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Manuscript diary outlining meetings and conferences attended by Pyman and action taken, relating to Operation PLUNDER, the northern crossing of the Rhine at Rheinberg, Xanten and Rees by 21 Army Group, 24 Mar 1945, Operation VERITABLE, the 1 Canadian Army attack from Nijmegen area Feb-Mar 1945, Operation BLACKCOCK, the attack by the British 12 Corps in Roermond triangle, north of Aachen, Jan 1945, the Battle of the Rhine, Mar 1945 including interleaved memoranda, notes and other papers relating to the planning of operations. With letters from (acting) Maj Alan Jolly and FM Alan Francis Brooke, 1st Baron Alanbrooke of Brookeborough; and paper relating to the nomination of FM Bernard Law Montgomery as a new Colonel Commandant of the Royal Tank Regiment and the request for those currently in office to be replaced due to their lack of operational command in World War Two. 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman relating to the progress of Operation EPILOGUE, the reduction of forces in South East Asia Command and return of troops to their countries of origin and peacetime stations; plan for withdrawal from Netherlands East Indies; letter to Pyman from Japanese Gen Itagaki Seishiro thanking him for his assistance prior to departure of the Japanese from Singapore; arrangements for evacuation of Japanese Service Personnel from Netherlands East Indies; conflict over policy in Sumatra between Supreme Allied Commander AF Louis (Francis Albert Victor Nicholas) Mountbatten and Allied Land Forces South East Asia (ALFSEA) Commander-in-Chief, Maj Gen Sir Miles Christopher Dempsey; précis of talk by Pyman on future policy in Java and Sumatra and the problems caused by the failure of the Dutch and Indonesians to reach a settlement; copy of letter from Dempsey to Pyman after his departure relating to their service together; arrangements for safeguarding the Anglo-Dutch oil refinery at Palembang, Sumatra. With map showing ALFSEA troop deployment up to 17 May 1946. 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman relating to future troop deployments in of Allied Land Forces South East Asia (ALFSEA); possible administrative structures for Singapore, Malaya, Burma, Hong Kong after the departure of Allied troops; plans for Operation EPILOGUE, the reduction of forces in South East Asia Command and return of troops to their countries of origin and peacetime stations; summary of the military situation in Netherlands East Indies, Jan 1946; memorandum from Supreme Allied Commander AF Louis (Francis Albert Victor Nicholas) Mountbatten on future British policy in Netherlands East Indies. Typescript 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman relating to the planning for operations in the South East Asia area including Operation ZIPPER, the planned invasion of Malaya, and development of area in preparation for advance south to Singapore; the arrangements for the Japanese surrender; the seizure of Japanese weapons by the Indonesians in Java and relations with the Dutch; the conflict between the French and the Vietnamese in French Indo-China; the future of the Malaya - Siam railway; progress of operations in Burma, Malaya, Netherlands East Indies, Siam, French Indo-China . With maps showing Allied Land Forces South East Asia (ALFSEA) deployment 6, 13, 20, 27 Sep, 4, 11, 18 Oct 1945; copy of letter by Pyman to Maj Gen Sir Miles Christopher Dempsey relating to his promotion to Commander-in-Chief ALFSEA and the machinery of command in Kandy, Ceylon. 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman relating to the possibility of Allied Land Forces South East Asia (ALFSEA) being ordered to capture Java; relationship between South East Asia and India theatres; the progress of operations throughout the area; the arrangements for the handover of French Indo-China from the British to the French. With maps showing ALFSEA deployments, 1 Nov, 8 Nov, 15 Nov. Typescript, 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman with memoranda, telegrams and copy correspondence, including minutes of Chief of Staff's meetings; plans and directives for exercise QUICKMARCH, a plan for an invasion of Italy; notes on Jewish illegal immigrant camps in Cyprus and shipping of immigrants from Palestine; papers relating to the termination of the British Military Mission to Egypt by the Egyptian government; papers relating to Operation PREFACE, the planned layout of infantry battalions in the Middle East, excluding Greece, Jan - Sep 1947; notes and typescript paper on future weapons; letter to Pyman from AF Louis (Francis Albert Victor Nicholas) Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten Of Burma, Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia relating to his draft despatch; paper on the responsibilities of military commanders for civil authorities within Middle East Land Forces (MELF) area; paper outlining strength and location of troops and administrative arrangements in each country in the MELF area. 