Sassoon Journals : Journal, 20 May 1916-31 Oct. 1916

Sassoon Journals

The volume is a ruled notebook and mostly comprises diary entries written in France (chiefly at Morlancourt, Fricourt, and the front line). Contents include:Diary entries:<ul><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(5);return false;'>2r-7r</a>. accounts of his last day at the Fourth Army School [Flixécourt], trip to Abbeville, and return to Morlancourt</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(16);return false;'>7v-8r</a>. activity at Fricourt</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(19);return false;'>9r-14r</a>. descriptions of a raiding party of 25-27th May [for which Sassoon was awarded the Military Cross]</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(42);return false;'>20v</a>. a description of his dug-out and of feeling 'shut-in'</li></ul> Drafts of poetry (some partial):<ul><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(18);return false;'>8v</a>. untitled, begins 'When stars are out its fun to think of dying'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(53);return false;'>26r</a>. untitled ['A Ballad']</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(54);return false;'>26v-27r</a>. untitled, begins 'A man of many sorrows, Captain Blugg'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(56);return false;'>27v</a>. 'A testimonial'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(57);return false;'>28r</a>. one line: 'The Nation smiled; for in the morning papers' (remainder erased)</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(58);return false;'>28v-29r</a>. untitled, begins 'Poor Captain Gray was wounded in the calf'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(60);return false;'>29v</a>. erased poem beginning ['His mother kissed him when he went away']</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(110);return false;'>42v-43r</a>. draft of sections of the poem later called 'David Cleek'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(107);return false;'>44v</a>. erased poem beginning ['I hear the murmur of their voices']</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(106);return false;'>45r</a> & <a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(104);return false;'>46r</a>. untitled, begins 'Know then that I was born to seek the grail', later printed as 'The Poet as Hero'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(102);return false;'>46v-47r</a>. 'In Ramah was heard a voice'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(100);return false;'>48r</a>. erased work (unidentified)</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(96);return false;'>48v-50r</a>. 'Après la guerre', later called 'They'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(93);return false;'>51r-51v</a>. untitled, begins 'The papers told the public'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(90);return false;'>52r-53r</a>. 'In the Know' [later called 'The Tombstone-Maker']</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(89);return false;'>53v</a>. untitled, begins 'When Arthur joined the army'</li></ul> Fair copy poetry:<ul><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(112);return false;'>41v-42r</a>. 'David Cleek'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(101);return false;'>47v</a>. 'They'</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(84);return false;'>56r</a>. 'The Cyssan'</li></ul> Sketches and doodles:<ul><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(13);return false;'>6r</a>. preparatory sketch for a water colour of a stained glass window, together with a description</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(17);return false;'>8r</a>. a hillside with trees and a trench</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(105);return false;'>45v</a>. abstract image, perhaps a body and propeller</li></ul> Other:<ul><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(30);return false;'>14v-15r</a>. copy of an official report on the raid carried out by the 1st Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers on the night of 25th-26th May, together with lists of members of the raiding and evacuating party and their fates</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(108);return false;'>43r-44r</a>; <a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(87);return false;'>54v</a>. cricket match scores</li><li><a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(85);return false;'>55r-55v</a>. list of words beginning with the letter 'A' or 'B' entitled 'Clean-bred English words', together with words in Old English</li></ul> N.B. Sassoon wrote from both ends of this notebook; after folio <a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(113);return false;'>41v</a> entries resume from the opposite end. Folios <a href='' onclick='store.loadPage(61);return false;'>30r-41r</a> are blank. Enclosures are to be found in a separate envelope. The foliation is the archivist's.