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Papers, photographs, publications and maps relating to Aston's service as General Staff Officer 2 (Intelligence), 121 Force in Operation IRONCLAD, the British capture, from the Vichy French, of Diego Suarez, Madagascar, May 1942, including typescript intelligence report entitled 'Special report on specified parts of Madagascar', prepared by the Inter Services Topographical Department, 24 Feb 1942, with printed street map of Antsirann, Diego Suarez, and 18 photographs of the topography and infrastructure of Madagascar, 1942; typescript 'Intelligence notes: Madagascar', War Office, 15 Mar 1942; typescript 'Operation IRONCLAD 121 Force operation order No 1', relating to the planned capture, by 121 Force, of Vichy French naval and air base at Thurso Bay, Madagascar, with typescript security instructions, 19 Mar 1942; typescript orders and instructions, landing tables and lists of French military and civilian personnel in Diego Suarez, Apr 1942; typescript memorandum on the interrogation of German prisoners and typescript interrogation reports on Germans and Italians, captured on Madagascar, Jun 1942; printed map of Majunga, Madagascar, annotated with positions of Vichy French defences, Jun 1942; one hundred and eighty eight photographs, some captioned, relating to Madagascar, 1942, notably Maj Gen Robert Grice Sturges, commanding Royal Marines Force, and Brig Francis Wogan Festing, commanding 29 Infantry Bde, Diego Suarez, 12 May 1942; R Adm (Edward) Neville Syfret, Flag Officer commanding Force H, in discussion with French officer, Diego Suarez, May 1942; the British amphibious landings at Tamatave, Sep 1942. Three photograph albums and two autograph books, originally belonging to Aston's stepmother, Sister L A Rowson, Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (Reserve), containing numerous autographs, poems and illustrations, and 335 photographs relating to Rowson's service in Salonika and Millbank Military Hospital, London, 1915-1919. Publications, photographs and maps relating to World War One, 1914-1918, originally the property of Lt A V Kidman, 513 Field Company, Royal Engineers, including one hundred captioned stereoscopic photographs of World War One, mostly relating to the Western Front, 1914-1918, with stereoscope photograph viewer [1918]; edition of Cavalry training 1912 (HMSO, London, 1916), Field Service Regulations. Part II, Organisation and Administration (HMSO, London, 1916), and Engineer Field Manual (US Government Printing Office, Washington DC, USA, 1917); one printed trench map of Neuville Vitasse, France, May 1918, and one printed map of Belgium and France, Nov 1918. Seventeen, mostly official, publications produced in the UK and France, 1938-1944, notably restricted pamphlets 1-4 of the 'Manual of Military Intelligence in the field', War Office, 1938-1939; four editions of La France Libre, Feb-Jun 1942; The Royal Marines. The Admiralty account of their achievement 1939-1943 (HMSO, London, 1944).

Papers relating to Beaufoy Brown's life and RN career, 1925-1979, including scrapbook with newspaper cuttings and fifty five photographs, Aug 1927-Jul 1929, including Atlantic Fleet exercises, 1927, the loss of HM Submarine H47, off St David's Head, Pembrokeshire, following collision with HM Submarine L12, 9 Jul 1929, and photographs of HMS REVENGE, HMS FORRES, HMS RODNEY, HMS HOOD, HMS NELSON and HMS ADVENTURE, 1927-1929. Two Midshipman's journals, 26 Aug 1927-12 Jul 1930, relating to service on HM Ships REVENGE, RODNEY and WALKER, including manuscript sketches and maps, two photographs of the main armament of HMS RODNEY, and photograph of HMS CENTURION, RN radio-controlled target ship, Portland, Dorset, Nov 1928, with twelve loose photographs, 1925-1929, including HMS RODNEY, HMS STURGEON and group of Cadets, Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Devon, 1925. Typescript report by Beaufoy Brown on the visit to Malta of the Yugoslav training ship JADRAN, 9-11 Jul 1934. Papers and photographs relating to the development and deployment of X craft midget submarines and Chariot manned torpedoes, 1943-[1950], including sixty seven photographs relating to the training of crews for X craft midget submarine operations, 1943-1945, notably six aerial photographs, taken by 544 Sqn, RAF, of Bergen harbour, Norway, before and after Operation GUIDANCE, the sinking by X Craft of German merchant ship BARENFELS, Apr 1944, and Operation HECKLE, the destruction of a floating dock, Laksvaag, Bergen, Norway, Sep 1944; edition of The Illustrated London News, 15 Dec 1945, with article on X Craft operation against Japanese cruiser TAKAO, Singapore, Jul 1945; edition of The Dittybox, the Navy's own magazine, containing article by G V Galwey entitled 'Life in a midget submarine', Feb 1948; typescript text of lecture by Beaufoy Brown on World War Two midget submarine operations [1950]. Photograph album containing 111 photographs relating to Beaufoy Brown's service as Executive Officer, HMS GAMBIA, Mediterranean and East Indies, 1951-1952, including peace keeping patrols, Port Said, Egypt, 1951, and inspection of ship by acting Adm Louis (Francis Albert Victor Nicholas) Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Commnder-in-Chief Mediterranean, Malta, 1952. Typescript Curriculum Vitae for Beaufoy Brown [1965], and obituary, 1979.

Papers relating to Riley's service in World War Two, 1939-1945, with a recent biography, 1989, mostly concerning the training of Commando forces, 1940-1943, including letter from acting Col Colin McVean Gubbins, War Office, dated 8 Jul 1940, thanking Riley for his work in Norway, 1940; correspondence, memoranda, directives and reports relating to the training of Independent Companies in seamanship for raiding purposes, UK, Aug-Oct 1940; correspondence, 1940-1945, including letter, dated Feb 1941, from Capt Kermit Roosevelt, son of former US President Theodore Roosevelt, serving with The Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regt), relating to his service in the Western Desert, 1940. Papers relating to the Winter Warfare School, Iceland, 1941-1942, including typescript training notes and exercise memoranda, 1941-1942; typescript text of lecture by Riley entitled 'Arctic warfare', given at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, London, 13 Oct 1942. Papers relating to Commando training and Combined Operations Command, 1942-1943, including typescript memorandum entitled 'Outline of rations and equipment required for GUNHOUSE' (Operation GUNHOUSE, a small scale Commando raid on Banak airfield, northern Norway, Feb 1943); typescript 'Administrative instructions for special ration trials', relating to the testing of Arctic warfare ration packs, May 1943; typescript memorandum entitled 'The possibilities of wireless communication in small scale raiding' [1943]. Papers relating to 30 RN Commando and 30 Assault Unit, 1943-1945, including typescript memorandum by Riley entitled '30 Assault Unit. Visit to forward areas, Intelligence organisations and GHQ (General Headquarters)', Assam, India, 29 Aug 1944; typescript memorandum entitled 'History of 30 A U (Assault Unit)' [1945]; letter to Riley from Len Whittaker asking for information on 30 RN Commando and 30 Assault Unit for a proposed book on British Special Forces of World War Two, Jul 1973. Edition of The bulldozer. The magazine of Combined Operations, Oct 1942; printed pamphlet by Public Relations Section, International Military Tribunal, entitled 'International Military Tribunal, Nurnberg, Germany, 1945-1946', with brief biographies of defendants and offences committed [1946]. J P Riley: From Pole to Pole: the life of Quintin Riley, 1905-1980 (Anthony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham, 1989, 2nd edition 1998), typescript of book, photographs and sketch maps used as illustrations in book, and obituaries of individuals mentioned in the volume.