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Papers principally comprising text of lecture on the outbreak of hostilities between Japan and China in 1937, including a detailed account of the Battle of Shanghai as witnessed from HMS DANAE, 1937; draft of lecture recounting his experiences on board HMS DIDO during the evacuation of Crete, Apr-Jun 1941, [1945].

Photocopies of reports relating to the role of HMS SCOURGE in Operations NEPTUNE and OVERLORD, Jun 1944, France.

Transcripts of 45 interviews recorded for The Berlin Airlift , a television documentary produced by 3BM Television for Channel 4's Secret History series and broadcast on 29 June 1998. Those interviewed include individuals and or relatives of individuals connected with the airlift operation which took place in response to the Berlin blockade, 24 June 1948 - October 1949, notably members of the armed forces of UK and USA including the RAF, RN and WAAF, a representative of the Foreign Office, journalists and authors, German interpreters, German civilians and children, members of Soviet administration and relatives of servicemen. Attention is given to direct roles and experience of the airlift but also seeks views of its historical significance to them personally and to the wider world. Topics covered in the interviews relate to causes of the blockade, Stalin's aims for Germany after 1945, the potential threat of war in 1948, British and US responses to the blockade, Soviet intelligence gathering and espionage in the UK Foreign Office, attitudes of British servicemen to American servicemen in Germany and vice versa, German experience of the Soviet conquest of Berlin in 1945 and ensuing occupation, living conditions at the air bases in West Germany and in Berlin, food and fuel shortages, rationing, operation of the black market, prostitution, relations between conquered and occupying forces, 'no fraternisation' rule, the logistics of the airlift operation - aircraft maintenance, loading and unloading of supplies, Soviet harassment, experience of pilots and crew, incidents such as air crashes, evacuation of Berliners including children, and Operation Little Vittles. The role of significant individuals such as Ernest Bevin (1884-1951), British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs at the time, and Gen. Lucius D. Clay (1897-1978), Military Governor of Germany 1947 - 1949, are also discussed. Notable participants include Sir Frank Kenyon Roberts (1907-1998) diplomat and Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs during 1948 - 1949, Mrs Jessamy Waite, widow of Air Cdre Reginald Newnham Waite (1901-1975), who devised and organised the airlift operation, and Col Gail S Halverson who became known as the 'Candy Bomber' for his drops of packages of candy attached to miniature parachutes to the children of Berlin. Transcripts include questions and answers, and the tape counter numbering has been logged. The interviewer is not identified. Where interviews were translated this has been noted. Some names, places or phrases have been guessed at, or spelled phonetically by the transcriber. No information is given about the date or identity of the transcriber.

Papers relating to early naval career, 1872-1907 including midshipman's log books; papers relating to service as Director of Naval Intelligence, 1909-1912, Commander-in-Chief, East Indies, 1911-1918, commander of Royal Naval War College, Portsmouth, 1913-1914, commander of 3 Battle Fleet and Channel Fleet, 1914-1915 and Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth, 1916-1918; correspondence with Adm Sir Alexander Duff, 1917-1918, AF Lord Fisher, 1909-1918 and AF Lord Jellicoe, 1913-1918; personal papers and correspondence, 1865-1932; miscellaneous papers, 1901-1911; correspondence between the family and researchers using the papers, 1935-1979.

Printed 'Report of the Board of Enquiry appointed to enquire into the circumstances in which the German Battle Cruisers (SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU) and Prinz Eugen proceeded from Brest to Germany on 12th February, 1942, and on the operations undertaken to prevent this movement', Mar 1942, relating to Operation CERBERUS or the 'Channel dash', with typescript covering letter from Binney to AF Sir (Alfred) Dudley (Pickman Rogers) Pound, Mar 1942.

Copies of papers, 1909-1974, comprising typescript copy of the 'Interim Report of the Advisory Committee for Aeronautics', 1909; night order book, HMS THESEUS, Korea, 1950-1951; newspaper cuttings on HMS THESEUS' departure from UK to Korea and subsequent return, 1950-1951; typescript transcript of Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies lecture by Bolt, Oct 1951, entitled 'HMS THESEUS in the Korean War and some special problems of naval aviation in that theatre' (subsequently published in the Journal of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies; standard circular letters to all retired admirals, containing Royal Navy news and information, from Chief of Naval Staff and First Sea Lord Adm Sir Varyl (Cargill) Begg, 1966-1968, Adm Sir Peter (John) Hill-Norton, 1971, and Adm Sir Michael (Patrick) Pollock, 1972-1974; article by Bolt on minesweeping in 1940-1941 by Vickers DWI (Directional Wireless Installation) Wellington aircraft entitled 'Minesweeping Wellingtons: Part 1: equipment and technique: early operations in the Thames Estuary', published in Air Pictorial (Apr-May 1979), with nine uncaptioned photographs of Wellington aircraft and a captured German magnetic mine.

