The War Diary of Mervyn Crawshay
Mervyn Crawshay was born on 5th May 1881 in Dimlands, Llantwit Major, the son of Tudor Crawshay, High Sheriff of Glamorgan, and grandson of iron master William Crawshay of Merthyr Tydfil. Mervyn choose to follow a career in the army and joined the Worcester Regiment in 1902, serving for two years in the South Africa war, and transferring in 1908 to the 5th Dragoon Guards (Princess Charlotte of Wales). He was promoted to captain in April 1911. Crawshay was a noted fine horseman and represented England in military tournaments held in America in 1913, winning the Gold Cup in the competition open to the world.
Mervyn Crawshay was a member of the comparatively small British Expeditionary Force dispatched to assist the French in defending Belgium in the face of a German invasion. The opening entries of his diary, from the 15th and 16th August 1914, describe leaving Southampton and arriving in Le Havre. The diary ends abruptly, mid-sentence on 29 October 1914. The full text of the entries can be read here.