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Who's who?
For Anne Hughes and other characters from the Diary itself see separate pages:
People connected with the background story of Anne Hughes' Diary:
Beedell, Suzanne - Compiled the very first book edition of the Diary using the original typescript and the original eighteenth-century spelling.
Brimelow, H. - British forces, WW2, possibly REME or RAF (see photos page). In Sarsden in 1943 and in Sicily in 1944.
Croucher, Michael - BBC TV producer and writer who died in 2006. Michael carried out research into the origins of the Diary, interviewing Molly Preston. He wrote two separate introductions to various book editions of the Diary.
Davey, Adele - member of the Anne Hughes Research Team who originally teamed up with Frances Houghton and who, as Adele Roberts, jointly wrote the ‘New Introduction’ to the 1992 Penguin edition of the Diary.
Day, Mary - Editor of the Home Section of the Farmers’ Weekly magazine who first commissioned the transcription and serialisation of the Diary in 1937.
Dover, Michael - When working for Penguin Books, he investigated the provenance of the Diary.
Duggan, James - actor who played John in the BBC TV drama produced by Michael Croucher.
Hargreaves, Barbara - Took over editor’s job when Mary Day died.
Houghton, Frances - member of the Anne Hughes Research Team who originally teamed up with Adele Roberts and jointly wrote the Introduction to the 1992 Penguin edition of the Diary.
Hudson?, Margaret - Possible surname of land girl Margaret (see photos page).
Jenkins, Ellin - Actor who played Anne in the BBC TV drama produced by Michael Croucher.
Jerry or Gerry - Possible name (probably first name) of the friend of the WW2 US soldier who borrowed the Diary manuscript.
Keyte, Mary - nee Sarah Mary Hanks, Jeanne Preston’s mother.
Lee or Leigh - Possible name (probably first name) of the WW2 US soldier who borrowed the Diary manuscript.
Preston, Colin - Jeanne’s grandson and Diary copyright owner collaborating in the research into the Diary.
Preston, Jeanne - nee Sarah Jane Keyte. She was given the Diary as a child and transcribed it for serialisation in the Farmers’ Weekly magazine in 1937.
Preston, Molly - Jeanne Preston’s daughter who successfully claimed the copyright when the Diary was published as a book. She was interviewed by both Michael Croucher and Michael Dover and was in communication with Frances Houghton.
Preston, Frank - Jeanne’s husband and farm foreman.
Proud, Elizabeth - actress who narrated the audio cassette version of the Diary.
Shankland, Ian - Began researching independently and later teamed up with Adele and Frances.
Skelton, Private G. - British Army, WW2, Light Aid Detachment of RAOC stationed in Sarsden in late 1939.
Tracy, Henry - Lord Sudely, husband of Susannah Weaver.
Weaver, Susannah - of Morville and wife of Henry Tracy. Possible candidate for being Lady Susan.
Wyfold, Lord - owner of the Sarsden Estate who was away for most of the war. Part of his estate and part of Sarsden House itself was used to house both US and British military personnel.
Abbreviations used in this website:
A2A - Access To Archives:
The online website listing documents and providing content summaries of the records held at the various English record offices.
6AD -Sixth Amored Division:
an armoured division of the WW2 US army. Known as the Super Sixth, it was commanded by General Grow and was part of the American Third Army commanded by General George S Patton junior. Above him in the ETO was General Bradley and then General Eisenhower.
CCB - Combat Command B:
This was the name of a component of the WW2 era United States Army. In an American Armored Division there were three Comabat Commands, CCA, CCB and CCR (Reserve). Various other components of the Division were assigned to a Combat Command as and when needed. The three Combat Commands were used to attack or defend under orders from Divisional HQ (Headquarters) and the Division's CG (Commanding General).
CT n - Combat Team and a number:
e.g. Combat Team 9 would mean Combat Team 9th Armored Infantry in a WW2 American Armored Division. These teams were temporary units created to perform a specific task at a particular time. It was CT9 and Captain Fred Keffer who discovered the Buchenwald Concentration Camp near Weimar on 11th April, 1945.
D-Day - 6th June, 1944:
D-Day was military shorthand for the day scheduled for the Allied Normandy Landing in WW2. Originally scheduled for 5th June they were delayed by bad weather and took place on the 6th. H-Hour was the time of the attack. Both terms could be used for any military operation but D-Day has gone into the language as meaning the Normandy Landings, the largest ever seaborne and airborne invasion in history.
DEFRA - The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Current UK government official department.
DEMS -Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship:
British and Canadian merchant ships equipped with a variety of defensive weaponry that was developed during the course of WW2.
ETO - European Theatre of Operations:
during WW2 this was the war in Europe. The war in the Pacific was termed the Pacific Theatre and other theatres of war were in the Mediterranean and in North Africa.
FW - 'Farmers Weekly':
The farming magazine that launched Anne Hughes Diary back in 1937. Farmers Weekly celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2012.
Gn - e.g. G3:
'G' numbers 1 to 5 were assigned, according to their function, to different sections in a Division HQ. For example G1 was the section dealing with personnel. G2 was for military intelligence and security. Similar functions existed lower down at Combat Command level, but they were assigned 'S' numbers'.
