Showing 19 results

Detailed memoir, 'I'd live it again', covering his life and military career, 1898-1945, notably his service in France, 1918, Egypt, 1919-1921 and 1939-1941 and East Africa, 1941-1942, written in 1947 and privately published in pamphlet form.

Fusilier, memoir of life and service, 1930-1960', typescript memoir by Lieutenant Colonel Neville Bosanquet, including detailed description of living and working in the army in the interwar period, stationed in the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Hong Kong, with analysis of the attitudes of soldiers in peace time; detailed descriptions of travelling in Communist Russia, 1935; living in Riga, Latvia, to learn Russian, 1938; travelling through Europe, Turkey and Egypt, 1938; life and work in England at the beginning of World War Two; training at Staff College, Quetta, India, 1942-1943; account of service under General Sir Hugh Charles Stockwell in the Arakan region, Burma, 1943-1945; including comparison of British and Japanese tactics, description of attack on Brigade headquarters, conditions experienced by soldiers and psychological effects of jungle warfare; account of service as General Staff Officer Grade Two under General Sir Francis Wogan "Frankie" Festing, 36 Division, including description of securing Shan region for Allies and liaising with American forces; account of service as instructor, British Military Mission in Greece, 1948, working with Greek National Army in Florina, Grammos, Vitsi and Salonika, including descriptions of the tactics of both the Greek National Army and the Democratic Army of Greece, and the difficulty of guerrilla warfare.

Copies of papers and photographs relating to Chamberlain's life and career, 1906-1970, including unpublished manuscript memoirs, 1906-1923; papers relating to pay and postings, 1915-1949; account of service with Royal Flying Corps, 1916-1917; typescript report on visit to Palestine, 1920; papers relating to service as Education Officer, London District, 1924-1928, including typescript official report by Chamberlain to Maj Gen Walter Patrick Hore- Ruthven, 2nd Baron Ruthven, General Officer Commanding London District on visit to the Army of the Irish Free State, 1926; papers relating to service as Education Officer, Headquarters Presidency and Assam District, India, 1934-1938, including letters from Maj Gen John Standish Surtees Prendergast Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort, 1934-1937, Maj Gen George Mackintosh Lindsay, 1938 and Brig Eric Edward Dorman Smith, 1938, and typescript account of tour of Tibet, 1937; uncaptioned photographs of tour of Tibet, 1937; article by Chamberlain from The Journal of the Army Educational Corps, on the Tibet tour, 1938, also two articles from The Journal of the Royal Army Educational Corps, on a visit by HM Queen Elizabeth II in Jul 1950 to the Army College, Wellbeck Abbey, Nottinghamshire (1951), and on the Command Education Officers' Conference, 1951, including printed photograph of all officers, including Chamberlain, still serving with the Royal Army Educational Corps who were commissioned into the Army Education Corps on its formation in 1920, with texts of speeches, 1953 and 1955; correspondence including letters from Gort thanking Chamberlain for sympathy on the death of his son, Lt Hon Charles Standish Prendergast Vereker, Grenadier Guards, and on the Governorship of Gibraltar, 1941, and letters from Gen Sir Richard Nelson Gale and Gen Sir James Stuart Steele, congratulating Chamberlain on the award of the CBE, 1956-1957; reports and memoranda relating to service as Chief Education Officer, British North Africa Force, 1943-1945 and Middle East Land Forces, 1947-1948; press cuttings, 1953-1958 and obituaries, 1970-1971.

Flying log books covering service in Egypt, UK and South Africa, 1928-1958, and obituary by Gp Capt George Roberts Montgomery, 1985.

Papers relating to operations in the Western Desert, 1940-1941, especially Battles of Sidi Saleh, Beda Fomm and Operation BATTLEAXE, the attempt to relieve Tobruk, including typescript report by Lt Gen Sir Richard Nugent O'Connor on operations of 7 Armoured Div, Mechili, Cyrenaica, Libya, Feb 1941; typescript text of lecture by Creagh entitled 'Operations of the 7th Armoured Division in the Western Desert from June 1940 to March 1941' [1942]; typescript reports by unit commanders and Staff Officers on operations during First Libyan campaign, 1940-1941, including Lt Gen Sir Noel Monson de la Poer Beresford-Pierse, General Officer Commanding Western Desert Force, Lt Gen Sir Richard Nugent O'Connor, General Officer Commanding 13 Corps, Brig John Alan Lyde Caunter, commanding 4 Armoured Bde, Col George Edward Younghusband, 2 Armoured Div, Brig William Henry Ewart Gott, commanding Support Group, and Brig Hugh Edward Russell, commanding 7 Armoured Bde; typescript report by Creagh entitled 'The 7th Armoured Division', with five printed maps of North Africa, Nov 1943. Correspondence, 1942-1970, notably including letters from Lt Gen Giffard Le Quesne Martel, Commander Royal Armoured Corps, 1942, and Lt Gen Sir Richard (Alan) Fyffe, Col Commandant, 3 Bn, The Royal Green Jackets, 1970.

