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THOMPSON, Reginald William (1904-1977)
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THOMPSON, Reginald William (1904-1977)

  • THOMPSON
  • Collection
  • 1938-1976

Thompson's correspondence with Maj Sir Desmond John Falkiner Morton (1943-1976), Maj Gen Eric Edward Dorman O'Gowan (formerly Eric Edward Dorman Smith) (1960-1974) and Capt Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart (1952-1974). The letters mostly relate to Thompson's military writing and concentrate on his studies of on Rt Hon Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill and FM Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein.

Thompson, Reginald William, 1904-1977, author and war correspondent

Notes by Major General Eric Dorman O'Gowan, 19 Feb 1960, on the Western Desert campaign, World War Two

Various notes by Maj Gen Eric Edward Dorman O'Gowan (formerly Eric Edward Dorman Smith) on events in the Western Desert during World War Two, particularly the Battles of Alam El Halfa and El Alamein; the plans for the Battle of Alam El Halfa as outlined in the despatch by FM Rt. Hon Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis; the events surrounding the removal from command of the 8 Army of FM Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck and O' Gowan and the appointment of FM Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein as General Officer Commanding, 8 Army, Aug 1942. 1 file

Letters from Thompson to Major Sir Desmond Morton, 1964-1971, chiefly about Thompson's books

Letters from Thompson to Maj Sir Desmond John Falkiner Morton relating to The Montgomery Legend Part 1 (Allen & Unwin, London, 1967) and The Yankee Marlborough (Allen & Unwin, London, 1963). Includes a friend's comments on An echo of trumpets [personal narratives on the Korean War] (Allen & Unwin, London, 1964) sent by Morton in Sep [1968]; letters to Brig John Stephenson regarding membership of the Royal United Services Institution, and to Capt Sir Basil and Kathleen Liddell Hart, Lady Liddell Hart thanking them for their support during his illness. 1 file

Letters from Thompson to Major General Sir Desmond Morton, 1958-1960, chiefly relating to Thompson's work as a writer

Letters from Thompson to Maj Sir Desmond John Falkiner Morton relating to his work as a writer and the accompanying financial difficulties, his publications, The pink house in Angel Street, the story of a family [an autobiography] (Dennis Dobson, London, 1954) Dieppe at Dawn (White Lion, London, 1956), The price of victory (Constable, London, 1960), The Yankee Marlborough (Allen & Unwin, London, 1963). Includes an account of a lunch with Maj Gen John Frederick Charles Fuller and a discussion of the events surrounding the First Battle of El Alamein, Jul 1942. 1 file.

Letters from Thompson to Major General Eric Dorman O'Gowan, 1964-1969, about Thompson's writing

Letters from Thompson to Maj Gen Eric Edward Dorman O'Gowan (formerly Eric Edward Dorman Smith) relating to the progress of The Montgomery Legend Part 1 (Allen & Unwin, London, 1967) with comments on FM Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein at the Second Battle of El Alamein and Normandy, Montgomery the Field Marshall. The campaign in N W Europe 1944-45 (Allen & Unwin, London, 1969), initial proposals for Generalissimo Churchill (Allen & Unwin, London, 1973). 1 file

Letters from Thompson to Basil Liddell Hart, 1966-1969, about Thompson's books

Letters from Thompson to Capt Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart relating to the progress of his books The Montgomery Legend Part 1 (Allen & Unwin, London, 1967), Montgomery the Field Marshall. The campaign in N W Europe 1944-45 (Allen & Unwin, London, 1969), and responding to criticisms on the latter by Liddell Hart. 1 file

Letters from Thompson to Basil Liddell Hart, 1959-1965, about Thompson's books

Letters from Thompson to Capt Basil Henry Liddell Hart relating to the progress of his books The price of victory (Constable, London, 1960), The Yankee Marlborough (Allen & Unwin, London, 1963), An echo of trumpets [personal narratives on the Korean War] (Allen & Unwin, London, 1964) and The Montgomery Legend Part 1 (Allen & Unwin, London, 1967), problems with publishers and to his correspondence with Maj Gen Eric Edward Dorman O'Gowan (formerly Eric Edward Dorman Smith) and Maj Sir Desmond John Falkiner Morton. 1 file

Letters from Major Sir Desmond Morton to Thompson, 1964-1971, about Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery

Letters from Maj Sir Desmond John Falkiner Morton to Thompson relating to Thompson's The Montgomery Legend Part 1 (Allen & Unwin, London, 1967) including Morton's opinions on the personality of FM Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein and the character and abilities of FM Rt Hon Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis. With press cuttings. 1 file.

