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Diary shares insight into life of WW2 soldier

BBC Peter Gibbs holding one of Denis Gibbs' war diariesBBC
Peter Gibbs said his family discovered the diaries after his father passed away

The private diaries of a British World War Two officer will go on public display for the first time as part of an exhibition at the University of Gloucestershire.

Denis Gibbs was an officer in the Royal Corps of Signals and served in North Africa and Italy between 1943 and 1945.

During the war, he kept a personal diary detailing his daily experiences, primarily for his wife Eileen.

His family discovered them after he died aged 103 in August 2020 and brought them to the attention of the university.

Denis' son, Peter Gibbs, 80, who lives in Winchcombe, said he is "incredibly grateful" that the university have taken the diaries.

The exhibition will take place on 19 June, marking what would have been Denis' 107th birthday.

A photograph of one of Denis Gibbs' war diaries
Denis Gibbs kept a diary of his time serving as a British officer between 1943 and 1945

The diaries provide an insight into the daily life of a British army officer and begin when Denis was posted abroad in 1943.

He started writing the entries when he left the barracks in Wimbledon in South London, headed for a troop ship in Liverpool.

They follow him through his time in North Africa and up through Italy. The second diary finished in May 1944.

Peter Gibbs described the entries as anecdotes from the day, written as if his father was returning home to tell his wife about his day at work.

He said they were not about fighting but more of a "social record of the life of a soldier".

"[There's] lots of anecdotes in it, lots of funny bits. Beautiful handwriting with nothing crossed out," he added.

University of Gloucestershire A photo of one of Denis Gibbs' diary entriesUniversity of Gloucestershire
Denis Gibbs wrote about his daily life as a British officer

The family had known of the diaries but not what they were.

When Denis died in 2020, Peter Gibbs read them and said he was "absolutely blown away".

"If you knew my dad, he didn't write this kind of stuff. He wrote poems for my mother [which were] very emotional actually."

The project is being produced by history students from the university, co-led by students David Morgan and Layla Harrison.

Layla Harrison sitting next to David Morgan
Student Layla Harrison (l) has been working on the project alongside fellow student David Morgan

"We got through the first diary and we were like - we feel like we know Denis," said Mr Morgan.

Miss Harrison added: “It has been an honour to have the opportunity to tell the story of Denis Gibbs, interpreting and transcribing the extensive diaries he wrote whilst stationed abroad.

“Our 10-minute film documenting Denis’ war experiences elaborates on the historical significance of his writings."

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