Despatch rider on the Western Front 1915-1918

Simpkin, Albert2015

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Summary

Sergeant Albert Simpkin MM's Great War diary is of unusual scope and exceptional interest. Albert was a First World War motorcycle despatch rider attached to the Headquarters 37th Division throughout the war which he was so fortunate to survive. His wide-ranging role enabled him to witness much more than his fellow men who were restricted to the trenches. One day he would be dodging shell holes and ammunition limbers to take his despatches to the front, the next commenting on the quaint but often courageous lives of the local populace. As a result his diary entries, and some longer descriptions of the main actions of the Division, provide a graphic record of the war on the Western Front; fortunately Albert was a gifted observer of the scene and a fluent writer. The fact he was awarded the Military Medal is testimony to his bravery.