Gruesome World War I Diary Unearthed: First-Hand Account of Somme's Bloodiest Battle Revealed in UK Hoard
According to the auction house, the Battle of the Somme saw one soldier killed every 4.4 seconds during the initial attack, which Diggens apparently participated in. The box that his diary was discovered in also contained various other forms of military memorabilia.
“The owner had no idea who any of the items related to but said his mother had been the recipient of old family heirlooms,” said Hansons’ expert Adrian Stevenson. “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.”
Stevenson noticed upon receiving the diary that it ended quite abruptly on Oct. 11, 1916, and he assumed Diggens may have died. To his surprise, the soldier was rather fortunate.
“We feared Arthur must have been a casualty of the conflict but my research proved otherwise,” said Stevenson. “Not only did he survive the First World War, he returned to his loved ones in England and became a husband and father.”
Robert Hunt Library/Windmill Books/UIG via Getty imagesSoldiers in the trenches during the Battle of the Somme.
“Happily, he went on to marry his wartime sweetheart Alice (née Phillips) in 1919 and was soon a proud father. Alice gave birth to a son in 1920 — also called Arthur.”
As for Diggens’ previous military history, he participated in the disastrous Gallipoli campaign in Turkey during which allied troops suffered a major defeat. He kept a diary there, too, though it was sadly lost in the mail when he tried to ship it home.
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