Second Hand Manuscript Memoir of Service in the Great War with 278th Battery, 55th Division, and Royal Tank Regiment Service, 1939-40

Original manuscript memoir by Bombardier R. Dederick of Atherton, near Manchester, recording his First World War service with 278th Battery, 55th (West Lancashire) Division. A shorter section covers his later Home Service with the Royal Tank Regiment during 1939-40.

Written in a stiff exercise book with marbled boards and a green cloth backstrip. Approximately 113 handwritten pages concern the First World War, followed by approximately 21 pages on his Second World War service.

In his preface, Dederick explains that he is writing for his wife and children so that they will know something of his experiences. His Great War account focuses particularly on service near La Clytte and Fermoy Farm during April 1917. He describes the first occasion on which his gun, "Kathleen", fired on German positions, explains the practicalities of battery firing, and records guard duty, German aircraft searching for the battery, and counter-battery fire that wounded an officer named Clarke. He also describes his work as a front-line trench battery signaller.

The later section recounts his return to military service with the Royal Tank Regiment during the opening months of the Second World War. Together, the two accounts form a substantial personal record of artillery service and later Home Service.

The marbled boards show considerable rubbing and wear, particularly along the edges and corners. The pages show age-toning and handling wear. There is a dark ink stain at the lower inner margin of some pages; please examine the photographs to assess its position relative to the handwriting. The manuscript is otherwise generally legible.