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Personal and military papers of Brig Gerald Charles Stokes Montanaro, 1938-1965. Comprising pocket diaries, 1938-1946, 1948, including detailed diaries for 1941-1945, of service with 101 Troop, Special Service Brigade (Commando Special Canoe Troop), 1941-1942 and as commander of MF Flotilla of large submersible diesel-engined craft designed for anti-submarine work, 1942-1945; correspondence and papers (3 files) on administration and training and operations of 101 Troop, Special Service Brigade, 1940-1942, comprising standing and daily orders, reports on training, including landing and anti-invasion exercises, shooting, map-reading and navigational work, swimming, canoeing, mountaineering, and signalling; chart of proposed general organisation for small boat operations; notes on proposed establishments for Special Boat Squadrons attached to the Royal Navy; memorandum 'Lessons from Crete, with points of particular interest to Commandos' by Brig Joseph Charles Haydon, Commanding Officer Special Service Brigade, Jul 1941; printed leaflet 'Commando Training Instruction No.1', Aug 1940; report on 101 Troop's raid on sinking of an oil tanker in Boulogne Harbour, Apr 1942, including correspondence about the raid with Maj Gen Ridley Pakenham Pakenham-Walsh, 1950; report on reconnaissance between Gravelines and Calais, France, Nov 1941; photographs (4 albums and 15 packets of loose photos) on personal and service subjects (1940-1945), including commando training construction and operation of midget submarines and photgraphs of girlfriends and family friends; propaganda material from Korea, 1952-1954; album of photographs of Montanaro's inspection of 653 Sqn, Army Air Corps, Aden, Feb 1965

Papers relating to his service with the Commandos, 1942-1945, dated [1942-1981]comprising:

papers on service with No.4 Commando, May-Dec 1942, principally on the Dieppe Raid, Aug 1942, including report by Mills-Roberts on training exercise on the Isle of Arran, 25-26 Jun 1942; reports on Orange Beach landing; report on destruction of 6 inch gun battery at Varangeville; detailed report 'Lessons Learned on Combined Operations'; and letters of congratulation on award of MC;

papers on service with No.6 Commando, Apr-May 1943, North Africa, including letters from General Dwight D Eisenhower and Maj-Gen Robert Laycock and letters of congratulation on award of DSO;

papers on service with 1st Special Service (Commando) Bde, Jun 1944 - May 1945 including: account of part taken by No 1 Special Service Brigade in Operation OVERLORD, 6 Jun - 26 Aug 1944; narrative by Mills Roberts on action from 16-21 Aug 1944; report of No 1 Special Service Bde operations around Dozule and L'Epine, 19-21 Aug 1944; report of operations by 1st Commando Bde east of the River Maas, 19 Jan - 1 Feb 1945; 'Five Rivers' - account of 1st Commando Bde in Germany, 1945, on the advance from the Meuse to the Baltic, crossing the Meuse, Rhine, Weser, Aller and Elbe; 'United We Stand' diary of L Cpl Cliff Morris, No 3 Troop, 6 Commando, detailed personal account of action from 6 Jun 1944 - 7 May 1945; papers relating to the arrest of FM Erhard Milch in 1945, dated 1946, 1969; maps of Ouistreham, St Aubin, Caen, Dozule;

papers on commando training, 1942-1950 including account of 6 Commando training by Mills-Roberts, 1943-1944;

manuscript of Clash by Night (William Kimber, London, 1956) and notes to Simon Christopher Joseph Fraser Lovat, 17th Lord Lovat, concerning Lovat's book March Past (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1978), dated 1977-1981;

photographs, 1942, 1944-1945, 1947, including German propaganda photographs of Dieppe Raid, 1942, and photographs relating to Commando service in World War Two, 1944-1945, dated 1944-1945, 1947, including Normandy, Jun 1944, and Germany, 1945.

Papers relating to the North African landings (Operation TORCH), 1942, principally comprising signalinstructions, intelligence summaries and various maps and diagrams relating to wireless communication in North Africa, Oct 42; official note concerning project for the establishment of signal communications in Bizerta and Tunis (Operation DECIBEL), including maps andappendices on storage dumps and naval requirements, written by Metson as Commander, 11 Unit, Lines of Communications Signals for circulation to Chief Signal Officer and 11 Unit personnel, Apr 1943.

