, who served with the 32nd Divisional Artillery in X and W Trench Mortar Batteries (TMB) and, from March 1917 onwards, as Reconnaissance Officer at HQ Divisional Artillery. As there is little written about operations with TMBs this well-written diary is a most useful source of information on that aspect of artillery warfare on the Western Front. But the main part of the book, almost 500 pages, is the diary of the Rev R.E Grice-Hutchinson, the divisional artillery chaplain who left for France on 1 July 1916 and remained with the division to the end of the war. But his diary goes on through to 19th October 1919 which makes it about the longest, personal diary of the Great War to appear in print, and it is a very good one. If you want to know what the 32nd Division got up to, look no further!. The last of the tthree diaries is that of Ludovic Heathcoat-Amery of the Royal Devon Yeomanry, who served as Staff Captain at the divisional artillery HQ from January 1917 till killed in action on 24th August 1918. The last twenty-five pages are taken up with personal memories of six officers and men who fought with the division's TMBs. There is no roll of honour, list of awards etc nor index.