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman with memoranda, telegrams and copy correspondence, including minutes of Chief of Staff's meetings; various papers relating to the early withdrawal from Palestine; signal message on Egyptian police strike; papers relating to unrest in the former Italian colonies of Ogaden (South East Ethiopia), Eritrea and Somaliland and the possibility and probable result of returning the colonies to Italian control; paper by Pyman on the 'Process and fundamentals of military planning' with reference to Operation QUICKMARCH, a plan for an invasion of Italy; paper entitled 'Basic facts in the settlement of the ex-Italian colonies from the Middle East viewpoint'; note of telephone conversation between Pyman, Chief of Staff and Lieut Gen Sir Frank Simpson, Vice Chief of the General Staff relating to the intensification of violence in Palestine; paper recommending withdrawal from the Jerusalem garrison in Palestine; message from War Office to General Headquarters Middle East Land Forces (MELF) refusing to allow early withdrawal from Jerusalem; letter from Pyman to Gen Sir John Tredinnick Crocker, Commander-in-Chief, MELF outlining planned troop movements. 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman with memoranda, telegrams and copy correspondence, including minutes of Chief of Staff's meetings; record of meeting between Sidky Pasha, the Egyptian Prime Minister and the, [ACM Sir Charles Edward Hasting Medhurst], Air Commander-in-Chief in Cairo relating to the use of Egypt as a British base; signals from Maj Gen John Bagot Glubb (Glubb Pasha), Chief of General Staff, the Arab Legion, Transjordon relating to the armistice between the Arab League and the Jewish forces and the forced surrender of several Palestinian villages; proposal for composition of field forces and order of battle for the Egyptian Army; paper on 'Future of Eritrea' outlining relevant text from diplomatic telegrams; paper entitled 'New dispositions of Arab Legion and Iraqi army in Palestine and Transjordan'; paper entitleed 'Israel - Transjordan armistice' outlining the conditions of the armistice and the resulting new boundaries; notes on technical talks between the Egyptian authorities and the British services; notes consisting of summaries of diplomatic telegrams on Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, Akaba and Transjordan, Ex-Italian colonies and the Syrian coup d'etat; paper describing the planned strategy in the Middle East Region in the case of another war breaking out, possibly with Russia; Pyman's notes for meeting on the reorganisation of the higher command in Middle East Land Forces (MELF) with diagrams; draft letter from Gen Sir John Tredinnick Crocker, Commander-in-Chief, MELF to, Gen Sir Kenneth Noel Crawford, Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff on the reorganisation of the system of command in MELF. 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman with memoranda, telegrams and copy correspondence, including minutes of Chief of Staff's meetings; papers relating to future order of battle and manpower; paper entitled 'Settlement of Libya' including the terms of the Italian peace treaty, the attitude of foreign parties in the settlement of Libya and the forms of settlement; conference papers relating to Palestine and to the reduction of troops under British military command in Egypt; copy of letter to Gen Sir John Tredinnick Crocker, Commander-in-Chief, Middle East Land Forces (MELF) from Gen Sir Alan Gordon Cunningham, High Commissioner for Palestine regarding the question of Martial Law in Palestine; Pyman's notes on a visit to Greece and the work of the British Military Mission there; paper listing the decisions given by FM Bernard Law Montgomery 1st Viscount Montgomery Of Alamein, Chief Of The Imperial General Staff on MELF size and composition of British forces, location of Headquarters, surplus stores; copy of correspondence between Pyman and Maj Gen Alfred Dudley Ward, Director of Military Operations regarding the problem of illegal Jewish immigrants, the American Joint Distribution Committee and the internment of the Jews in Cyprus; papers on the command organisation in the Middle East and the future location of MELF General Headquarters and MEDME [Mediterranean Middle East] General Headquarters. 