This is the hitherto unpublished Great War diary of Lieutenant-Colonel R J P Anderson C.M.G. D.S.O, Commander of 11th Hussars, 1915 - 1920. Written in his own hand, this facsimile copy of his original diaries recounts his experiences, thoughts and actions during the war. Commencing on the 15th August 1914, the day the regiment embarked for France, the diary continues a day-by-day account right up till the armistice and beyond. The many battles are recounted in detail: the Battle of Mons, the Retreat from Mons, Nery, Le Cateau etc. But perhaps more interestingly it recounts the general life and duties of a regimental, and for a brief period a brigade, commander during the First World War.

Whilst there have been many diaries detailing the experiences of the private soldier in the trenches of the Western Front and several written by junior officers, there is a paucity of records published detailing the experiences of middle-ranking officers at the regimental command level. This diary intends to help fill in that gap. Thousands of individual diary entries are recorded here representing a wealth of previously unpublished material of huge interest and importance to the student and historian of the Great War.

In addition to his Great War experiences, Anderson also details his life as a senior Courts-Martial officer in Ireland during the Irish Rebellion. He records the growth of Sinn Fein and the final months of the Empire in Southern Ireland. This is again proves to be a unique record of the evolving political, military and social situation at the time, from this hitherto unpublished record. An important primary source book for any comprehensive archive or significant private library of the First World War.