Papers of Sir Frank Cooper, 1953-1999, primarily relating to his service as Permanent Under Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office, 1973-1976, as Permanent Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence, 1976-1982, and post retirement, 1983-1999. The papers include correspondence, articles, press cuttings, press releases, reports, speeches, interviews and conference papers on a variety of topics including: the Air Ministry in the 1950s and 1960s, including the Suez War and Operation MUSKETEER, 1956; the political situation in Northern Ireland, 1973-1976; the Falklands War, 1981-1982, particularly the reaction of the Ministry of Defence and of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and the sinking of the Argentinean cruiser BELGRANO; the Civil Service, including relationships with the Government, structural reorganisations, Parliamentary Committees and policy making; the Ministry of Defence, including the Defence budget, management policy and accountability, the civilian contribution to the MoD, the relationships between defence procurement, industry and the economy; wider defence issues including the relationships between Britain, Europe, America and NATO, the importance of research and development collaboration, arms sales, the Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI), the European aerospace industry, American protectionism and technology transfer; British nuclear weapons policy, nuclear deterrence and disarmament, ATBM (anti tactical ballistic missile) defences and the management of the Trident, Polaris and Chevaline projects; British and French maritime forces; and Westland Helicopters PLC, including correspondence from Cooper's time as Director (1982-1985) and parliamentary reports relating to the sale of the company. Also papers relating to projects and study groups including the Joint Study of European Cooperative Measures for Aeronautical Research and Technology (EUROMART), 1978-1991; the EUREKA research and development programme, 1985-1986; EUROGROUP, 1982; the Foundation for International Security, 1984-1990; the British Rocketry Oral History Project, 1997-1998; the Defence Study Group of the Institute for European Defence and Strategic Studies, 1988-1990; and the Institute for Defence Procurement Studies, 1989-1990. Photographs of the Chiefs of Staff Committee in session, 1965-1977 and the Falklands War, 1982, including Royal Marines progressing through Port Stanley, surrendering Argentinean soldiers and piles of surrendered Argentinean weapons. Prints Ulster Impressions by Joan Wanklyn, 1974, RAF Aldergrove by Ken Howard, 1975 and The Great White Whale by Ronald Dean, depicting the SS CANBERRA, 1982.

Papers and publications of Maj Gen Edward Fursdon, 1942-2000. Material relating to Fursdon's career in the Royal Engineers including: research on Army equipment inventions, 1942-1960; orders, instructions, reports, staff lists, duties, returns and aquisitions logs for Headquarters, 19 Infantry Brigade, Operation MUSKETEER, Port Said, Egypt, 1956; The Assault River Crossing in Nuclear War , a dramatic dialogue by Fursdon, 1959; research and reports produced for the War Office Working Party on Infantry Field Defences, 1958-1960; report by Fursdon on an Explosives Course arranged by the Swedish Army at Gyttorp, May-Jun 1960; papers and photographs relating to Operation VANTAGE, Kuwait, Jul-Oct 1961; report by Fursdon on reconnaissance for Exercise VIKING WAY: The Randsfjord Road Project, Norway, 1969; photographs of Royal Engineer activities including the 34 Independent Field Squadron, Kenya, 1961; training including demolitions course, Sweden, 1960; trials, equipment and experiments including trials of digging machines, Sept 1958; explosive and drill excavation; design and materials for battle shelters and mobile roadblocks.

Papers on academic topics including research and interviews for Fursdon's MLitt thesis The European Defence Community Experience: Relevance and Failure, 1950-1989 ; and report entitled MBFR (mutual and balanced force reductions) Talks: the Preliminaries and the First Half Year , 1974.

Papers relating to Fursdon's activities as a journalist including original drafts and cuttings of articles written for various publications including The Daily Telegraph , 1980-1986; Army Quarterly , 1948-1998; Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter , 1982-1995; Navy International , 1986-1994; Salut: Journal of the South African National Defence Force , 1995-2000.

Audio cassette tapes of radio interviews and programmes, 1980-1994, including interviews with Fursdon on the Falklands War for the British Forces Broadcasting Service and BBC World-at-One, 1982; interviews with Fursdon on the aftermath of the Falklands War for Radio Kent, Radio Devon and the British Forces Broadcasting Service, 1988; Fursdon speaking on National Service for the British Forces Broadcasting Service, nd, and on conscription for LBC, London, nd; interviews conducted by Fursdon including with a Swedish Defence Official, 1982 and with Captain Rod Bell on the Falklands War, 1982; a programme on Iraq for the BBC World Service, 1991.

Research files (including press cuttings, field notebooks, photographs, press releases, correspondence, publicity material and maps) relating to the Iran Iraq war, 1980-1985, including photographs taken during Fursdon's time as a reporter embedded with the Iraqi Army showing: British, American and Soviet tanks, armoured personnel carriers and self propelled guns captured from Iran on display in Baghdad; captured Iranian mine clearing tanks, small arms, mines and other weaponry; an Iranian POW camp, Ramadi; desert battlefields north-east of Basra; Iraqi artillery deployed near border east of Basra; Maj Gen Maher Abed Al-Rashid, Commander 3 Iraqi Corps; Qasr-e-Ahirin, Iran; the battle for Khorramshahr docks, Shatt-al-Arab, Iran; Khorramshahr City, Iran, after capture; oil fires at Abadan, Iran; the first battle of the Howzeh (Al-Hawzah) Marshes at Al-Baydha; troops of the Presidential Guard Special Forces; Iranian attack craft and rubber assault boats; wounded cattle; village women waiting to be evacuated; Carol Jerome, Canadian journalist; Iraqi war memorial and military museum, Baghdad; and the aftermath of the Battle of Al-Azair, Iraq.