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman with memoranda, telegrams and copy correspondence, including minutes of Chief of Staff's meetings; papers relating to the future of the former Italian colonies and the possibility of their return to Italian trusteeship; text of talk by Pyman on a visit by the Imperial Defence College relating to the recent events in the Middle East and the impact of these on British strategy in the Middle East; paper surveying current affairs and future trends in the Middle East; paper on defence co-ordination in the Far East; papers relating to SANDOWN, an outline operational and administrative plan for the defence of the Middle East and control of Middle East communications in the event of hostilities breaking out between Russia and the Allied forces. 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman with memoranda, telegrams and copy correspondence including the Gen Sir Miles Christopher Dempsey, Commander in Chief's first agenda for Middle East Land Forces, Pyman's summary of situation in the area upon his arrival in Cairo, Egypt. With brief notes for Lieut Gen Sir Frank Simpson, Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff on all countries in the theatre. 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman with memoranda, telegrams and copy correspondence, including minutes of Chief of Staff's meetings; Pyman's comments on the possibility of locating General Headquarters in Kenya; various papers relating to the future location of the Middle East headquarters; move of troops from Palestine to Cyrenaica and the effect of this on British relations with Egypt; presentation on 'The evacuation of Palestine, redeployment of the evacuated troops with consideration of the consequent regrouping of military headquarters'; note on reorganisation of headquarters in Aden and Sudan; letter to Pyman from Brig (Hon Maj Gen) James Malcolm Leslie Renton, Head of the British Military Mission to Iraq relating to the mission; paper on the forecast strength of troops in Egypt under British command; Commanders in Chiefs' views on the political and military situation in Egypt; paper on decisions made by FM Bernard Law Montgomery 1st Viscount Montgomery Of Alamein, Chief of the Imperial General Staff relating to the location of MELF headquarters and organisation of British garrisons. 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman with memoranda, telegrams and copy correspondence, including minutes of Chief of Staff's meetings; text of talk between Maj Cecil Stanway Sugden, Chief of Staff, Headquarters, British Troops in Egypt, Abdel Rahmen Ammar Bey, the Under Secretary for the Interior of Egypt, and Sabr Tantawi Bey, the Director General of Public Security regarding co-operation between the Military and the Egyptian civil and police authorities in the Canal zone, Egypt; paper outlining the moves of infantry battalions in Middle East Land Forces (MELF) planned for early 1949; paper on the organisation of command in the Middle East, the Anglo-Russian picture in the Middle East, plans in the event of war breaking out against Russia, general stability of the Army in the Middle East on a long term basis; directive to Joint Planning Staff on interservice talks aimed to create organisations and installations in Egypt to be used as a base by Britain and Egypt; papers relating to combined planning with the Americans and SANDOWN, an outline operational and administrative plan for the defence of the Middle East and control of Middle East communications in the event of hostilities breaking out between Russia and the Allies; diagram showing the proposed Allied planning organisation; draft memorandum on the reorganisation of the Higher Command in the Middle East theatre. 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman with memoranda, telegrams and copy correspondence, including minutes of Chief of Staff's meetings; letter from Maj Gen John Bagot Glubb (Glubb Pasha), Chief of General Staff, the Arab Legion, Transjordon to Pyman inquiring about the British Government's attitude to Aqaba, Transjordan and its possible capture by Jewish forces; papers from conference on planning held at Tobruk, Libya; paper summarising the events in the Middle East theatre since the move of headquarters from Cairo to Fayid, Egypt and the impact of events on individual countries within the command including Egypt, Palestine, Transjordan, Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, Greece, Iraq, Aden and the current political situation in the area; papers relating to the formation of an Special Air Service (SAS) unit within Middle East Land Forces (MELF); paper entitled 'Comments on theatre command organisation'; paper entitled 'Comments on combined integrated theatre staff' with organisation charts; paper on action at Tobruk, Libya in World War Two outlining the stages of the Allied and Axis offensives. 