Research Resources and Links

This section of the site comprises a very selective listing of some of the books, museum and Internet resources that are relevant to the study of the 16th DLI.

Books

The History of the Sixteenth Battalion The Durham Light Infantry by Major Laurence E Stringer, published by the Battalion.

Based on the War Diary and published in Austria in 1946 just as the Battalion disbanded, this is the crucial starting point for any detailed enquiry into the Battalion. The book was reprinted by the 16th DLI Old Comrades' Association in 1991, but in either edition it is now both very rare and very pricey. A copy is held by the Imperial War Museum Library and can be consulted in their reading room in London and the Durham County Record Office should also have one. See below.

The Story of the 46th Division, no author credited.

Also published in Austria, this gives the bigger divisional picture of all of the Battalion's battles and travels. Now also very hard to find and very expensive.

The DLI at War The History of the Durham Light Infantry 1939-46, by David Rissik, published by the Regiment in 1952.

An excellent history of all the DLI Battalions engaged in World War Two. Coverage of the 16th Battalion is contained in one concise, detailed and very readable chapter. Highly recommended, the book isn't nearly as rare as the 16th DLI History and copies are usually be found for sale on the Internet, see below. Recently reprinted.

The Heat of Battle by Peter Hart (Pen and Sword Books, 1999).

The wartime past brought back in immediate eyewitness detail, this is a fine oral history of the 16th DLI during the Italian Campaign. The book is based on the extensive collection of 16th DLI interviews held by the Imperial War Museum Sound Archive. Still in print and thus very easy to obtain on the Internet and also via inter-library loan.

Museums

The Imperial War Museum, London, visit their site at: www.iwm.org.uk

The Sound Archive of the IWM holds a collection of some 50-plus interviews with 16th DLI veterans. These can be listened to on the premises (phone for an appointment, follow the links on their website for contact details) and also, subject to some restrictions, purchased. A very small sample from this collection can also be listened to over the web at the DLI Museum website at: www.durham.gov.uk/dli

However, all regimental archive documents, photographs and records relating to the DLI are now held at the Durham County Record Office in Durham City rather than at the DLI Museum. Visit their site at: www.durham.gov.uk/recordoffice

Internet

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has a searchable database of all of the Commonwealth War Dead of both World Wars. The Roll of Honour for the 16th DLI on this site owes a massive amount to the information held by the CWGC. Visit their site at: www.cwgc.org

www.lightinfantry.org.uk This unofficial website covers all the former regiments of the British Army’s Light Infantry. Its extensive Guest Book archive is particularly valuable.

The English Light Infantry contains a good historical overview of all the English Light Infantry Regiments.

The Middlesborough Evening Gazette www.eveninggazette.co.uk

The Newcastle Evening Chronicle www.icnewcastle.co.uk

The Sunderland Echo www.sunderland-echo.co.uk

The Shields Gazette www.southtynesidetoday.co.uk

These local newspapers published many photographs of 16th DLI casualties and POWs in 1943-45 and I am most grateful to the editors of all four publications for their kind and prompt permission for me to use copies of these small dot portrait photographs on this site.

For more information on Thornley Colliery visit my companion site www.oldthornley.com Wheatley Hill is a neighbouring village with close ties to Thornley: www.wheatley-hill.org.uk is the site of the Wheatley Hill History Club, a thriving local history group. Also well worth visiting is www.wheatleyhill.com which has some excellent photographs of Thornley Colliery in its prime.

http://www.northirishhorse.net is an excellent site devoted to the North Irish Horse, a unit which played a very significant role in the Battle of Sedjenane. In July 2007 I created a Wikipedia article on Sedjenane. and hopefully others will gradually expand on this.

www.abebooks.com is a very efficient and easy way of obtaining rare second hand books via the Internet. www.medalsonline.co.uk www.militarybookworm.co.uk Medal and military book dealer David Collett has been an immense help to this project over the years, particularly regarding the gallantry awards research. Both of his sites are highly recommended.

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