Copies of papers and photographs relating to Hobbs' career, 1888-1912, including eighteen manuscript letters home from Singapore, 1892, and from the Sudan, 1897-1900. Correspondence, newspaper cuttings, obituaries and records of service, 1888-1912, including newspaper cuttings relating to the campaign in the Sudan, 1897-1898, notably the Battle of Omdurman, Sep 1898, and manuscript letter to Hobbs from Col Sir (Francis) Reginald Wingate, Sirdar of the Egyptian Army, on Hobbs' resignation from the Egyptian Army, 5 Nov 1901. Thirty photographs, [1888]-1908, notably the officers of HMS MERCURY, 1893, and soldiers of 11 Sudanese Bn, Sudan, 1902.

Three scrapbooks containing newspaper and magazine cuttings, invitations, envelopes, menus, postcards, programmes, telegrams and correspondence, 1839-1906, notably including manuscript orders for Keppel, commanding Nile flotilla, from Lt Col Francis Reginald Wingate, ordering HM Gunboats SULTAN and ABU KLEA to Fashoda, Sudan, and for Keppel to communicatethe intentions of any Europeans found there to Maj Gen Sir Horatio Herbert Kitchener, Sirdar of Egyptian Army, 18 Sep 1898; cuttings from The Illustrated London News, The Daily Graphic, The Navy and Army Illustrated, Black and White and The Penny Illustrated Paper, mostly relating to the Nile Expedition, 1885, the Sudan campaign, 1898, including the Fashoda incident, Sudan, Sep 1898;invitations and envelopes addressed to Keppel's father, Capt Hon Henry Keppel, RN, 1839-1856. Three photograph albums with 454 photographs relating to Keppel's career, 1888-1913, including service on HMS ALEXANDRA, Mediterranean, 1888-1889; the loss of HMS SULTAN, run aground, Comino Channel, Malta, 1889; RN Gunboats on the river Nile, 1897-1898; the launch of HMSDREADNOUGHT, Portsmouth, 1906; Keppel's service as Commodore of the Royal Yachts, 1905-1909; the funeral of HM King Edward VII, 1910; the coronation of HM King George V, 1911; Keppel's command of HMS MEDINA on voyage to India with HM King George V for the King Emperor's Durbar, Delhi, 1911; Royal visit to Berlin and Potsdam, Germany, 1913. Typescript volume entitled 'Reminiscences of Admiral Sir Colin Keppel GCVO KCIE CB DSO. Collected from his diary' by Rt Hon Sir Algernon Edward West [1947].

Letters relating to the South African War received by Gen Hon Reginald Arthur James Talbot and other members of the Talbot family, [1899]-1901, including letters from Lyttelton and Maj Gen Edward Stuart Wortley, dated [1899]-1901, describing operations in Natal, 1899-1900, and Transvaal, 1900-1901, and operations against Gen Christian Rudolf De Wet. Copies ofletters from Lyttelton to his wife and family, 1899-1916, notably covering his service in South Africa, 1899-1904, his work as Chief of General Staff and First Military Member of the Army Council, 1904-1908, and as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, 1908-1912. Copies of seven letters from Talbot to Katherine Lyttelton, 1900-1906, mainly concerning his command of the army of occupation, Egypt,1900-1903, and Lyttelton's military career, 1900-1906.

