Showing 11 results

Unpublished account by Macleod entitled 'A secret service agent in South-West Africa: Ironside's story as told to me and from notes he left behind', detailing the service of FM (William) Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron of Archangel and Ironside, as a British agent in South Africa, German South West Africa and British Bechuanaland, 1902-1904, including the search for outlaw Boers north of the Orange River, 1902-1903, the Bondelzwart and Hereros Rising in German South West Africa, 1903-1904, Ironside's covert conscription into the German army disguised as a Boer transport driver, 1904. 1 vol.

Account by Macleod entitled 'Edmund Ironside, Field-Marshal and Baron, GCB, CMG, DSO: High points in his career', notably his service as Chief of the Imperial General Staff during the early stages of World War Two, Sep 1939-May 1940. 21pp.

Account by Macleod entitled 'The story of the Fourth Army and its part in the Deception Operation to cover the Normandy landing', detailing his role as commander of the fictional army, designed, by means of wireless traffic, to confuse the Germans into believing firstly (Mar 1944) that an invasion of Norway was planned, secondly (May 1944) that the Normandy landings were a feint to cover a main attack on the Pas de Calais, France, and lastly (Aug 1944) that 4 Army was intending to attack the Low Countries. 11pp.

Account by Macleod entitled 'Why was Passchendale fought?', giving a narrative of events during 1917, and the political and military background to the battle. 7pp.

Unpublished volume containing extracts of letters from FM Sir (William) Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron of Archangel and Ironside, to Macleod, 1931-1959, linked by narrative and biographical material provided by Macleod, notably Ironside's descriptions of German army manoevres, Sep 1937, including a meeting with Hitler and an account of the final march in Berlin, Germany; his appointment as Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Sep 1939; the opening stages of World War Two, and his dealings with, and assessment of the character of, the Rt Hon Leslie Hore-Belisha, Secretary of State for War; British involvement in the Finnish-Russian War, Nov 1939-Mar 1940; reflections on the lessons learnt during the early campaigns of World War Two; views on the future of the British army, written in 1955; the writing of a book by Macleod on the early stages of World War Two, using Ironside's diaries as a reference, 1957; the death of Ironside, 1959. Appendices include confidential reports made upon Ironside while serving as Maj Gen, Lt Gen and Gen; letters from the Rt Hon Neville Chamberlain, the Rt Hon Robert Anthony Eden, the Rt Hon Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill and William Maxwell Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook, on Ironside's vacating of the post of Commander in Chief Home Forces; a letter from Macleod to Gen Sir Ian Jacob concerning inaccuracies in the radio programme Dunkirk, broadcast on 8 Jun 1958. Includes several passages which were removed from the copy of this volume sent by Macleod to Capt Basil Henry Liddell Hart, and kept within the latter's papers at the Centre (Ref: LH 15/14/9). 1 vol.

Letters and papers extracted from 2/2/1, notably a letter from André Maurois laying out his ideas for a plan of federation after the war, 15 Apr 1940; newspaper cuttings of a series of letters to the Daily Telegraph concerning The Private Papers of Hore-Belisha (Collins, London, 1960) by Rubeigh James Minney, by Macleod, Anthony Gibbs, Brig Ridley Pakenham Pakenham-Walsh, and Capt Basil Henry Liddell Hart, mainly concerning claims made about the working relationships between the Rt Hon Leslie Hore-Belisha, FM Sir (William) Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron of Archangel and Ironside, and FM John Standish Surtees Prendergast Vereker, 1st Viscount Gort, during the early stages of World War Two; various letters to Pakenham-Walsh, including one from the Rt Hon Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, 25 Aug 1945. 1 file, 16 items.

Letter from Macleod to Col Kenneth Garside, Librarian, King's College London, relating to books by Laurence Thompson - 1940 - Year of Legend, Year of History,(Collins, London, 1966) - and Douglas Clark - Three Days to Catastophe, (Hammond, London, 1966) - both of which he considered misrepresented the role of FM Sir (William) Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron of Archangel and Ironside, during the early stages of World War Two. Includes a review of the former book, seeking to refute some of the claims made. 7pp.

Papers relating to Macleod's career, [1965-1984] notably two copies of an unpublished memoir by Macleod, entitled 'An Artillery Officer in the First World War'; accounts by Macleod of the political and military background to the Battle of Passchendaele (Third Ypres), 1917, and of his command during World War Two of a deception operation by the fictional 4 Army to distract attention from the Normandy landings of 1944, [1966-1984]. Papers relating to the life and career of FM Sir (William) Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron Ironside of Archangel and Ironside, notably the unpublished volumes 'A secret service agent in South West Africa', detailing his service as a British agent in German South-West Africa, 1902-1904, and 'Ironside's letters to Col R Macleod', 1931-1959, with enclosures, [1965]; an account by Macleod of significant episodes of Ironside's career, and a review of Laurence Thompson's 1940 - Year of Legend, Year of History (Collins, London, 1960).

Unpublished memoir by Macleod, entitled 'An Artillery Officer in the First World War', notably his experiences in Ireland before the outbreak of war, including his participation in the Curragh incident, Mar 1914; the retreat from Mons and the Battle of Le Cateau, in which Macleod was wounded, Aug 1914; the Western Front, including the Battles of Neuve Chappelle, Mar 1915, second Ypres, Apr-May 1915, Festubert, May 1915, and Aubers Ridge, May 1915; service as Liaison Officer between 4 Army artillery and 4 Bde, Royal Flying Corps, Jul 1916-Mar 1917; his command of C Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, 241 Bde, Royal Field Artillery, at the third Battle of Ypres (Passchendale), Jul 1917, and Vimy Ridge, Apr 1917; service on the Asiago Plateau, Italy, Apr-Dec 1918; appendices including a speech on the 'Old Contemptibles' by Lt Col Sloane Stanley; a list of the officers of C Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, 241 Bde, Royal Field Artillery, at Ypres, Vimy Ridge and Italy; a list of officers of 15 Bde, Royal Field Artillery, lost during the retreat from Mons; extracts from letters from Macleod to his father on the subject of 'Art of war - elementary principles' and 'Offensive and defensive in war'. There are two typewritten copies of this memoir; the first, obviously an earlier copy, is annotated by Macleod, and the second contains maps and diagrams. 2 vols.