GI - General Infantryman:
Used here to mean an ordinary American soldier, although strictly speaking many in our story were not in the infantry. Another name for a US Army infantryman in WW2 was 'doughboy'.
HQ - Headquarters
HQ Co - Headquarters Company:
Combat Command B HQ had its own HQ Co who were billeted in Sarsden during most of their stay in England in 1944. They were equipped with Stewart light tanks, two and a half ton trucks, half-tracks and Jeeps, known in the Armored Divsions as 'peeps'. For a while they also had 'Indian' motorcycles. The enlisted men carried M1 carbine rifles but they also used other weaponry. The HQ Co carried out the functions of the Command HQ, liaising with and co-ordinating the units under its command. It was also responsible for organising air support, generally from USAAF P47 Thunderbolt ground support fighters. Essentially the HQ Co supported and defended the Combat Command HQ and was frequently in the thick of some heavy fighting. CCB's HQ Co was among the longest serving elements of the Third Army.
XXYYZZ -:
LAD - Light Aid Detachment.: A LAD was a small group of army technicians who were seconded to maintain and repair vehicles, guns and other such equipment outside their own main workshops. Originally they were assigned from RAOC units and after its formation in October 1942, from REME.
NAAFI - National Army and Air Force Institute: served a similar funtion to the American PX and found on military bases in the UK. Served food and drink after the war and probably during it.
NCO - Non Commissioned Officer:
sometime referred to by the slang term 'Non-comm'. Military rank with authority but below officer level, i.e. without a commission. Included are the ranks of corporal, sergeant, warrant officer etc.
NMR - National Monument Record:
England's National Monument Record is housed in the former Great Western Railway works at Swindon. It's part of English Heritage and holds records and photographs of buildings and landscapes in England.
NPRC - National Personnel Records Center:
Based in St Louis in Missouri, it holds twentieth-century US Military Personnel Records (MPR). From our perspective it holds Morning Reports and Unit Rosters of WW2 army units. Many records were lost in a fire here in 1973.
XXYYZZ -:
PAC - Parachute Aerial Canopy:
Also referred to as Parachute And Cable it was part of a WW2 British system of devices used to protect allied merchant ships against aerial attack. Found on DEMS, it involved launching parachute deploying rockets with wires suspended from them to deter or entrap attacking aircraft. The FAM or Fast Aerial Mine, another such device, had an explosive device attached to the cable.
RAF - Royal Air Force:
Britain's air force during WW2 and now. During WW2 the British Empire still existed and the RAF was also home to men from both free Commonwealth countries such as Canada and Australia and occupied countries such as Poland and Czechoslovakia.
PX - Post Exchange:
Found on American air bases and army locations. Here American servicemen could buy personal requirements and other items such as chocolate. The one at Sarsden was happy to sell things like chocolate to local civilians who could not otherwise get more than their ration book entitlement. I think the PX is similar to the British NAAFI organisation.
PFC - Private First Class:
the first enlisted rank above private in the WW2 era US Army and just lower than corporal.
RAOC - Royal Army Ordnance Corps:
a part of the British Army maintaining and making available ammunition, stores, uniforms etc.
RASC - Royal Army Service Corps:
a part of the British Army mainly involved in distribution of materiel.
RCN - Royal Canadian Navy:
Canada's navy who fought with the allies in WW2. Canada was then a member of the British Empire.
REME - Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers:
formed in 1942, largely from the RASC and RAOC in order to consolidate and coordinate maintenance and repair of vehicles, anti aircraft guns, etc. A continuing part of the modern British Army.
Tech4 - Technician Grade Four:
an enlisted rank in the WW2 era US army. Not to be confused with Technical Sergeant, a much higher rank, or sergeant. A Tech4 wore three inverted stripes over a letter 'T', for Technician. A sergeant's stripes lacked the 'T'.
Tech5 - Technician Grade Five:
an enlisted rank in the WW2 era US army. Not to be confused with corporal. A Tech5 wore two inverted stripes over a letter 'T', for Technician. A corporal's stripes lacked the 'T'. A WW2 Tech5 was a lower rank than Tech4.
USAAF - United States Army Air Force:
USAF, the modern United States Air Force was formed after the war. During WW2 the American air force was still a part of the US Army.
TF surname - e.g. Task Force Baum:
A task force was like a combat team that would be sent away from the main fighting to perform a particular task. In a disastrous mission, 'TF Baum' was sent to relieve a German POW camp holding, among other American prisoners, General Patton's son-in-law.
Sn - e.g. S3:
S numbers 1 to 5 were assigned, according to their function, to different sections in a Combat Command HQ. For example S5 was the military government section. S3 was for air support. Similar functions existed at the higher division level, but they were assigned 'G numbers'.
WLA - Women's Land Army:
There were Women's Land Armies in other countries such as the USA and New Zealand but here we are referring to the UK's organisation of that name. Although called an 'army' it was a civilian organisation and was one of the approved work options open to women over 18 years of age who were required to do war-related work or join one of the services.
WI - Women's Institute:
The UK's Women's Institute was, and is, a social organisation catering for women of all ages. During World War Two, many of the Women's Land Army's staff were recruited from this organisation by Lady Denman, herself a member of the WI.
WO - Warrant Officer:
a senior NCO in both British and American armies and in the RAF.
WW2 - World War Two