Research files (including press cuttings, field notebooks, photographs, press releases, correspondence, publicity material and maps) relating to topics including: the Falklands War and aftermath, 1982-1997; the first Gulf War, 1990; the Bosnian and Kosovan Wars and their aftermath, 1992-2000; post-war Europe, including the fall of the Iron Curtain, peacekeeping and arms control, 1979-1998; the 15th and 20th National Day of Oman, 1985 and 1990; the 50th anniversary of NATO, 1999; Northern Ireland, 1981; the Far East Pilgrimage Remembrance Trip to Burma, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, 1985; the European Defence Community, 1990; British Military Advisory and Training Team, Namibia, 1991; Swedish Naval Forces, 1992, Army Cadet Force Association, 1992; Royal Air Force Red Arrows, 1995; Reserve Forces Act and the Territorial Army, 1996; Royal Air Force Innsworth, 1996; Royal Navy and Marine Reserves, 1996; University Air Squadrons, 1997; University Royal Navy Units (URNUS), 1997; Royal Air Force Cadets (ATC), 1997; University Officer Training Corps, 1997; Army Cadet Force, 1997; Royal Navy Sea Cadets, 1997; Royal Navy and Royal Marines Combined Cadet Force, 1997; Boer War Centenary, 1997; Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, 1998; Royal Marines, 1998; Women in the Armed Forces, 1998; Joint Service Diving, 1998; Royal Air Force St Mawgan and Exercise BRILLIANT FOIL, 1998; simulation of battle including Direct Fire Weapons Effects Simulation (DFWES) and tactical engagement systems (TES) equipment, 1998; 21st Century Warfare, 1999; Joint Force 2000, 1999; Defence Systems and Equipment, 1999; Royal Air Force Kinloss, 1999; Royal Engineers Combat Engineer School, 1999; the efforts of HMS OCEAN and Commando Brigade to provide assistance following Hurricane Mitch, Honduras, 1999; The Regular Commissions Board, 1999; Army Air Corps, 1999; Army School of Logistics, Deepcut, and School of Army Catering, Aldershot, 2000; Defence Animal Centre, 2000; British Army Training Unit, Canada, 2000; Royal Military Police Training School, Chichester, 2000; 'Soaring and Sailing into the Next Millennium', Royal Navy and Royal Air Force potential future ships and aircraft, 2000.

The collection includes approximately 450 of Fursdon's collected books, journals, pamphlets and brochures on military topics.

Papers of AM Tim Garden, 1982-2006, including transcripts of lectures by Garden, 1982-2002; articles by Garden, 1984-2005 and papers reflecting his research on the Falklands War; Kosovo; Iraq; Iran; Afghanistan; nuclear weapons; Northern Ireland; military capabilities in Europe; NATO and the European Union. Papers include press cuttings, articles, correspondence, draft papers pamphlets and other published material.

Papers of Sir David Ramsbotham, including reports, correspondence, photographs, lecture texts, press cuttings and ephemera, relating to his career, 1974-1995.Papers relating to Northern Ireland including Northern Ireland intelligence summaries, 22 Mar-11 Aug 1978; reports including report on 2nd Bn, Royal Green Jackets, Northern Ireland operations, Nov 1974-Feb 1975 and related correspondence; report on the organisation and operation of Bn search teams, 8 Aug 1974; report to Brigadier Ramsbotham from J.H. Dunlop on the subject of education in Belfast, 7 Jan 1980; 'Report on the situation in Belfast as at 14 July 1980'; report by Ramsbotham while commanding 39th Infantry Brigade to Major General Glover Commander Land Forces Northern Ireland, 15 Jul 1980 and situation report 39th Infantry Bde, Belfast, July 1980; training notes and reports; operation statistics, 6 Dec 1978-5 Dec 1979; papers relating to riot and crowd control in Northern Ireland, 19 Sep 1978; correspondence, 1971-1993, including two letters from Dervla Murphy Oct and Dec 1987; transcripts and notes for lectures on 2nd Bn, The Royal Green Jackets' time in Ireland between 1 Nov 1974 and 28 Feb 1975 and press cuttings and articles on Northern Ireland, 1971-1990.Papers relating to the Falkland Islands including detailed account of Ramsbotham's tour, 23 Jun-1 Jul 1982; photographs; related press cuttings and notes on a 1989 visit.Transcripts of speeches by Ramsbotham on defence and peacekeeping, 1982-1995; transcripts of speeches on military subjects by various speakers, 1982-1995; articles relating to defence 1959-1989; articles and talks by FM Lord Carver 1971-1996; papers relating to HRH Silver Jubilee review of the Army 1977; papers relating to official visits; papers relating to the United Nations, 1993-1997; booklets on military subjects, 1962-1995 and memoranda and copies of articles on defence and the media, 1982-1985.Photographs including of the Falkland Islands visit; the opening of the Adjutant General Information Centre; Ramsbotham's early career; presentation of the Imperial Service medal to June Small; visit to the Guides Infantry; visit to the USA; visit to the UNISYS International management centre; visiting troops during winter training; visits by Col Gen Omelichev to Winchester and Winchester Cathedral; meeting soldiers on patrol; official visits in Germany; on exercise Lone Star; visiting commonwealth troops in India and Africa and a visit to Gibraltar.