Papers relating to Crick's service in the Western Desert, 1941-1943, as Instructor, War Intelligence Course, School of Military Intelligence, Matlock, Derbyshire, 1943-1944, and with Operational Intelligence, G2 Division, Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF), 1944-1945, including copy of War Diary, General Staff Intelligence Branch, Headquarters 8 Army, 25 Sep-31 Oct 1941; typescript memorandum by Crick 'The possible effect of CROSSBOW on OVERLORD', on how Operation CROSSBOW, (Allied countermeasures against German V-weapons), could influence Operation OVERLORD, (the Allied invasion of occupied Europe), Mar 1944; typescript memorandum by Crick 'The heart of Germany', on the importance of the Ruhr industrial region to Allied strategy, Mar 1944; typescript report by Crick on visit to OKW (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, the German Armed Forces High Command), Flensburg, Germany, 11 May 1945. Papers relating to Crick's service with the British Joint Services Mission, Washington DC, USA, 1953-1956, including typescript text of lecture by Maj Gen Sir Kenneth William Dobson Strong, Director of Joint Intelligence Bureau, on UK and US Intelligence collaboration and spheres of influence [1953]; typescript memorandum 'Probable Bloc preoccupations in Asia, including Middle East, until mid 1955' [1953]; papers relating to the reorganisation of the Economic and General Division of the Joint Intelligence Bureau, 1956. Papers relating to the Imperial Defence College tour of Pakistan, India, East Pakistan, Ceylon and Aden, Aug-Sep 1960, including itineraries, travel arrangements, three photographs, invitations and a printed map of the Middle East showing oil wells, refineries and pipelines, 1960. Manuscript and typescript notes for a lecture by Crick entitled 'A career in Intelligence', given at Intelligence Corps course, with one audio tape of 20 minute lecture by Crick on interrogation techniques, Ashford College, Kent, Oct 1984. Edition of In the caves of the mind. Poems by Alan Crick (Privately published, Rye, Sussex, 1992). Newspaper cuttings, photographs and publications, 1938-1959, including German newspaper cuttings relating to the visit to Danzig by Rt Hon Alfred Duff Cooper, First Lord of the Admiralty, Aug 1938; three editions of Battledress. The Cadet magazine, Feb-Jun 1940; nine editions of The Crusader Eighth Army Weekly, Oct 1942-Apr 1943; sixteen editions of 'Interim. British Army of the Rhine Intelligence Review', Jun 1945-Apr 1946; three editions of 'Occupation. British Army of the Rhine Intelligence Review', May-Jul 1946. Edition of '21st (British) Army Group in the campaign in North West Europe 1944-1945. Lecture by Field Marshal Sir Bernard L Montgomery to the Royal United Service Institution, London, October 1945'; six photographs and five copies of photographs of Crick, Western Desert and Germany, 1941-1945, and two group photographs, Staff and Students, Joint Services Staff College, 1948, and Military Attachés Conference, Episkopi, Cyprus, 1959.

Bound photocopy typescript of "Memories of the long and happy life of Robert Bramston Thesiger Daniell, Brigadier, Royal Horse Artillery", a memoir of his life and career, 1901-1979, notably his wartime service in Palestine, Egypt and Libya, 1940-1942, and in Western Europe, 1943-1945, where he helped liberate Belsen concentration camp, in 1945.

Seventy one manuscript and typescript letters from Capt Basil Henry Liddell Hart to Robert Graves, 1939-1961, with typescript articles, extracts and notes by Liddell Hart including 'A reflection on the sustenance of morale', 1942; 'Notes on the Dieppe "reconnaissance in force", from a Canadian soldier', 1942; 'Age-old truths of war', 1942; 'Reprisals on prisoners', 1942; 'Historical note on the defence plan that foiled Rommel's invasion of Egypt in 1942 - by the officer who designed it (E E Dorman Smith)' (Maj Gen Eric Edward Dorman Smith), 1943; 'Three civilisations', 1944; 'Inconsistencies of historical judgment', 1961; 'Notes on the BBC's centenary programme on Haig' (FM Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig), 1961.