Letters from Major Sir Desmond Morton to Thompson, 1961-1963, about Sir Winston Churchill, including Churchill's views on military personalities and wartime policies

Letters from Maj Sir Desmond John Falkiner Morton to Thompson relating to Rt Hon. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill and Thompson's The Yankee Marlborough (Allen & Unwin, London, 1963); Churchill's contacts with and opinions on French Général Charles André Joseph Marie De Gaulle, Thomas Edward Lawrence and FM Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell of Cyrenaica and Winchester and Churchill's views on the tactics of 'bombing' and 'unconditional surrender' during World War Two. 1 file

Letters from Major General Eric Dorman O'Gowan to Thompson, 1964-1969, on topics including Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery

Letters from Maj Gen Eric Edward Dorman O'Gowan (formerly Eric Edward Dorman Smith) to Thompson relating to FM Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein and the 8 Army in August 1942, the change in command in Cairo, Egypt and at 8 Army headquarters in August 1942; the achievements of FM Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck at El Alamein in October/November 1942; problems with British armour; development and use of tanks, Montgomery's Normandy command; Montgomery and the Second Battle of El Alamein, Oct 1942; Operation TORCH, the invasion of North West Africa in November 1942 and its detrimental effect on Operation ROUNDUP, a plan for an invasion of Europe in 1943 (later developed into Operation OVERLORD); The Montgomery Legend Part 1 (Allen & Unwin, London, 1967). With a draft for a letter of protest by O'Gowan over The Alexander memoirs, 1940-1945 edited by John North (Cassell, London, 1962); a press release outlining the forced changes to The Second World War Vol. 4, The hinge of fate by Rt. Hon. Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (Cassell, London, 1951); a photocopy of the article 'Land warfare' by Brig Eric Edward Dorman-Smith, in the Journal of the United Service Institution of India, Jan 1941; two index cards with information relating to Dorman-Smith. 1 file

Letters from Basil Liddell Hart to Thompson, 1964-1969, about Thompson's books

Letters from Capt Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart to Thompson relating to his books, An echo of trumpets (Allen & Unwin, London, 1964), The Yankee Marlborough (Allen & Unwin, London, 1963), The Montgomery Legend Part 1 (Allen & Unwin, London, 1967) including Liddell Hart's criticisms of The Montgomery Legend and an outline of FM Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein 's reactions to it and some correspondence with the publishers; Montgomery the Field Marshal. The campaign in N W Europe 1944-45 (Allen & Unwin, London, 1969), including a letter from Montgomery requesting a copy. With an extract from the Journal of the Royal United Service Institution, Feb 1964 regarding the award of the Chesney gold medal to Liddell Hart; press cutting from the Times Literary Supplement, 19 Nov 1964 of a letter from Liddell Hart; notes by Liddell Hart on the personality of Edward Halifax; account by Liddell Hart of his activities during 1964 ; details of forthcoming publications, page of text referring to Bernard Baruch, American financier. 1 file

Letters from Basil Liddell Hart to Thompson, 1952-1963, about Thompson's books

Letters from Capt Basil Henry Liddell Hart to Thompson relating to his books, Cry Korea (White Lion, London, 1951), The battle for the Rhineland (Hutchison, London, 1958), Boy in blinkers [Reminiscences] (Robert Hale, London, 1959), The Yankee Marlborough (Allen & Unwin, London, 1963), The price of victory (Constable, London, 1960), Devil at my heels [the record of a journey through Europe from the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea in the aftermath of war] (MacDonald & Co., London, 1946), includes Liddell Hart's views on Thompson's work, updates on his own projects, advice on dealing with publishers. 1 file

Letter from Thompson to Major Sir Desmond Morton, 1961-1964, on topics including Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery and Sir Winston Churchill

Letters from Thompson to Maj Sir Desmond John Falkiner Morton relating to The Yankee Marlborough (Allen & Unwin, London, 1963); the Second Battle of El Alamein, Oct 1942 and the role of FM Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein and FM Rt. Hon Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis; Rt Hon. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill 's family, early career, his views on bombing, the policy of 'unconditional surrender' and war aims. With a copy of 'The background to "unconditional surrender"' by Capt Basil Henry Liddell Hart, 31st Jul 1943. 1 file.

