Battalion war diaries

Find here all surviving war diaries for RSR battalions involved in the Great War, plus the campaign against the Bolsheviks in Russia up to 1919. They are a daily record of each battalion’s work, including mobilisation in Britain, training, service overseas, battle and casualty details. 

The original Royal Sussex Regiment Battalion War Diaries are held at the West Sussex Record Office in Chichester. They have been digitised by kind permission of the County Archivist and may be used for private study only.

Please contact us for permission if you wish to publish any of our content in print or online. 

Select from the links below to view or download the diaries for a particular battalion and year.

Supporting documents

• 2-6th Cyclists Battalion War Diary 1914-1917 RSR MS 6-5 (PDF, 15MB)
• 2nd Battalion War Diary 1914-1916 RSR MS 2-57 (PDF, 13MB)
• 2nd Battalion War Diary 1917-1919 RSR MS 2-57 (PDF, 13MB)
• 4th Battalion War Diary 1915-1919 RSR MS 4-64 (PDF, 5MB)
• 5th Cinque Ports Battalion War Diary 1915-1919 RSR 4-64 (PDF, 7MB)
• 7th Battalion War Diary 1915-1919 RSR MS 7-11 (PDF, 20MB)
• 8th Battalion War Diary 1915-1916 RSR MS 7-13 (PDF, 15MB)
• 8th Battalion War Diary 1917 RSR MS 7-14 (PDF, 24MB)
• 8th Battalion War Diary Jan-July 1918 RSR MS 7-15 (PDF, 19MB)
• 8th Battalion War Diary Aug 1918-Jan 1919 RSR MS 7-15 (PDF, 19MB)
• 9th Battalion War Diary 1915-1917 RSR MS 7-17 (PDF, 20MB)
• 11th Battalion War Diary 1916-1919 RSR MS 7-23 (PDF, 20MB)
• 12th Battalion War Diary 1916-1918 RSR MS 7-23 (PDF, 7MB)
• 13th Battalion War Diary 1916-1918 RSR MS 7-25 (PDF, 13MB)
• 16th Battalion War Diary 1917-1919 RSR MS 7-25 (PDF, 10MB)
• 17th Battalion War Diary 1918-1919 RSR MS 7-25 (PDF, 5MB)