Papers relating to his service in World War Two, dated 1941-1946, 1941-1946, 1951, principally comprising semi-official and personal correspondence, 1941-1946, including letter to his wife describing events leading up to his dismissal from command of 7 Armoured Div, 1942; pamphlet on the Battle of Keren, Mar 1941, produced by Maj Gen Sir Nigel Trapp, HQEritrea District, for visit of Commander-in-Chief, Middle East Land Forces, to Keren battlefield, Eritrea, Mar 1947; Report to the Combined Chiefs of Staff by the Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia, 1943-1945 by AF Louis (Francis Albert Victor Nicholas) Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (London, HMSO, 1951); operational notes and training instructions for 7 and 9 Indian Divs during the Burma campaign, 1943-1945; 'Warfare in undeveloped countries. Part 1: desert warfare', War Office publication written by [Messervy] in 1954; printed histories by Messervy and others describing operations in Burma by 12 Army, 14 Army, 4 Corps, 15 Indian Corps, 23 Indian Corps, and 25 Indian Div; Ministry of Information publications, dated [1945], concerning campaigns in the Middle East and Far East, 1941-1945, the Merchant Navy, 1939-1944, Combined Operations, 1940-1942, Britain's anti-aircraft defences, 1939-1942, and civil defence in the UK, 1940-1941, and the war effort on the Home Front, 1942-1944; Government of India publications,dated [1944-1946], describing the service of various divisions of the Indian Army during World War Two.

Papers relating to McNeill's career, 1942-1946, notably on Army-Air collaboration, 1942-1945, including typescript 'Eighth Army training memorandum No 1' by Lt Gen Bernard Law Montgomery, General Officer Commanding 8 Army, Middle East Forces [1942]; typescript memorandum by McNeill 'Recommendations for reorganisation of AASC (Army-Air Support Control)',1942; printed 'Middle East training pamphlet No 3B (Army and RAF). Direct air support', issued by General Headquarters, Middle East Forces and Headquarters, RAF, Middle East, 1943; typescript war diary of Detachment A, Air Support Control, 5 Corps, Italy, Mar-Jun 1944; typescript report produced by Headquarters 21 Army Group, British Liberation Army, North West Europe, entitled 'Notes on airsupport, June-October 1944', Nov 1944; typescript notes by McNeill entitled 'Offensive air support in the Burma campaign, 1944-1945'; two typescript draft chapters for a projected book entitled 'Air support in North Africa, Pantellaria, and Sicily, 1942-1943' and 'Air support in the Italian campaign, 1943-1945' [1946]; typescript account by Roy Smith entitled 'Air support in the desert: an account of the use of air forces in support of the Army from the Gazala battles in 1942 to the end in Tunisia', 1988.

Papers relating to his service in World War Two, 1942-1945, principally comprising copies of typescript accounts of his escape from a POW camp in Libya, 1942, and of his service with 'A' Force in escape operations in Western Desert, 1942, Italy, 1943-1944, and Austria, 1945, written in [1945-1950], with related photographs, 1942-1945; typescript eyewitness account ofGerman atrocities against Italian peasants, 1943-1944, written in [1945]; official printed 'Analysis of surrendered German armies in Italy', issued by the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff (Operational Intelligence Section), Allied Force HQ, 1945.

Copies of papers collected or created by Maze, 1914-1975, principally comprising correspondence with his World War One colleagues, 1918-1972, mainly relating to the second Battle of the Somme, 21 Mar-5 Apr 1918, and including letters from Gen Sir Hubert (de la Poer) Gough, 1918-1919, 1935, 1939, 1951, 1954-1956, 1963, Lt Gen Sir (Arthur) Edward Grasett, 1965, 1970, and LtGen Sir Frederick Ivor Maxse, 1919; photographs of Maze, 1914-[1918] and Gough, 1915; correspondence with Rt Hon Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill concerning the Home Guard, 1943; photographs of ACM Sir Arthur Travers Harris, 1944; two typescript lists ofGerman towns attacked by British bombers, 1945.

Papers relating to his service in the Middle East, principally comprising account of his work at No 62 General Hospital, Tobruk, Libya, Oct 1941-Feb 1942; cutting of newspaper article based on this account, written by Patrick Marnham (his son) in 1991; text of his lecture on surgery in the Middle East, 1940-1943, [1943]; photocopy of his printed article 'The Tobruk Plaster', 1945;diary of Col H V Leigh, Commander, No 62 General Hospital, Oct 1941-Jan 1942; Leigh's official report on No 62 General Hospital for the period Oct-Dec 1941, written in Jan 1942.