Correspondence and papers of Sqn Ldr Anthony Thorburn Irvine, 1922-1941, including; letters to his parents from Eton and Oxford, 1922-1935; letters to his parents from flying training, Yorkshire, 1935; letters to his parents from RAF Amman, Transjordan, 1939; letters to Katherine Lowick (subsequently Katherine Irvine) and to his parents, 1940, including an account of his unauthorised raid on the Italian naval base at Massawa, Eritrea, June 1940; telegrams to Katherine Irvine from Egypt, Feb-Mar 1941; letters of condolence to family, 1941; family correspondence with Red Cross and with Air Ministry, 1941-1942, concerning Irvine's death. Also papers relating to research on Irvine by James Irvine (son), including: correspondence, 1982-1996, relating to 211 Squadron in Greece, 1941; account of Irvine family history by James Irvine, with detailed account of Irvine's last raid, Parymythia, Greece, Apr 1941; autobiography by Diana Athill, Instead of a letter (this edition Granta, London 2001), detailing her relationship with Irvine (whom she names 'Paul').

Photographs and letters to his family, [1933-1942], relating to his service with the RAF in the UK, Egypt and Far East.

List the bugle, reminiscences of an Irish soldier (Greystone, Antrim, 1993), a memoir of his life and career, 1921-1976, notably his service in the UK and France, 1942, including the Allied raid on St Nazaire,1942, his experiences as a POW, Germany, 1942-1945, his service in Palestine, 1945-1946, Egypt, 1949-1951, Malaya, 1956-1958, and Cyprus, 1958, and his command of the 1 Bn, Royal Ulster Rifles, Borneo, 1963-1964, and of the Sultan's Armed Forces, Oman, 1967-1970.

The collection covers Pyman's career from 1937 until 1963 when he suffered a severe stroke which forced his retirement in 1964. The earliest papers date from Pyman's work with the Royal Tank Cadre in converting the 17/21 Lancers from a cavalry to an armoured regiment. There are also papers from Pyman's period as an instructor at the Staff College in Quetta, India, 1939-1941. Pyman was involved in the World War Two campaigns by the 8 Army in the Western Desert, in 1941 as General Staff Officer with 7 Armoured Div, 30 Corps and in 1942-1943 as Commander of the 3 Royal Tank Regiment, 10 Armoured Div, 30 Corps. The papers consist mostly of Pyman's assessments of lessons learned from the ongoing campaigns particularly with regard to tanks and armoured units. In 1944-1945 Pyman was Brigidier General Staff, 30 Corps, 2 Army in the Normandy landings and the invasion of Northern Europe, with particular responsibility for organisation and planning of the Rhine crossing and advance to the Baltic. This is reflected in the papers which largely consist of planning studies and reports for the operations involved, this section also contains maps used in the campaign. Pyman's next appointment was as Chief of General Staff, Allied Land Forces, South East Asia, 1945-1946 which is documented by a series of diaries which reflect the tasks faced by Pyman in this command including dealing with the build up of tension between newly liberated former colonies keen to assert their right for independence and the former colonial powers such as France and Netherlands. Pyman spent 1946-1949 as Chief of Staff, Middle East Land Forces and kept monthly diaries which form the bulk of this section of the collection. The diary entries and additional papers reflect the debate over policy in the Middle East in the British Government and Military command, they include detail on the British withdrawal from Greece, the problem of illegal Jewish immigrants and their internment in Cyprus, the end of the British mandate in Palestine and the the effect of this on relations between Britain with Egypt and the other Arab states and the subsequent Arab Israeli conflict. This section of the collection also contains correspondence between Pyman and Maj Gen Sir Miles Christopher Dempsey on personal matters and on the Middle East. There are also papers from Pyman's work at the Ministry of Supply as Director General of Fighting Vehicles, 1951-1953, Director of Weapons Development, War Office, 1955-1956 mostly brief diary entries and lecture texts. Pyman was also General Officer Commanding, British Army on the Rhine, 1953-1955 and General Officer Commanding, 1 British Corps, 1956-1958 and the papers relating to these commands consist mostly of lectures, reports and directives reflecting his interest in armoured divisions and training. There are some papers, mostly personal correspondence and press cuttings, from Pyman's final command as Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Northern Europe in North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The collection also contains correspondence relating to Pyman's role as Colonel Commandant of the Royal Tank Regiment and The Royal Armoured Corps and a series of letters covering the reorganisation of the Berks and Westminster Dragoons, of which he was Honorary Colonel. The rest of the collection consists of diaries, correspondence, speeches, writings including the draft copy and papers relating to his autobiography, some preparatory work on a history of the 2 Army and reference works. The collection also includes the Boer War diaries and other papers of Col James Redmond Patrick Gordon who commanded the 1 Cavalry Bde of the South African Field Force 1900-1901 which were given to Pyman by a friend.