The collection covers Pyman's career from 1937 until 1963 when he suffered a severe stroke which forced his retirement in 1964. The earliest papers date from Pyman's work with the Royal Tank Cadre in converting the 17/21 Lancers from a cavalry to an armoured regiment. There are also papers from Pyman's period as an instructor at the Staff College in Quetta, India, 1939-1941. Pyman was involved in the World War Two campaigns by the 8 Army in the Western Desert, in 1941 as General Staff Officer with 7 Armoured Div, 30 Corps and in 1942-1943 as Commander of the 3 Royal Tank Regiment, 10 Armoured Div, 30 Corps. The papers consist mostly of Pyman's assessments of lessons learned from the ongoing campaigns particularly with regard to tanks and armoured units. In 1944-1945 Pyman was Brigidier General Staff, 30 Corps, 2 Army in the Normandy landings and the invasion of Northern Europe, with particular responsibility for organisation and planning of the Rhine crossing and advance to the Baltic. This is reflected in the papers which largely consist of planning studies and reports for the operations involved, this section also contains maps used in the campaign. Pyman's next appointment was as Chief of General Staff, Allied Land Forces, South East Asia, 1945-1946 which is documented by a series of diaries which reflect the tasks faced by Pyman in this command including dealing with the build up of tension between newly liberated former colonies keen to assert their right for independence and the former colonial powers such as France and Netherlands. Pyman spent 1946-1949 as Chief of Staff, Middle East Land Forces and kept monthly diaries which form the bulk of this section of the collection. The diary entries and additional papers reflect the debate over policy in the Middle East in the British Government and Military command, they include detail on the British withdrawal from Greece, the problem of illegal Jewish immigrants and their internment in Cyprus, the end of the British mandate in Palestine and the the effect of this on relations between Britain with Egypt and the other Arab states and the subsequent Arab Israeli conflict. This section of the collection also contains correspondence between Pyman and Maj Gen Sir Miles Christopher Dempsey on personal matters and on the Middle East. There are also papers from Pyman's work at the Ministry of Supply as Director General of Fighting Vehicles, 1951-1953, Director of Weapons Development, War Office, 1955-1956 mostly brief diary entries and lecture texts. Pyman was also General Officer Commanding, British Army on the Rhine, 1953-1955 and General Officer Commanding, 1 British Corps, 1956-1958 and the papers relating to these commands consist mostly of lectures, reports and directives reflecting his interest in armoured divisions and training. There are some papers, mostly personal correspondence and press cuttings, from Pyman's final command as Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Northern Europe in North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The collection also contains correspondence relating to Pyman's role as Colonel Commandant of the Royal Tank Regiment and The Royal Armoured Corps and a series of letters covering the reorganisation of the Berks and Westminster Dragoons, of which he was Honorary Colonel. The rest of the collection consists of diaries, correspondence, speeches, writings including the draft copy and papers relating to his autobiography, some preparatory work on a history of the 2 Army and reference works. The collection also includes the Boer War diaries and other papers of Col James Redmond Patrick Gordon who commanded the 1 Cavalry Bde of the South African Field Force 1900-1901 which were given to Pyman by a friend.

Photocopies of correspondence and photographs, taken from five albums, relating to Sclater's career, 1898-1927, including letter from FM Sir (Henry) Evelyn Wood, Adjutant General to the Forces, confirming Sclater's appointment as Bde Maj, Aldershot, 1898; seventeen copies of photographs and nine sketch maps relating to the Second Boer War, South Africa, 1899-1902, including photographs of Bloemfontein and Brandfort, Orange Free State, and sketch maps of the Battles of Modder River, Nov 1899 and Paardeberg Drift, Feb 1900; two photographs of the 13 pounder Quick Fire gun, newly issued to the Royal Horse Artillery, 1904; letter from Lt Col Rt Hon Arthur John Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham, thanking Sclater for congratulatory letter on the award of a peerage to Stamfordham, 1911; three photographs of Indian Army sepoys, 1912; correspondence, 1912- 1917, including letters relating to recruitment, military inspections and the availability of manpower from FM Sir John Denton Pinkstone French, Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces, Feb 1917, Gen Sir (Henry Macleod) Leslie Rundle, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, Feb-May 1916, and Lt Gen Sir (Cecil Frederick) Nevil Macready, Adjutant General to the Forces, Jul 1917; letter to Slater from Gen Sir (Francis) Reginald Wingate, relating to riots in Egypt, Jun 1920; letter to Sclater from Lt Gen Sir George Fletcher MacMunn, Quartermaster General, India, dated Jun 1921, relating to the political and military situation in India, particularly in the aftermath of the massacre of 479 Indian civilians by troops of the Indian Army, commanded by Brig Gen Reginald Edward Harry Dyer, Amritsar, Punjab, Apr 1919; printed obituary of Sclater [1927].