Digest of transcripts

In the Northcroft collection this group of documents is labelled the Digest of the Transcripts of Proceedings. It is alternately known as the Narrative Summary of the Record. In fact, in most collections it is referred to as the Narrative Summary. This is a 16 volume set (6261 pages) which provides a daily summary of events found in the Transcripts. It often includes exhibit numbers and summaries of the evidence presented to the IMTFE. Each page is given a heading which states the date (e.g. June 2, 1947), the phase (e.g. Defence – Division IV – Russia), and the associated counsel (e.g. Blakeney – Direct) of the IMTFE. This is a useful tool for understanding the general structure of the trial, particularly of the arguments and phases presented by both sides involved. Because it does not include the Prosecution and Defence summations, or the reading of the Judgment the Digest is incomplete. However, it does span from the beginning of the trial until the last admittance of evidence (Exhibit 3915). Nearing the end of Volume 15 of the Digest, the page numeration becomes skewed. In the original, there is a jump from 6095 to 6906 in one page. This is likely a typographical error. However, from that point forward, the numbers follow this new (erroneous?) pattern. In other words, Volume 15 includes two parts: 1) Pages 5601 – 6095, and 2) Pages 6906 – 6937. Confusing matters even further, someone has corrected the “typo” with an overlaid new ink-written page sequence. This gives the second section of Volume 15 two sets of page numbers. The original lists pages 6906 – 6937. The amended version lists pages 6095 – 6137. This practise is not continued in Volume 16. Its page numbers stretch from 6938 – 7071. In terms of the actual length of the entire set of the Digest, and in continuing the “corrected” version of the page numbers from Volume 15, Volume 16 could alternately be paginated 6128 – 6261. The table below records the page numbers in their original, if incorrect, format. Volume 15 is thus labelled 5601 – 6937 and Volume 16 is labelled 6938 – 7071.