Copies of papers, 1916-1958, including account of the Battle of Jutland, witnessed by Brind from HMS MALAYA, 5 Battle Sqn, 1916; text of lecture 1919, relating to anti-submarine warfare, 1914-1918, and possible future development; notes, dated 1931, on the conduct of the Dardenelles campaign; report on night fighting by single ships, 1924; night order book, HMS BIRMINGHAM, South East Asia, 1929-1940; report written in 1946 on the sinking of HMS ROYAL OAK, Scapa Flow 1939, by German submarine U47, quoting from U-boat's log; texts of speeches, 1947-1958; letter of condolence from Adm Hon Sir Reginald Aylmer Ranfurly Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax to Edith Blagrove, widow of R Adm Henry Evelyn Charles Blagrove, killed in the sinking of HMS ROYAL OAK 1939, with details of the circumstances of his death; letters home from the Far East, 1949; official report on the blockade of Shanghai and British inability to defend Hong Kong from possible future attack by Chinese Communist forces, 1949; newspaper cuttings relating to the HMS AMETHYST Incident, Yangtze-Kiang river, China, 1949, and Brind's order, as Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet, for the successful breakout 1949; notes and lecture texts relating to the role of NATO, 1953-1955; typescript notes on the post war role of the Royal Navy, 1955.

Papers relating to his service in the RN, [1914-1920], [1939-1945], principally comprising carbon copies of letters to his family describing his service at Gallipoli, 1915-1916, and in Salonika, Greece, 1916-1918; typescript texts, written in [1918-1975], principally comprising descriptive sketches of life in Salonika, 1916-1918, in Belgrade after the retreat of German and Austrian forces, 1918-1919, and in Budapest following Communist uprising led by Bela Hung Kun, 1919, written in [1918-1975]; typescript text by Harry W Frantz on Troubridge's work in Serbia and Hungary, 1915-1918, and as President of the Interallied Commission of the Danube, 1919-1920, written in 1920. Photographs relating to his service in Gallipoli, 1915, Salonika, 1915-1918, Belgrade, 1918-1919, and press photographs of the Communist revolution in Budapest, 1919-1920. Glass slides relating to his service in Salonika, 1915-1918. Papers relating to Burrows' work in the Shipping Casualties Section, Trade Division, Admiralty, 1939-1945, principally comprising descriptions of the work of the section, official reports concerning sunk or damaged ships and texts of interview with survivors.

Photographs relating to his naval career, 1912-1949, including photograph album containing photographs taken during his service on HMS BACCHANTE, 1914-1915, at Gallipoli, 1915, and in the North Sea, 1916-1918, Baltic Sea, 1918-1920, East Indies and East Africa, 1921-1924, China Station, 1932-1934, Mediterranean, 1941-1943; photographs of Allied landings at Sword Beach, Normandy, France, 1944. Two volumes of press cuttings relating to the publication of Bless our ship (George Allen and Unwin, London, 1958), 1958, The flowers of the sea (George Allen and Unwin, London, 1962), 1962 and 1971, and Salute the soldier, (George Allen and Unwin, London, 1966), 1966, and Gallipoli (George Allen and Unwin, London, 1975), 1975.

Official 'War Cabinet Chiefs of Staff Committee weekly résumé (No 297) of the naval, military and air situation from 0700 3rd May to 0700 10 May, COS (45) 101, 10 May 1945'.

Papers relating to the military career of Maj Gen Sir John Edward Capper, dated 1900, [1910] and [1913], 1917-1918, principally comprising typescript notes on military aeronautics, [1910]; text of his lecture to the Staff College on the effect of aircraft on war, [1913]; telegrams between German High Seas Fleet and V Adm Sir David Beatty, Commander-in-Chief of the British Grand Fleet, concerning the surrender of the former at Scapa Flow, 1918; 'Report of the commission appointed by Act of Parliament to enquire into the operations of war in Mesopotamia' (London, HMSO, 1917). Copy of typescript text on the Capper Medal Collection, Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, [1969], including brief biographies of members of the Capper family.

Three photographs of HMS ORIBI, HMS HOOD and HMS PRINCE OF WALES, 1940-1941.

