Army Signalling
Scribbling Book
(Instructional Purposes Only.)
Army Book 119.
London: Printed for H.M. Stationary Office by Waterlow & Sons Limited.
Books.
119.
23.--75,000--6-09.
Original circa 1912 book containing about 18 messages on 15 sheets (9 attached & 6 loose) followed by about 35 unused sheets and numerous blank pages. Lots of stubs to front. Messages to both sides of some sheets.
Not sure if this is a training aid as suggested by 'Instruction purposes only' or a book actually used to send messages. Possibly the property of 'Colonel Bell'* as 'HBELL' is penciled to front of the book and what looks to be 'HB' to edge of text block.
Not sure of date, but '7/9/11' appears at the top of 3 pages and '12'9'12' appears within last message. Book appears to have been printed 6/1909.
Messages contain a mixture of code, acronyms and plain text including an example in Indian. Don't know what type of code has been used but could be 'Playfair' or similar.
Buff coloured boards with cloth spine. Measures 137 x 200 mm (roughly 14 x 20 cm or 4.5 x 8 inches). Some wear to spine and boards creased & stained. 'HBELL'* penciled to front and what looks to be 'HB' penciled to edge of text block. Endpapers foxed and worn with few scribbles. Contents just about attached to boards. Edge wear to loose messages, two particularly tatty. Weighs 267 grams.
Gloucestershire, Worcestershire Regiments & 'Welsh Royal Barracks' mentioned.
Names mentioned:
General Smith-Dorien
Field Marshall Roberts
Colonel Smith
Seargent. H. Macnamara
Colonel James R.I.R
Colonel Collis
*Colonel Bell
Colonel Webb
Colonel Stewart
Resildar Major Ram Singh
Miar Mohammed
Places mentioned:
Zoutpansdrift
Bordon
Aldershot
Droitwich
Bristol
Mtarfa [Malta]
Jallalabad
Peshawar
Witteputs
Muzaffarnagar
Ootacamund [Tamil Nadu]
Messages include:
O C Supplies Aldershot
CMDG 3rd Buffs Bordon
---
Mark & Moody
High St Droitwich
Ordnance maps required most urgent
Col Collis
---
Sgt. H. Macnamara
27/8/12[?] Send immediately four sigrs to {KD} also ten men to {SY} acting as "RELEIF FORCE"
B.S.O. H.Q. Q10.20 AM
---
ADJJ 4th Glos REGT
BRISTOL
CMDG Glos AND Worc BDE 3pm
---
P.S.R.
GEN TRAFFIC...
FOREMAN BREAKDOWN GANG REPORTED two
furlongs permenant way carried away
six miles north of JALLALABAD
STATION MASTER PESHAWAR
---
7/9/11
ADJT 5th M.I. RAMAH
2.3.10 Patrol with 25 men
to 6 miles S.E. of
WITTEPUTS and report
COL STEWART O.R.STN.
O C. 7th WORC.
REGT DUDLEY
---
7/9/11
15/5/11 There will be a
week-end camp on the rifle
range from june 3rd to
5th inclusive
G.O.C.M.
DIV
---
Sm MAX BY twentysix
Resildar major Ram Sing
15th Bengal Cavalry
Muzaffarnagar
Tamari Chai mergya tar khuba
dado pice aur bandobast kyawaste
Mian mohammed
Tehsildar Ootacamund
---
7/9/11
RAMAH PRIORITY
GEN SMITH-DORIEN ZOUTPANSDRIFT
23/4/00
ENEMY reported as being
in force 10 miles E.S. of LADYR AND # move your
colum to ......And report when in position
ROBERT F.M.
---
Captain Monk High Rod Cambridge
Please return book at once
most importa
---
JORDAN OFFICERS LICHFIELD
STONEHOUSE
12'9'12 RE YOUR LETTER OF
9 TH INST PERMISSION
IS GRANTED
COL WEBB OFFR.CMD.
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