Publications by Lt Col Charles MacFetridge: A Memoir of Greece in 1948: A Year of Crisis , privately published, 1987, detailing experiences as British Liaison Officer, XL Greek Infantry Brigade, British Military Mission to Greece, operating in the Pindhos, Grammos and Vitsi mountains, Apr-Oct 1948; 'Mules in the British Army', a tribute published on the website of the British Mule Society (article no longer available online), [1995]; and British Mule Society booklet The Military Mule in the British Army and Indian Army: An Anthology. Part III: The Mountain Artillery Mule , 2000. Also copy of article 'Tales from the bushy-topped tree: a brief survey of military sketching', PJ Gough, Imperial War Museum Review No 10 , Nov 1995, including mention of MacFetridge.

Papers relating to service as Quartermaster General of the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) in France and Belgium during World War Two, including narratives, war diaries, reports and memoranda, 1939-1941; papers relating to service as Lt Gen in charge of Administration in the Middle East, including narratives, a volume compiled by the Q Staff entitled Maintenance of the Eighth Army...from El Alamein to Tunisia , 1943, and memoranda and newscuttings on the Middle East Base in Egypt, 1943-1948; papers relating to service as Principal Administrative Officer to the Indian Command, comprising texts of speeches and articles on Indian economy and the India Base, 1943-1945; papers relating to post-war life and career, mainly texts of lectures and articles and newspaper cuttings on international relations in the Middle East, especially the Suez Crisis of 1956.

Papers relating to his service in North West Europe, 1944-1945, dated [1945], comprising 'OperationOVERLORD plus', bound typescript account of his service with the Irish Guards in North West Europe, 1944-1945, written in [1945]; 'The occupation of German airfields in Schleswig Holstein area, May 1945', typescript account by Lindsay of RAF Regt operations in Schleswig Holstein, Germany, May 1945, written in [1945]; typescript account of operations carried out by 1 Commando Bde and 7 Armoured Div, Holland, Jan-Feb 1945, written by [Brig Derek Mills-Roberts in 1945].

Papers relating to his life and career, 1915-1991, dated 1963, 1969 and [1991], principally comprising 'Nine lives, a soldier's story', a typescript memoir covering the period 1915-1991, including his service in North Africa and the Western Desert, 1939-1942 and 1943, the Middle East, 1942-1943 and 1954-1956, Normandy, 1944, and France, Belgium and Germany, 1945-1947, and hiswork as Director General of Fighting Vehicles, 1964-1966, and General Officer Commanding, Malta and Libya, 1967-1968, written in [1991].

Personal and military papers of Major General Sir Robert Edward Laycock, 1923-1968, chiefly relating to service with Special Service Brigade and as Chief of Combined Operations, 1940-1946. Includes papers on volunteering for Special Service Brigade, including completed application forms for volunteer Commando officers, 1940. Papers on Special Service Brigade training 1940-1941, including gas, bayonet and signalling training. Memoranda, reports, instructions and other papers, 1940-1942, relating to LAYFORCE (commanded by Laycock in the Middle East), including papers on the Folbot Section (later to become Special Boat Service). Papers on Special Service Brigade, [1941-1946], including memoranda, reports, minutes, papers on their reorganisation, disbandment and the future of Combined Operations, also including papers belonging to Lord George Jellicoe relating to Special Service Brigade in the Middle East; reports and other papers on Special Service Brigade operations, notably Operation TORCH, (the invasion of North West Africa, Nov 1942) and Operation HUSKY, (the invasion of Sicily, Jun 1943). Laycock's official and personal correspondence,1923-1968, chiefly relating to Special Service Brigade. Lectures and speeches to and on Special Service Brigade, chiefly by Laycock. Draft publications, scripts and press cuttings relating to Laycock and Special Service Brigade. Memoirs and accounts of Commando action, including parts of Robert Edward Laycock's memoirs and memoirs of members of 'G' Troop, 7 Commando. Papers on Laycock standing as Conservative parliamentary candidate for Bassetlaw in the 1945 general collection and on his refusal to stand for the 1947 bye-election. Papers relating to Laycock's time as Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Malta. Poems by Laycock.

Typescript official correspondence relating to Allied operations in Italy, 1944-1945, between Kirkman, General Officer Commanding 13 Corps, and Lt Gen Sir Oliver (William Hargreaves) Leese, 3rd Bt, General Officer Commanding 8 Army, Mar-Oct 1944, Lt Gen Sir John Harding, Chief of Staff, Allied Armies in Italy, Aug 1944-Jan 1945, and Lt Gen Sir Richard (Loudon) McCreery,General Officer Commanding 10 Corps, and subsequently General Officer Commanding 8 Army, Sep 1944-Jan 1945. Typescript 13 Corps operational instructions and orders, Apr 1944-Jan 1945, with typescript planning notes, dated Apr 1944, for Operation HONKER, the attack to secure the Liri valley for the advance on Rome, Italy, May 1944. Four volumes of narrative diaries, covering Kirkman's career in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, North West Europe and as Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff, War Office, Apr 1943-Sep 1945. Printed booklet entitled 'Proceedings of the Royal Artillery Historical Society, 19 Apr 1968, 5 Nov 1968', containing information provided byKirkman on the planning of the Third and Fourth Battles of Cassino, Italy, 1944.

