Greenwood2
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Post by Greenwood2 on Nov 10, 2023 20:35:06 GMT
I found my Dads war diary a while ago and transcribed it. It's not anything amazing just day to day stuff mainly (although some boat movements) but I'm thinking it should be preserved. Where do go?
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registerme
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Post by registerme on Nov 10, 2023 21:06:12 GMT
Imperial War Museum? It may not end up as part of an exhibit, but they would look after it, and it might be used by researchers.
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Post by bracknellboy on Nov 11, 2023 15:40:24 GMT
Imperial War Museum? It may not end up as part of an exhibit, but they would look after it, and it might be used by researchers. If they don't want it they would be in good position to make recommendations. Are you thinking of donating the original or giving them the transcription ? Depending on where you are, there might be a local museum who would like it: while they won't necessarily use it for research, it could have 'local interest'.
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registerme
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Post by registerme on Nov 11, 2023 16:15:14 GMT
Another option might be a regimental archive of some kind.
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keitha
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Post by keitha on Nov 12, 2023 10:26:55 GMT
When my grandfather died we offered his medals to the local museum and the county museum both refused on the grounds they were "only common medals"
he also had one of the most vicious weapons I've ever seen in his trunk of bit
A stiletto blade with a built in knuckle duster with spikes, obviously designed to do serious harm !
We took it to the local police station ( carefully wrapped ) and still got grilled on where it came from and why we were handing it in...
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Post by bracknellboy on Nov 12, 2023 10:40:40 GMT
When my grandfather died we offered his medals to the local museum and the county museum both refused on the grounds they were "only common medals" he also had one of the most vicious weapons I've ever seen in his trunk of bit A stiletto blade with a built in knuckle duster with spikes, obviously designed to do serious harm ! We took it to the local police station ( carefully wrapped ) and still got grilled on where it came from and why we were handing it in...Hilarious. I hope you looked like 'decent people'.
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Greenwood2
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Post by Greenwood2 on Nov 12, 2023 11:05:09 GMT
Imperial War Museum? It may not end up as part of an exhibit, but they would look after it, and it might be used by researchers. If they don't want it they would be in good position to make recommendations. Are you thinking of donating the original or giving them the transcription ? Depending on where you are, there might be a local museum who would like it: while they won't necessarily use it for research, it could have 'local interest'. The actual diary is a very small soft covered book densely written in small writing and quite difficult to read, I don't think you were supposed to keep a diary! I might give both save someone else a headache. There is a list of places and dates they were there and on which boats, so that might be interesting to someone. Then brief notes on what he was doing covering a few years and lists of what he bought and letters sent and received, very poignant.
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Post by bracknellboy on Nov 12, 2023 11:20:10 GMT
If they don't want it they would be in good position to make recommendations. Are you thinking of donating the original or giving them the transcription ? Depending on where you are, there might be a local museum who would like it: while they won't necessarily use it for research, it could have 'local interest'. The actual diary is a very small soft covered book densely written in small writing and quite difficult to read, I don't think you were supposed to keep a diary! I might give both save someone else a headache. There is a list of places and dates they were there and on which boats, so that might be interesting to someone. Then brief notes on what he was doing covering a few years and lists of what he bought and letters sent and received, very poignant. Having buried my father on Friday, I can imagine just how poignant it must be.
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james100
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Post by james100 on Nov 12, 2023 11:34:52 GMT
The actual diary is a very small soft covered book densely written in small writing and quite difficult to read, I don't think you were supposed to keep a diary! I might give both save someone else a headache. There is a list of places and dates they were there and on which boats, so that might be interesting to someone. Then brief notes on what he was doing covering a few years and lists of what he bought and letters sent and received, very poignant. Having buried my father on Friday, I can imagine just how poignant it must be. I am very sorry to read that and hope you are ok.
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registerme
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Post by registerme on Nov 12, 2023 12:04:44 GMT
The actual diary is a very small soft covered book densely written in small writing and quite difficult to read, I don't think you were supposed to keep a diary! I might give both save someone else a headache. There is a list of places and dates they were there and on which boats, so that might be interesting to someone. Then brief notes on what he was doing covering a few years and lists of what he bought and letters sent and received, very poignant. Having buried my father on Friday, I can imagine just how poignant it must be. Damn. Sorry to hear that  .
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Greenwood2
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Post by Greenwood2 on Nov 12, 2023 12:14:25 GMT
The actual diary is a very small soft covered book densely written in small writing and quite difficult to read, I don't think you were supposed to keep a diary! I might give both save someone else a headache. There is a list of places and dates they were there and on which boats, so that might be interesting to someone. Then brief notes on what he was doing covering a few years and lists of what he bought and letters sent and received, very poignant. Having buried my father on Friday, I can imagine just how poignant it must be. Sorry to hear that. My father died in his 50s when I was 21, so holding and reading his diary from so long ago, when he was a young man and out in the war, is quite emotional.
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Post by bracknellboy on Nov 12, 2023 13:03:54 GMT
Having buried my father on Friday, I can imagine just how poignant it must be. Sorry to hear that. My father died in his 50s when I was 21, so holding and reading his diary from so long ago, when he was a young man and out in the war, is quite emotional. Such a pity to have lost him when both he and you were so young.
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Post by mostlywrong on Nov 13, 2023 11:33:50 GMT
Do you have his medals?
If you do, you could put together a potted history that might be a more attractive donation to a museum or the IWM. You could also apply to the MoD for his personal record. There are restrictions on applications but you appear to be eligible.
More flesh on the bone, so to speak.
Is there a naval oriented museum in Portsmouth (my experience of Portsmouth was limited to a day out on HMS Victory!)?
On another tack, there are lot of collectors out there who pay good money for medals and the supporting documentation. Ration books, identity cards and the like. A diary would be a god-send for someone trying to piece together a history of a ship.
A while ago I researched a medal that turned up in an uncle's effects and found the contributors on the "Army Rumour Service" to be helpful. Apparently, it has a sister site "Rum Ration" for matters maritime that might be useful. But both sites come with the warning that "there be dragons...".
MW
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Post by mostlywrong on Nov 13, 2023 11:38:12 GMT
If they don't want it they would be in good position to make recommendations. Are you thinking of donating the original or giving them the transcription ? Depending on where you are, there might be a local museum who would like it: while they won't necessarily use it for research, it could have 'local interest'. The actual diary is a very small soft covered book densely written in small writing and quite difficult to read, I don't think you were supposed to keep a diary! I might give both save someone else a headache. There is a list of places and dates they were there and on which boats, so that might be interesting to someone. Then brief notes on what he was doing covering a few years and lists of what he bought and letters sent and received, very poignant. Keeping a diary or taking photographs was discouraged as they could be useful to the enemy if captured. My father made some notes after the war that he donated to me but I have not done anything with them.
Maybe I should...
MW
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Post by bracknellboy on Nov 13, 2023 11:40:11 GMT
...
Is there a naval oriented museum in Portsmouth (my experience of Portsmouth was limited to a day out on HMS Victory!)?
....
Portsmouth is the home of the National Naval Museum, so that would be a definite yes.
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