First World War soldier's diary found in rubbish reveals love story

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 12:58 · Archive

An Australian soldier's bloodstained diary discovered in a rubbish dump in 1965 documents his brief marriage and death in the First World War.

Corporal Claude Nuttall's diary was discovered by a young boy searching through a rubbish dump in Stourbridge, Worcestershire in 1965, nearly 50 years after the Australian infantryman's death. The diary bore visible signs of the soldier's wartime experience: a bullet hole and blood staining on its pages.

Cpl Nuttall met Violet Palfreyman whilst recovering from gunshot wounds at Wordsley Hospital in Stourbridge in 1916. The pair married in March 1918 and spent five weeks together before he was sent back to the front line in France. His last diary entry, dated 10 August 1918, documented his experiences: 'Heavy bombardment by our guns. Push still in progress... Wrote to Violet.'

Cpl Nuttall was killed by a sniper at the Battle of Amiens three months before Armistice Day in 1918. Author Colin Reid subsequently obtained the diary and wrote a book about the soldier, spending years tracking down Cpl Nuttall's family to piece together the full story.

How it is being reported

• WW1 soldier's tragic love story told over 100 years later after bloodstained diary found in rubbish tipWWI soldier Corporal Claude Nuttall documented his time at war during a pivotal moment of the conflict - which he entered just a few months after marrying in the UKThe Mirror · 13 Oct, 12:44
• World War I soldier’s diary found at the dump reveals incredible love storyCpl Claude Nuttall on his wedding day to Violet Palfreyman (Picture: Colin Reid/SWNS) A First World War soldier’s tragic love story has been uncovered after his diary was discovered in a rubbish dump. Corporal Claude Nuttall’s diary – still bearing a bullet hole and blood staining – was found by a…Metro · 13 Oct, 11:35

In this story: Claude Nuttall · Violet Palfreyman · Wordsley Hospital · Stourbridge · Battle of Amiens · France · Colin Reid

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