An Important Collection of three Diaries and ephemera belonging to Harold Hadfield, a soldier in the Canterbury Infantry regiment who served on the Western Front during World War I. This includes his three diaries with virtually daily entries over a 3 year period. Harold's diaries start in 1917 (perhaps he was sent a 'Soldier's Diary' as a Christmas present which was commonplace at the time.) Almost daily he records snippets of information enlightening the reader to the suffering of the Anzac on the Western Front. Much has been written of Gallipoli based on personal documents such as diaries but surprisingly few from the Western Front have surfaced especially as in this case a 'full run' from 1917-1919. In his diaries he talks about the weather revealing that it was often bitterly cold and wet and the monotony of military life. On other occasions however he describes having to get up in the middle of the night repair cut wire and in our darkest days on 4 October 1917 he states 'boys went over at 6am. Prisoners coming in all day'. Sold with his 2 World War I pay books, two original portrait photographs in uniform, war veteran's allowance document, Rsa membership cards from 1975 and 1976, Blenheim School reunion name tag, 2 World War I fibre dog tags, large Rsa badge numbered 24163, similarly numbered small Rsa badge, original discharge document, pair of World War I medals both impressed 24163 L/ Cpl H B Hadfield Nzef and rare early silver Blenheim Rifle Vols shooting medal named to Hadfield and dated 1912. His New Zealand Df Service file is included. All contained in a wooden box which we are told his family kept his effects in. The box mounted with a Nelson Regt badge and also a Nzef Onward badge. Harold Hadfield was born at Awaroa, Golden Bay, Nelson on 15 June 1892. He was a painter by trade and enlisted in the 13th Reinforcements on 8 February 1916 initially serving with the Nelson Regiment. He had had 3 years prior service in the Territorials and 2 years in the Blenheim Rifle Volunteers. Private Hadfield embarked from New Zealand on 31 May 1916 - marching into camp in the UK on 28 July 1916, where he was posted to the 1st Btn of the Canterbury Regiment. The unit embarked for France on 12 August 1916. Hadfield's war comprised service in Western Europe until 28 March 1919 when the regiment embarked for New Zealand. Hadfield, who ended the war a Lance Corporal with service in the 12th Nelson Regt as well as the 1st and 2nd Btns of the Canterbury Regiment was fortunate in that he was not wounded during his service. On 19 August 1917 he did however slip in the dark down the side of an old trench and sprained his ankle. His family state that he also saw service in the occupation force in Germany following the cessation of hostilities which is quite likely (his 1919 diary is a souvenir German one)