Sassoon Journals : Journal, 13 Mar. 1916-2 May 1916

Sassoon Journals

<p style='text-align: justify;'>The volume is a ruled notebook and mostly comprises diary entries written in France (at Morlancourt, Flixécourt, and the Somme Valley). Contents include:</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Diary entries:</p><p style='text-align: justify;'><ul><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(40);return false;'>30r-31r</a>. on the death of 'Tommy' [Lieutenant David Thomas]</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(44);return false;'>22r-29r</a>. on six days spent in the trenches with C. Company</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(56);return false;'>21r-23r</a>. an account of a raiding party with mention that he would gladly use his bayonet</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(68);return false;'>16v-17r</a>. his anger at the Germans and thoughts on getting shot</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(70);return false;'>14v-16r</a>. at the front line, with an account of fetching in a supposed German body</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(21);return false;'>10r-11r</a>. a lecture on the bayonet</li></ul></p><br /><p style='text-align: justify;'>Drafts of poetry:</p><p style='text-align: justify;'><ul><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(5);return false;'>2r</a>. untitled, begins 'Reflect their dimness under bird-sung banks'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(6);return false;'>2v-3r</a>. ''The Quarter-Master'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(8);return false;'>3v-4r</a>. 'Up the Sky'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(10);return false;'>4v</a>. 'March: at the edge of a wood'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(14);return false;'>6v-7r</a>. 'Home'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(24);return false;'>11v-12r</a>. 'Children'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(26);return false;'>12v</a>. 'The Journey'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(27);return false;'>13r</a>. 'Wind in the Beech-wood'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(74);return false;'>13v-14r</a>. 'Battle'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(73);return false;'>14v</a>. 'The Giant Killer'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(67);return false;'>17v</a>. 'Peace'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(52);return false;'>23v-25r</a>. 'Died of Wounds', later called 'On a Working Party'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(43);return false;'>29v</a>. untitled, begins 'For you were glad and kind and brave'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(39);return false;'>31v</a>. untitled, begins 'His words go questing in the sawky cities'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(35);return false;'>32r-33v</a>. untitled verses referring to sky, colour and flowers</li></ul></p><br /><p style='text-align: justify;'>Sketches and doodles:</p><p style='text-align: justify;'><ul><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(4);return false;'>1v</a>. a man's head with moustache, a likeness of René Perrineau</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(29);return false;'>36v</a>. church and town roofs scene at Morlancourt</li></ul></p><br /><p style='text-align: justify;'>Other:</p><p style='text-align: justify;'><ul><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(34);return false;'>34r</a>. prose passage on 'Solving Social Problems' and notes referring to the politics of conducting a war</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(4);return false;'>1v</a>; <a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(28);return false;'>37r</a>. acquaintances' contact details</li></ul></p><br /><p style='text-align: justify;'>N.B. Sassoon wrote from both ends of this notebook; from ff. <a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(76);return false;'>13v-37v</a> entries resume from the opposite end. Enclosure is to be found in a separate envelope. The foliation is the archivist's.</p>