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Acton, acton, merrily on high. Welcome to our 12 days of Christmas. We have ways pod specials.

This is the last one we're doing and we're doing it last actually. It may surprise you that we actually are doing something in chronological order for a change.

Jim, what are we going to talk about? Well, first of all, happy new year. Yes, happy new year. I hope you've had a good one. As you can hear, I'm sounding a little bit back to my normal self.

You're covered. Yeah. Yeah. You know, it's seasonal, lurgy. It's kind of dure-gur, isn't it? It is amazing how literally every chemist and pharmacy I've been into. You can't buy lemsit for love and the money.

But fortunately, my cousin's husband is a doctor. He described me some antibiotics and absolutely saw me out in no time. Anyway, yes, so I've obviously, you know, I'm absolutely immersed, need deep in in the Italy book at the moment.

Yeah. And I've been looking at all these diaries. Not really what? Well, let me say it's first thing first and then I'll go back to a very special diary.

Yeah. So I've sort of, you know, I sort of set myself this task of trying to look at the campaign purely in the moment. Yeah.

So I can make judgment calls on what is happening on any given day. And I can't quite help retrospect coming into it. But what I'm trying to do is show the whole book as the event some fold as they're seeing it on the ground at the time.

So that's why I'm using almost entirely contemporary sources for this. Yeah. And it's really, really interesting. So a lot more diaries and actually the diaries are just amazing.

Because of course, they're in the moment. And then suddenly you alerted me to this diary that was coming up for sale, RSM ward. Yeah.

Of the 56 heavy regiment, which is, of course, the same regiment that's by Milligan was attached to up for sale. I immediately got onto blackwells rare books took a deep breath, sought through my teeth, bought it.

Then had a panic because of the whole kind of Christmas post issues because it wasn't turning up. Then it did turn up. I've now scanned the whole thing.

I've trans started scrunch carving bits of it. And I've actually recruited Merrin, Merrin Walters, who's a great friend of the show, diehard IC member, all the rest of it. And she's been brilliant. So she's also been transcribing. But she's also helping me with the identity of the author because it's listed as RSM ward. But it doesn't mention his name at all.

Yes. Now he is clearly at regimental headquarters. But as you were pointing out, Spike refers to RSM death. And how can anyone be called death? And what did you put on his death died?

Yes, but then you mentioned about BSM, bat, son, major Griffin, who is involved in sort of who comes up in spikes and ticks because in the diary, the ward diary says, I sang during the show or during the party says I sang in the party.

And the thing is Spike has the party on the show on Christmas day. But battery sergeant major Griffin sings a couple of things. So a couple of times. And he mentions it, doesn't he?

Red Griffin, and he mentions it. So what? So I mean, maybe, I mean, maybe their paths never actually did cross. But I find that quite hot.

And you can tell that he likes a sing song and he mentions this sort of stuff. I only sent you a bit of it, but the bit that I transcribed and the bit around Christmas. But there's obviously a red through the whole thing. And there's sort of more about him. He clearly likes that sort of thing.

And also he's character that emerges in the diary doesn't correspond to the depiction of RSM death.

No, no, not one bit. I mean, I think he seems like a nice bloke, doesn't he? Yes. I mean, he's a professional soldier, but he's not.

He's judging by his diaries. He's not. You know, is that really fantastic affecting bit where he says the PBI getting it?

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