Collection ASTON, SC - ASTON, Col Dr Stanley Collin (1915-1992)

Papers, photographs, publications and maps relating to Aston's service as General Staff Officer 2 (Intelligence), 121 Force in Operation IRONCLAD, the British capture, from the Vichy French, of Diego Suarez, Madagascar, May 1942, including typescript intelligence report entitled 'Special report on specified parts of Madagascar', prepared by the Inter Services Topographical Department, 24 Feb 1942, with printed street map of Antsirann, Diego Suarez, and 18 photographs of the topography and infrastructure of Madagascar, 1942; typescript 'Intelligence notes: Madagascar', War Office, 15 Mar 1942; typescript 'Operation IRONCLAD 121 Force operation order No 1', relating to the planned capture, by 121 Force, of Vichy French naval and air base at Thurso Bay, Madagascar, with typescript security instructions, 19 Mar 1942; typescript orders and instructions, landing tables and lists of French military and civilian personnel in Diego Suarez, Apr 1942; typescript memorandum on the interrogation of German prisoners and typescript interrogation reports on Germans and Italians, captured on Madagascar, Jun 1942; printed map of Majunga, Madagascar, annotated with positions of Vichy French defences, Jun 1942; one hundred and eighty eight photographs, some captioned, relating to Madagascar, 1942, notably Maj Gen Robert Grice Sturges, commanding Royal Marines Force, and Brig Francis Wogan Festing, commanding 29 Infantry Bde, Diego Suarez, 12 May 1942; R Adm (Edward) Neville Syfret, Flag Officer commanding Force H, in discussion with French officer, Diego Suarez, May 1942; the British amphibious landings at Tamatave, Sep 1942. Three photograph albums and two autograph books, originally belonging to Aston's stepmother, Sister L A Rowson, Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (Reserve), containing numerous autographs, poems and illustrations, and 335 photographs relating to Rowson's service in Salonika and Millbank Military Hospital, London, 1915-1919. Publications, photographs and maps relating to World War One, 1914-1918, originally the property of Lt A V Kidman, 513 Field Company, Royal Engineers, including one hundred captioned stereoscopic photographs of World War One, mostly relating to the Western Front, 1914-1918, with stereoscope photograph viewer [1918]; edition of Cavalry training 1912 (HMSO, London, 1916), Field Service Regulations. Part II, Organisation and Administration (HMSO, London, 1916), and Engineer Field Manual (US Government Printing Office, Washington DC, USA, 1917); one printed trench map of Neuville Vitasse, France, May 1918, and one printed map of Belgium and France, Nov 1918. Seventeen, mostly official, publications produced in the UK and France, 1938-1944, notably restricted pamphlets 1-4 of the 'Manual of Military Intelligence in the field', War Office, 1938-1939; four editions of La France Libre, Feb-Jun 1942; The Royal Marines. The Admiralty account of their achievement 1939-1943 (HMSO, London, 1944).