Beschreibung:

Papers of Captain Duncan Warrand (1877-1946) of the 2nd Seaforth Highlanders, comprising: i) Series of some 72 letters and 8 postcards from Duncan Warrand, the majority to his sister Carrie ("Dearest C", "D.C."), three to his brother Redmond ("Dear Redmond"), long, detailed letters written from the trenches and latterly from his billet in Rouen, including one seven-page letter written on Christmas Day 1914, describing the famous truce ("...Later on Wednesday night there was much shouting and singing in the German lines... Last night no sniping took place... The Germans lit fires and just sang on. So some of our sergeants and men went up to their lines returning with boxes of cigars! They have no drink... The officer who spoke to our Sgt was an American German, recalled in the war, who was heartily sick of it. He said they would not fire today... it may be partly due to the thick mist which was surely sent by Providence to give us a peaceful Xmas... Our opponents are Saxons and Bavarians and have so far proved themselves gentlemen. About 11 o'clock this morning I went outside the lines and we were all busy mending wire entanglements... We were right out in the field and could see the Germans walking about just as we were... And how lovely it was this morning! The star in the East so bright & clear... picked a bit of ivy... off a tree to commemorate this extraordinary Xmas of peace in war... At this point Sgt Smith looked in to say that a large number of Germans were walking about on our left and talking freely with our men and what was to be done... Tall men in grey coats fraternising with the men... what Bishops & Clergy could not do, the troops have done for themselves..."); other letters much concerned with asking for supplies ("...Please send me a box of cigarettes as the ones here are 'orrid... 'Bromo'!... some soup tablets for dissolving in hot water... shirts, khaki hosetops, cardigans... safety matches... shortbread, plum pudding etc... everything to be packed in oiled canvas... candles are difficult to come by... Colgate toothpaste... I wonder if mince pies would travel in a tin box?... a bottle of Worcester Sauce..."); reporting on troop movements as far as the censor allows ("...seems no harm in saying we are now in Belgium and not far from (2 miles south) of Messines...") and on 18 December 1914 includes a drawing of their position ("...without mentioning any names..."); with vivid descriptions of the horrors of war ("...continued action throughout the night... The trenches are awful, knee deep in mud... higher up the road there is destruction on all sides, houses in ruin, large shell holes and broken trees... I saw a hand and arm today just outside, who knows what unfortunate man it belonged to..."); the constant threat of being fired upon ("...planted shells all around us... They made a horrid whizzy noise when they really mean business... One falling bullet just grazed my ear yesterday..."); conditions in the trenches ("...It has rained incessantly... the trenches are ghastly... this place is called 'The Piggeries'... we are nearly all crawling – it's disgusting but a fact..."); news of mutual friends ("...I hear Patrick Grant was shot in the jaw..."), family news and talk of home ("...I wish the dogs could come out here..."), suggesting "...you might keep these rotten letters... my collection of letters to you are the best diary I can keep..."; the majority with envelopes, c.230pp., dust-staining, some small tears and other signs of wear, mostly 8vo (210 x 134mm.), 2nd Seaforth Highlanders, British Expeditionary Force, Grand Hôtel de la Poste, Rouen, 6 January 1914 to 20 January 1917 ii) Five pocket diaries 1914-1918, containing intermittent entries in pen and ink on the weather and various engagements, accounts and other notes (2 April 1917 noting "Brigadeer General F.J. de Gex Base Cdnt has died suddenly of heart failure while sitting in the lounge after lunch at the Hotel des Postes. A very good man."; 26 Mar