The papers cover the period 1915-1978, and include papers on his service in World War One, in particular extracts from diary on Galliopoli offensive May 1915 and Allied raid on Zeebrugge, Apr 1918; correspondence, narratives of operations and photographs from service as Officer Commanding Sudan Camel Corps, 1927-1930; reports on defence of British Somaliland and accounts of Italian invasion of Somaliland from service as Officer Commanding Somaliland Camel Corps, 1937-1940; papers on service as Military Governor and Officer Commaning, British Somaliland, 1941-1943; papers on service as Officer Commanding Portsmouth Div Royal Marines, including narrative of Operation OVERLORD, 1943-1944; papers on service as Director of Combined Operations, India and South-East Asia, including notes on Operation LIGHTNING, 1944-1945; papers on service as Commander Chatham Group Royal Marines, including lecture notes1946-1948; unpublished manuscripts on aspects of Allied war effort in British Somaliland; papers on service as Honorary Colonel Somaliland Scouts, 1948-1958, and membership of Anglo-Somali-Society, 1960-1978.

Publications, mostly official, relating to UK defence policy, notably, defence expenditure, and equipment procurement, 1960-1990, including ninety-seven editions of House of Commons Official Report. Parliamentary debates (Hansard) (HMSO, London, 1964-1990) and thirteen editions of House of Lords Official Report. Parliamentary debates (Hansard) (HMSO, London, 1975-1990); fifty, mainly UK and USA official printed reports, 1960-1989, including Navy estimates, 1960-1963, Statement on the Defence Estimates (HMSO, London, 1966-1973, 1975-1981, 1988-1989); reports from the House of Commons Defence Committee, 1981-1989; reports relating to specific issues, notably strategic nuclear deterrence, 1973-1982, and the Falklands conflict, 1982-1987. Newspaper cuttings, 1968-1992, mostly relating to Malta, 1968-1972; Soviet seapower in the Mediterranean, 1969-1972; International naval affairs, 1970-1971; South Africa, 1970-1971; the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988; the Falklands conflict, 1982; US intervention in Grenada, 1983; Soviet defence policy, 1984-1988; NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation), 1984-1990; UK, US and European defence policy, 1984-1992; the US bombing raid on Libya, 1986; the Gulf War, 1991.

Manuscript notes by Corbett, for lectures, given at the Royal Naval War College, Portsmouth, Hampshire, between 1903-1918 relating to the First Anglo-Dutch War, 1652-1654, the War of the Spanish Succession, 1701-1714, the Trafalgar campaign, Napoleonic Wars, 1805, the Russo-Japanese War, 1904-1905, and combined operations. Six letters to Corbett, dated 1905, on a lecture given at the Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, from Col Sir Henry Seymour Rawlinson, 1st Bt, and R Adm Edmund John Warre Slade. Four letters to Corbett, dated 1906-1907, on a lecture to be given at Aldershot, 1907, from Maj Gen Sir Bruce Meade Hamilton and Adm Sir Lewis Anthony Beaumont. Four letters to Corbett, dated 1919-1920, on the writing of the Official History of the Great War: Naval operations (Longmans, London, 1920-1931), from Sir Maurice Pascal Alers Hankey, Secretary to the Cabinet, AF John Rushworth Jellicoe, 1st Viscount Jellicoe of Scapa (former First Sea Lord) and two from AF David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty of the North Sea and of Brooksby, First Sea Lord.

Typescript intelligence report by Courtney entitled 'Remarks on a visit to Soviet Russia-August 1935', with notes, publications and related correspondence, 1922-1936; group photograph of Courtney and officers of the Naval Mission to the USSR [1942]; two notebooks with manuscript notes by Courtney on German and Allied ship movements, USSR [1942]; papers relating to the USSR, 1943-1978, including typescript notes by Courtney entitled 'Soviet Russia and the war', Feb 1943, article by William Laurence Burn entitled 'Anglo-Russian relations: an historical retrospect', from The nineteenth century, Jan 1946; edition of US restricted publication 'The Soviet Union', US Government Printing Office, 1947; manuscript notes on Soviet governmental personnel, 1953; typescript note on internal security in the USSR, 1978; correspondence with the Admiralty, 1949-1958, relating to pay and allowances, Courtney's civilian business matters, 1954-1958, and the Admiralty's refusal to grant permission for Courtney to travel in the USSR as a private businessman, 1953-1955; personal and business correspondence relating to the development of Windermere Island, Bahamas, 1963; correspondence, publications and texts of speeches relating to the Monday Club, 1978-1985, including typescript text of speech by Courtney entitled 'The Soviet fifth column', Jun 1978; correspondence between Cdr Geoffrey Briscoe Penn and the Ministry of Defence relating to the vetting and declassification of the Courtney papers, 1991.