Letter from Major Sir Desmond Morton to Thompson, 1943-1960, about books by Thompson, with comments on Sir Winston Churchill

Letters from Maj Sir Desmond John Falkiner Morton to Thompson relating to Devil at my heels [the record of a journey through Europe from the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea in the aftermath of war](MacDonald London, 1947), Cry Korea, (Hamilton London, 1956) Dieppe at Dawn (White Lion, London, 1956), The 85 days, the battle of the Scheldt (Hutchison, London, 1957), The price of victory (Constable, London, 1960), The Yankee Marlborough (Allen & Unwin, London 1963) all by Thompson, including Morton's comments on Rt Hon Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill's character and attitude to his family, his working relationships with Franklin Delano Roosevelt, President of the USA and ACM Sir Arthur Travers Harris, 1st Baronet. 1 file.

Letter from Major General Eric Dorman O'Gowan to Thompson, Jan-Dec 1960, on topics including Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery

Letters from Maj Gen Eric Edward Dorman O'Gowan (formerly Eric Dorman Smith) to Thompson relating to the publication of 'Alexander's own story' in The Sunday Times February 19th 1961 and the extent to which FM Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein was solely responsible for the plans for the Battle of Alam Halfa, Aug 1942; ARCADIA, the first Washington conference Dec 1941 - Jan 1942; comparisons between 1942 and the summer of 1918; the possible role of Rt. Hon. David Lloyd George, 1st Earl of Dwyfor and Rt Hon Lt Col Maurice Pascal Alers Hankey, 1st Baron Hankey of The Chart; the significance of events of 1942 in the decline of Britain as a world power; the contents of a letter sent by Rt Hon. Leopold Stennett Amery to FM Sir John Greer Dill relating to intervention from the Middle East in the Balkans and advance into Tripoli, Libya; the impact of the First Battle of El Alemein, Jul 1942; opinions on the career of Montgomery; comments on The Yankee Marlborough (Allen & Unwin, London, 1963). 1 file

Letter from Major General Eric Dorman O'Gowan to Thompson, Feb-Dec 1960, on topics including Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery and Sir Winston Churchill

Letters from Maj Gen Eric Edward Dorman O'Gowan (formerly Eric Edward Dorman Smith) to Thompson relating to FM Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein and Operation SKYSCRAPER, a plan produced in 1943 for an operation in Northern France in 1944; Rt Hon. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill's policies particularly between 1941 and 1943; Montgomery at Normandy; issues relating to Churchill raised in The Yankee Marlborough (Allen & Unwin, London, 1963); Churchill and the break up of the British Empire; O' Gowan's proposed libel action against Churchill in 1951; Churchill and ARCADIA, the first Washington conference Dec 1941 - Jan 1942; career and personality of FM Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell of Cyrenaica and Winchester. Also includes extracts from letters to O'Gowan from Gen Sir Bernard Charles Toiver Paget, and from Paget to O'Gowan discussing whether Churchill was liable to ignore the advice of his Chiefs of Staff ; copy of a letter from O'Gowan with his comments on The price of victory (Constable, London, 1960). 1 file

Correspondence, 1959-1967, with military and literary friends and acquaintances

Correspondence and papers relating to Thompson's books, including correspondence with Maj Gen Douglas Neil Wimberley relating to The Montgomery Legend Part 1 (Allen & Unwin, London, 1967), Maj Gen John Frederick Charles Fuller; Professor Norman Henry Gibbs; FM Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, Brig Henry Beveridge Latham, John Henry Robertson Connell, Gen Sir Bernard Charles Toiver Paget. With press cuttings featuring comment by Liddell Hart on FM Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig; Berlin and the division between East and West Germany, 1961; US foreign policy 1966-1967 with regard to Vietnam; FM Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell of Cyrenaica and Winchester. 1 file

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