Papers, dated 1945-1963, relating to the attempt to remove Lt Gen Sir William Joseph Slim from command of 14 Army, Burma, May 1945, including typescript background notes; typescript copies of telegrams between Lt Gen Sir Oliver William Hargreaves Leese, 3rd Bt, Commander-in-Chief, Allied Land Forces South East Asia, FM Sir Alan Francis Brooke, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, and acting Adm Lord Louis (Francis Albert Victor Nicholas) Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia, May-Jun 1945; typescript extract of unpublished chapter of Defeat into victory (Cassell, London, 1956) by Slim; letters from Gen Sir (Alexander Frank) Philip Christison, 4th Bt, (former General Officer Commanding 15 Indian Corps, Burma), FM Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck (former Commander-in-Chief, India), ACM Sir (William) Alec Coryton (former Air Commander, 3 Tactical Air Force, Burma), Maj Gen George Peregrine Walsh (former Chief of Staff, Allied Land Forces, South East Asia), Lt Gen Sir Frederick Arthur Montague Browning (former Chief of Staff, South East Asia Command), Leese and Mountbatten, 1960-1963.

Letters dated 1909-1914 from FM Earl Haig, Chief of General Staff in India and Commander-in-Chief at Aldershot, including potential candidates for appointments and Indian Army policy including reorganisation and recruitment; letters dated 1914-1918 from Haig, General Officer Commanding 1 Corps and Commander-in-Chief, British Armies, France, referring to operations including Dardanelles, Verdun; letters dated 1914-1918 from FM Sir Henry Wilson, British military representative at SupremeWar Council, Versailles, including French war effort; correspondence dated 1915-1921 with FM Sir William Robertson, General HQ British Armies in the Field including shortage of supplies and troops; Kiggell's demi-official correspondence when Chief of General Staff, 1916-1919, with various commanders on subjects including administration, planned operations, supply of guns and ammunition to Belgium, France and Russia and staff appointments; recollections dated 1919 of Chantilly conference, Nov 1916, to consider planned operations in 1917.

Scrapbook of his service in France and Belgium, 1914-1917 and Italy, 1917-1918, compiled in 1923 and 1927, including a detailed account of the period Oct 1914-May 1915, notably the first Battle of Ypres, Oct-Nov 1914, written up from letters to his wife, 1914-1915; typescript copies of notes on the operations of 7 Div, Oct-Nov 1914, compiled by the General Staff, 7 Div in [1917-1918]; typescript copies of orders of 231 Field Company, 1916, and 528 Field Company, 1917; account of his service in Italy, 1918, written in 1923; copies of divisional and brigade orders for attack at Ypres, Oct 1917; various maps, 1914-1918; reproductions of photographs, 1918; 'The crossing of the Piave in 1918', article by Kerrich cut from The Royal Engineers Journal , Dec 1927.

Papers relating to his service in Hedjaz (Hejaz), 1916-1919, dated 1916-1919, 1936, 1963, 1939, 1941, 1963, 1965, principally comprising official correspondence relating to operations against the Turks in Hedjaz, 1916-1918, and supplies and stores for bases at Rabegh, Wedj, Yenbo, Akaba and Abu Lissal, 1916-1918, and including letters to and from Thomas Edward Lawrence (laterShaw), Col Cyril Edward Wilson, Gen Sir Gilbert Falkingham Clayton, and Lt Col Alan Geoffrey Charles; correspondence and notes concerning the meeting between Emir Feisal (later Feisal I, King of Iraq) and Dr Chaim Weizmann on 4 Jun 1918, dated [1918] and 1963;typescript text on the history and future of the Arab movement, [1919]; scripts concerning his service with Lawrence in Hedjaz, 1916-1918, written for television broadcasts in 1939 and 1941; official reports on bomb attacks on the Hedjaz railway by X Flight and No14 Sqn personnel, 1917-1918; official reports of reconnaissance flights by X Flight and No 14 Sqn, 1917-1918; diary by Capt H S Hornby describing raids on the Hedjaz railway, May 1917 and May 1918; account by Lt Col Frederick Gerard Peake of Turkish attack on Tafas,Sep 1918, dated 1965.