It is my intension over the coming months and years to aquire the total papers and war diaries of the battalions, brigades and the division, including the divisional units. This will take enormous time and cataloguing via visits to the National Archives in the main. I already have some of the war diaries and relevant WO files in relation to unit diaries and to relevant battles and actions that 21st division fought in. If anyone requires or has questions about specific actions or possibly men then please let me know. If I have the relevant papers I will look for you. If not I will keep you on file until I do.
As I say please appreciate I am probably years away from aquiring all the war diaries and decades from all relevant war related papers, however do not let that stop you asking. If I fail to have the necessery, then a visit to the Great War Forum, if you have not already visited there, will probably avail you of the answer.
Regards
The Webmaster
Below is a list of the War Diaries relevant to the 21st Division
| 21st Division War Diary | |||
| NA cat number | File designation | Dates covered | Acquired |
| WO 95/2128 | Headquarters Branches and Services: General Staff | 1915 Sept. - Dec. | Yes |
| WO 95/2129 | Headquarters Branches and Services: General Staff | 1916 Jan. - Apr. | Yes |
| WO 95/2130 | Headquarters Branches and Services: General Staff | 1916 May - July | Yes |
| WO 95/2131 | Headquarters Branches and Services: General Staff | 1916 Aug. - 1917 Mar. | Yes |
| WO 95/2132 | Headquarters Branches and Services: General Staff | 1917 Apr. - Dec. | Yes |
| WO 95/2133 | Headquarters Branches and Services: General Staff | 1918 Jan. - Aug. | Yes |
| WO 95/2134 | Headquarters Branches and Services: General Staff | 1918 Sept. - 1919 Mar. | Yes |
| WO 95/2135 | Headquarters Branches and Services: Adjutant and Quarter-Master General | 1915 Sept. - 1919 Apr. | 9/15 to 9/16 |
| WO 95/2136 | Headquarters Branches and Services: Commander Royal Artillery | 1915 Sept. - 1916 Dec. | |
| WO 95/2137 | Headquarters Branches and Services: Commander Royal Artillery | 1917 Jan. - June | |
| WO 95/2138 | Headquarters Branches and Services: Commander Royal Artillery | 1917 July - 1919 Apr. | |
| WO 95/2139 | Headquarters Branches and Services: Commander Royal Artillery | 1915 Sept. - 1919 Apr. | |
| WO 95/2140 | 21 Division | ||
| WO 95/2140 | Assistant Director Medical Services | 1915 Sept. - 1919 Mar. | |
| WO 95/2140 | Deputy Assistant Director Ordnance Services | 1915 Oct. - 1919 May | |
| WO 95/2140 | Assistant Director Veterinary Services | 1915 Sept. - 1919 Mar. | |
| WO 95/2141 | 21 Division | ||
| WO 95/2141 | Divisional Troops | ||
| WO 95/2141 | `A' Squadron South Irish Horse | 1915 Sept. - 1916 May | |
| WO 95/2141 | Divisional Cyclist Company | 1915 Sept. - 1916 Jan. | |
| WO 95/2141 | 94 Brigade Royal Field Artillery | 1915 Sept. - 1919 Apr. | |
| WO 95/2142 | Divisional Troops: 95 Brigade Royal Field Artillery | 1915 Sept. - 1919 Apr. | |
| WO 95/2143 | Divisional Troops | ||
| WO 95/2143 | 96 Brigade Royal Field Artillery | 1915 Sept. - 1916 Dec. | |
| WO 95/2143 | 97 Brigade Royal Field Artillery | 1915 Sept. - 1916 Sept. | |
| WO 95/2143 | Divisional Trench Mortar Batteries | 1916 Mar. - 1918 Dec. | Yes |
| WO 95/2143 | Divisional Ammunition Column | 1915 Sept. - 1919 Apr. | Yes |
| WO 95/2144 | Divisional Troops | ||
| WO 95/2144 | 97 Field Company Royal Engineers | 1915 Sept. - 1919 Apr. | Yes |
| WO 95/2144 | 98 Field Company Royal Engineers | 1915 Sept. - 1919 Apr. | Yes |
| WO 95/2144 | 126 Field Company Royal Engineers | 1915 Sept. - 1919 Apr. | Yes |
| WO 95/2145 | Divisional Troops | ||
| WO 95/2145 | Divisional Signal Company | 1915 Sept. - 1919 June | Yes |
| WO 95/2145 | 21 Battalion Machine Gun Corps | 1918 Mar. - 1919 Mar. | Yes |
| WO 95/2145 | 237 Machine Gun Company | 1917 July - 1918 Feb. | Yes |
| WO 95/2146 | Divisional Troops: 14 Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (Pioneers) | 1915 Sept. - 1919 May | |
| WO 95/2147 | Divisional Troops | ||
| WO 95/2147 | 63 Field Ambulance | 1915 Aug. - 1919 May | |
| WO 95/2147 | 64 Field Ambulance | 1915 Aug. - 1919 May | |
| WO 95/2148 | Divisional Troops | ||
| WO 95/2148 | 65 Field Ambulance | 1915 Aug. - 1919 June | |
| WO 95/2148 | Divisional Field Ambulance Workshop Unit | 1915 Oct. - 1916 Mar. | |
