Students’ research around Second World War diaries leads to film screening and exhibition at UoG

New research and a short film produced by History students to be screened at a public exhibition at University of Gloucestershire will provide an extraordinary insight into the daily life of a British army officer during the Second World War.

Students Aimee Dorrington, Layla Harrison and David Morgan from the University’s BA (Hons) History programme studied the private diaries of Denis Gibbs, an officer in the Royal Corps of Signals in the Second World War who served in North Africa and Italy between 1943 and 1945.

Written primarily for Denis’ wife, Eileen, and discovered by his family when he died, the diaries detail his war-time experiences and offer a unique perspective for current generations to reflect on 80 years later.

Mentored by academic experts, the students have produced a short film revealing what they discovered from their research, which will be screened at a public exhibition featuring Second World War items at the University’s Francis Close Hall Campus in Cheltenham on Wednesday, 19 June (2pm to 6pm).

The Private Diaries of Denis Gibbs: Film Screening and Exhibition is free to attend, but places must be booked in advance.

The project was part of a second-year History module looking at History in Practice, where students have an opportunity to work on exhibitions and local history research projects, which are showcased on the Cotswold Centre for History and Heritage website, or a career-related placement.

Dr Christian O’Connell, Senior Lecturer in History, said: “We’re proud of the diligence, focus and sensitivity that Aimee, Layla and David have shown in drawing on their research to produce an immensely thought-provoking and informative short film about the private diaries of Denis Gibbs.

“We’re extremely grateful to the family of Denis Gibbs for sharing the diaries with the University to allow our students to tell his story and gain vital experience of documenting evidence from an important primary source.

“We’d also like to thank Denis’ son Peter and his wife Merle for giving up their time on a frequent basis to share memories of his father with our students for their research.

“We’re very much looking forward to welcoming guests to the film screening and exhibition on 19 June where they will gain new insights into the daily life of an officer in the Second World War, have an opportunity meet the family of Denis Gibbs, and find out more about the research projects and practical work our students carry out to enhance their academic learning.”

Understanding how digital stories are made

Student Layla Harrison said: “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.

“The project has allowed us to develop a unique relationship with Denis’ son and daughter-in-law, Peter and Merle, through our weekly meetings to discover who he was, and to allow us to tell his story accurately and respectfully to the best of our ability.

“We meticulously transcribed the diaries, which took about 30 hours, in order to make them more accessible, and we’re hoping to publish this work later in the year.

“Our 10-minute film documenting Denis’ war experiences elaborates on the historical significance of his writings. Forty hours in the editing rooms were required to put his story together frame by frame, learning how to use editing software and understanding how digital stories and television shows are made.

“We were very lucky to have many of our friends assist us on this project, providing voiceovers and keeping us motivated. Despite the long days, we loved every second of this project and would gladly do it again.”

Main image: left to right, History students Aimee Dorrington, Layla Harrison and David Morgan who researched the private diaries of Denis Gibbs, an officer in the Royal Corps of Signals in the Second World War who served in North Africa and Italy between 1943 and 1945