Battered Battle of the Somme diary to go under the hammer

A battered diary written by a soldier during the Battle of the Somme is set to fetch hundreds of pounds at auction.
By PA
Published 3rd Feb 2020, 15:35 BST
A battered diary written by a soldier during the Battle of the Somme in the First World War has been discovered in a Midlands barn.A battered diary written by a soldier during the Battle of the Somme in the First World War has been discovered in a Midlands barn.
A battered diary written by a soldier during the Battle of the Somme in the First World War has been discovered in a Midlands barn.

The item was discovered in a barn in Leicestershire and has been given a guide price of £300-400 by Derbyshire-based Hansons Auctioneers.

The 104-year-old notebook, written by Private Arthur Edward Diggens, bears scuffs and stains on its cover, as well as the word "Army".

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The opening page states that the diary was started on February 13, 1916, but ends abruptly on October 11 of that year.

A battered diary written by a soldier during the Battle of the Somme in the First World War has been discovered in a Midlands barn.A battered diary written by a soldier during the Battle of the Somme in the First World War has been discovered in a Midlands barn.
A battered diary written by a soldier during the Battle of the Somme in the First World War has been discovered in a Midlands barn.

Mr Diggens, who survived the conflict, wrote about how "every German had a machine gun" and a shell dropping "just a few yards in front of our billet".

Militaria expert Adrian Stevenson, who discovered the diary at a valuation event at Hansons Auctioneers at Etwall, near Derby, said: "When I opened it, I was amazed - and I had to flick straight to the July 1 entry.

"The fact that both the diary and the soldier survived is pretty remarkable, given those awful statistics. As a mark of respect to its author, I hope this diary sells for a substantial figure at auction. It will certainly appeal to militaria collectors worldwide.

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"Unbelievably, it was discovered with several other unrelated militaria items in a box in a Leicestershire barn.

A battered diary written by a soldier during the Battle of the Somme in the First World War has been discovered in a Midlands barnA battered diary written by a soldier during the Battle of the Somme in the First World War has been discovered in a Midlands barn
A battered diary written by a soldier during the Battle of the Somme in the First World War has been discovered in a Midlands barn

"The owner had no idea who any of the items related to but said his mother had been the recipient of old family heirlooms.

"It's a complete mystery how this Somme diary ended up in the Midlands, particularly as Arthur was born in London.

"I'm just relieved such an important piece of military history has been found and can now be preserved."

The diary is due to be sold in a Medals and Militaria sale at Hansons on March 20.

Related topics:LeicestershireDerbyshire