| WO 95/2148 | 38 Sanitary Section | 1915 Sept. - 1917 Mar. | |
| WO 95/2148 | 33 Mobile Veterinary Section | 1915 Sept. - 1919 Mar. | |
| WO 95/2149 | Divisional Troops | ||
| WO 95/2149 | Senior Supply Officer | 1915 Sept. - 1919 Feb. | |
| WO 95/2149 | Divisional Train (182, 183, 184, 185, Companies A.S.C.) | 1915 Sept. - 1916 Dec. | |
| WO 95/2150 | Divisional Troops: Divisional Train (182, 183, 184, 185, Companies A.S.C.) | 1917 Jan. - 1919 May | |
| WO 95/2151 | 62 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters | 1915 Sept. - 1916 Dec. | Yes |
| WO 95/2152 | 62 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters | 1917 Jan. - Dec. | Yes |
| WO 95/2153 | 62 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters | 1918 Jan. - 1919 Apr. | Yes |
| WO 95/2154 | 62 Infantry Brigade | ||
| WO 95/2154 | 1 Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment | 1915 Nov. - 1919 Mar. | Yes |
| WO 95/2154 | 2 Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment | 1918 Feb. - 1919 Mar. | |
| WO 95/2155 | 62 Infantry Brigade | ||
| WO 95/2155 | 12 Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers | 1915 Sept. - 1917 July | |
| WO 95/2155 | 13 Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers | 1915 Sept. - 1917 July | |
| WO 95/2155 | 12/13 Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers | 1917 Aug. - 1919 Apr. | |
| WO 95/2156 | 62 Infantry Brigade | ||
| WO 95/2156 | 3/4 Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) | 1917 May - Dec. | |
| WO 95/2156 | 10 Battalion Yorkshire Regiment | 1915 Sept. - 1918 Feb. | |
| WO 95/2156 | Brigade Machine Gun Company | 1916 Feb. - 1918 Feb. | |
| WO 95/2157 | 63 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters | 1915 Sept. - 1916 June | Yes |
| WO 95/2158 | 63 Infantry Brigade | ||
| WO 95/2158 | 8 Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment | 1915 Sept. - 1916 July | Yes |
| WO 95/2158 | 4 Battalion Middlesex Regiment | 1915 Nov. - 1916 June | Yes |
| WO 95/2158 | 8 Battalion Somerset Light Infantry | 1915 Sept. - 1916 July | Yes |
| WO 95/2158 | 10 Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment | 1915 Sept. - 1916 July | |
| WO 95/2158 | Brigade Machine Gun Company | 1916 Mar. - July | |
| WO 95/2159 | 64 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters | 1915 July - 1917 May | Yes |
| WO 95/2160 | 64 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters | 1917 June - 1919 Mar. | Yes |
| WO 95/2161 | 64 Infantry Brigade | ||
| WO 95/2161 | 15 Battalion Durham Light Infantry | 1915 Sept. - 1919 Apr. | |
| WO 95/2161 | 1 Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment | 1915 Dec. - 1919 Apr. | Yes |
| WO 95/2162 | 64 Infantry Brigade | ||
| WO 95/2162 | 9 Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry | 1915 Sept. - 1919 Mar. | Yes |
| WO 95/2162 | 10 Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry | 1915 Sept. - 1918 Jan. | Yes |
| WO 95/2162 | Brigade Machine Gun Company | 1916 Jan. - 1918 Jan. | |
| WO 95/2163 | 110 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters | 1916 July - 1919 June | |
| WO 95/2164 | 110 Infantry Brigade | ||
| WO 95/2164 | 6 Battalion Leicestershire Regiment | 1916 July - 1919 Mar. | |
| WO 95/2164 | 7 Battalion Leicestershire Regiment | 1916 July - 1919 Apr. | |
| WO 95/2165 | 110 Infantry Brigade | ||
| WO 95/2165 | 8 Battalion Leicestershire Regiment | 1916 July - 1918 May | |
| WO 95/2165 | 9 Battalion Leicestershire Regiment | 1916 July - 1918 Feb. | |
| WO 95/2165 | 1 Battalion Wiltshire Regiment | 1918 July - 1919 May | |
| WO 95/2165 | Brigade Machine Gun Company | 1916 July - 1918 Feb. | |
| WO 95/2165 | Brigade Trench Mortar Battery | 1916 Aug. - | |
Below is the list of Divisional unit diaries i have to date.
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Extract of a trench raid carried out by 62nd brigade, whilst 21st division was under command of VII Corps at the end of July 1917. It shows the preperation that went into it and the after action reports pointedly demonstrate how the different units combined to over come an unexpected German preseance as the raiding party advanced across no mans land. It shows that trench riads were in many respects well prepared affairs, involving different arms of the brigade, rather than a small forlorn recce out in to no mans land.