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman with memoranda, telegrams and copy correspondence, including papers relating to the withdrawal of British troops from Greece, Operation RAGTAIL, Mar - Apr 1947; terrorism in Palestine; copy of letter from Pyman to Maj Gen Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart relating to the Gen Sir Miles Christopher Dempsey's plans for retirement; discussion over treatment of terrorists; Middle East Land Forces (MELF) Directive No. 269 to Maj Gen Stuart Blundell Rawlins, Commander of the British Military Mission to Greece relating to the training of the Greek army; Operation PREFACE, the planned layout of infantry battalions in the Middle East, excluding Greece, Jan - Sep 1947. 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman with memoranda, telegrams and copy correspondence, including minutes of Chief of Staff's meetings; notes from a conversation with FM Bernard Law Montgomery 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, Chief of the Imperial General Staff over a possible early withdrawal from Palestine and the risks of losing stores that this would entail; notes on a conversation with Brig (Hon Maj Gen) James Malcolm Leslie Renton regarding the status of the British Major General in Iraq; directive relating to the relinquishment by the British Government of the British Mandate for Palestine and the process of evacuation of troops; letter to Montgomery from Gen Sir John Tredinnick Crocker, Commander-in-Chief, Middle East Land Forces (MELF) copied to Pyman relating to the British Mission to Greece and its limits of operation. 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman with memoranda, telegrams and copy correspondence, including minutes of Chief of Staff's meetings; papers relating to Jewish incursions into Egyptian territory; paper relating to a discussion between Pyman and others on the location of Supreme and Regional headquarters; papers relating to SANDOWN, a plan intended to meet the situation that would arise should war break out against Russia any time in the year Jul 1948 to Jul 1949; papers relating to the evacuation of the illegal Jewish immigrants from Cyprus; paper on the former Italian colonies. 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman with memoranda, telegrams and copy correspondence, including minutes of Chief of Staff's meetings; paper on Middle East Land Forces (MELF) current affairs' with details of policy to date, relations with civil authorities, location and duties of garrison for the countries Egypt, Palestine, Transjordan, Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, Greece, Iraq, Aden, Cyprus, East Africa, Ethiopia, Sudan & Eritrea, Malta, Somalia, Levant States, Turkey and the Persian Gulf Sheikdoms; papers relating to the return of illegal immigrants to France; minutes and other related papers of meeting to discuss the rundown of 1 Armoured Div and its effect upon a number of different battle plans drawn up for the Egypt and Palestine area. 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman with memoranda, telegrams and copy correspondence, including minutes of Chief of Staff's meetings; draft paper on the reorganisation, functions and responsibilities of General Headquarters in the Middle East; paper on the establishment of a Principal Staff Officers Committee; printed diagrams illustrating the proposed position which a Principal Staff Officers Committee could hold in guiding and directing Middle East Joint Planning Staff and Joint Intelligence Committee and typescript notes explaining the diagrams. 1 file

Diary containing daily entries by Pyman with memoranda, telegrams and copy correspondence, including minutes of Chief of Staff's meetings; notes for a thank you speech; notes on the civil unrest in Kenya and Uganda; notes on Saudi Arabia, their treaty talks with the US, relations with Hashemite states and frontier negotiations relating to the Persian Gulf; notes on Greece and the continuing operations against the communists; notes on Cyprus municipal elections and internal security; notes on Syria, the President Col Husni Zaim, development of Army and relations with Iraq and Israel; notes on Iraq, Nuri Said's handling of the Palestine situation and relations with Syria, Egypt, Arab League; notes on Palestine, the military situation, Arab Palestine and Israel; notes on Egypt, improving relations with Britain, reorganisation of Army; notes on 'Denison' meetings between the British and the Egyptians relating to the presence of British forces in Egypt on 'D Day'; report on Anglo-American planning in the Middle East, FRANCHISE meeting. 1 file