WWI ledger comes home to Durham

A rare First World War record documenting hundreds of North East volunteers has been returned to the region after being discovered at a car boot sale.

The handwritten ledger, which dates back more than 100 years, has been acquired by Durham Light Infantry (DLI) Friends and donated to The Story, Durham County Council’s heritage and culture venue.

The register contains the details of around 900 men who signed up to serve during the Great War over four days in December 1915. 

Many were workers from Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company in Jarrow, shortly after a German Zeppelin raid devastated the site, killing 17 people and injuring dozens more.

The ledger, pictured below, was created during the Derby Scheme, the UK’s final voluntary recruitment campaign before conscription was introduced in 1916. 

Across 23 double pages, it records personal details including names, ages, heights and distinguishing marks.

Councillor Andrew Harrison, Durham County Council’s armed forces champion, said: “Ledgers such as these are incredibly rare and certainly don’t come up for sale very often. 

“That’s why we are so grateful to the DLI Friends for bringing it back to the North East as a valuable addition to the DLI Collection and Archive.

“What I find particularly striking about the ledger is the fact that the hundreds of men listed within its pages signed up over four days, in just one small area. 

“It really brings home the scale of the conflict, the sacrifices made by those who served and the impact it must have had on their communities.

“By placing the ledger in The Story’s care, the Friends have ensured it will be preserved and accessible for people to view for generations to come.”

Founded in 1976, DLI Friends works to preserve regimental artefacts and research material linked to the county, helping ensure historically significant items remain in the North East.

Sid Patterson, the DLI Friends trustee who attended the auction, added: “I grew up in the Salt Meadows estate in Gateshead, which is where many of these men were from; some even lived on my street.

“It was a very close-knit community when I lived there, and the fact so many men enlisted following the attack on Palmers – despite shipyard workers being a reserved occupation – shows it was then too.

“Reading their names and knowing so many didn’t make it home, is very moving.

“As a group, we felt the ledger should be in County Durham because it’s a local artefact. 

“At The Story, the public will be able to see it and learn from it, rather than it being hidden away in a private collection.”

Appointments can be made to view the ledger in The Story’s collection room. To book, visit www.thestorydurham.org/access-our-collections.

The Story is home to the Durham Light Infantry Collection and Archive, alongside six miles of historical archives charting 900 years of County Durham history.

It is open every day and entry is free. To find out more, click here.

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