Twenty seven letters from Capt Basil Henry Liddell Hart to Russell, 1927-1943, mostly relating to books and articles by Liddell Hart, with four typescript articles by Liddell Hart, 'The problem of quickening manoeuvre', Dec 1942; 'Arms for the attack', Dec 1942; 'Where are our airborne troops?', Jan 1943; and 'Is our soldiership carrying too much top hamper?', Feb 1943. Also two typescript copies of 'Historical note on the defence plan that foiled Rommel's invasion of Egypt in 1942 - by the officer who designed it (E E Dorman Smith)', Apr 1943, with newspaper cuttings, 1943, 1957-1970, and edition of Picture Post, 15 May 1943.

Microfilm copies of papers relating to his naval career, 1942-1946, principally comprising 'Africa Navy blues', an illustrated account of his experiences in the RN, 1942-1946, written in 1946, covering his service on HMS BIRMINGHAM in a convoy from Egypt to Malta (Operation VIGOROUS), June 1942, and on anti-submarine trawlers in the Bay of Bengal, 1942, during the Allied invasion of Madagascar, 1942, and in South Africa, 1942-1945; diary, 1943-1945. 'War time trawler', a transcript of a broadcast by James McClurg of the South African Broadcasting Corporation concerning his experiences on board an anti-submarine trawler during World War Two, written in [1940-1945].

Unpublished typescript memoirs, 1893-1969, including: accounts of life in the British colony in St Petersburg before World War One; work in the British Military Mission at the Russian War Office; events witnessed during the Russian Revolution and conditions for the Russian Army during the Revolution, 1917-1918; evacuation of British personnel from Russia, February 1918; negotiating with Finnish Red and White commanders while travelling through Finland during the Civil War; liaising with Admiral Aleksandr Vasiliyevich Kolchak and the White armies in Harbin, China, 1918; liaising with General Mikhail Konstantinovich Dieterichs, Czechoslovak Legions, and a special mission to Ataman Grigory Mikhaylovich Semyonov (or Semenov) in Chita, Transbaikalia, November 1918; activities as General Sir Harry Knox's liaison officer at the White Army Headquarters in Omsk, November 1918 - November 1919; the retreat from Omsk to Vladivostock following the success of the Bolshevik army, November 1919 - March 1920; stationing in Gibraltar and Egypt, 1921-1922; life and work in Simla, Waziristan and Kamptee, India, 1922-1928; work as an intelligence officer, Meshed, Persia (Iran), 1928-1931; life and work in Bombay, Ajmer, Jhansi, Alwar and Delhi, India, 1932-1935, including description of rioting under the Maharajah of Alwar; experiences working in India, China and Egypt during World War Two, including visit to Palestine; account of working in the post-war timber trade and as a consultant in the Russian Section of the London Chamber of Commerce. Also article 'Anglo-Russian Timber Trade: Personal Reminiscences and Reflections of Col L Steveni', The Timber Trades Journal , 11 March 1961, and article by Richard J Aldrich, University of Nottingham, from Modern Asian Studies 32, 1 (1998), pp. 179-217, entitled "Britain's Secret Intelligence Service in Asia during the Second World War" including analysis of Steveni's role as Director of British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) in Asia.

War Cabinet Minutes (HMSO), 1939-1945 is a themed microfiche collection containing copies of the minutes of the War Cabinet Meetings, Sep 1939-Jul 1945, and Cabinet Conclusions and Confidential Annexes, 1941-1945. Meeting minutes include British plans to create discord amongst the German High Command, Nov 1939; criticism of the military campaign in Norway, May 1940; First Lord of the Admiralty Winston (Leonard Spencer) Churchill's criticism of the Allied propaganda campaign in France, May 1940; speculation on the ability of the German population to sustain prolonged war, May 1940; reaction to the Allied withdrawals in France and Belgium, May 1940; the debate over the possible compromise peace with Germany, 26-28 May 1940; the decision to intern all enemy aliens in the United Kingdom; May 1940; Churchill's reaction to American isolationism, May 1940; the seizing of French warships in British and Egyptian harbours and the sinking of French warships at Mers-el-Kebir, Egypt, 23 Jun 1940; straining Anglo-French relations, Jul 1940; the Anglo-American 'destroyers for bases' agreement, Aug 1940; Churchill's attempt to take to court the Sunday Pictorial and the Daily Mirror over the newspapers' alleged anti-Government editorials, Oct 1940; preparations for the possible German invasion of the Britain, 1940; civil defence precautions in Britain, 1940; the British intervention in Greece, 1941; speculation on Soviet military collapses following the invasion of the Soviet Union by German armed forces, Jun 1941; Churchill's appeals to US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt for American intervention in the war, 1941; reaction over the fall of Singapore and Malaya to Japanese armed forces, Feb 1942; Anglo-American preparations for the invasion of North Africa, 1942; naval and air operations against France, 1943; the 'Beveridge Report' on social security in Britain, 1943; reports on Allied conferences at Casablanca, Jan 1943, and Washington, May 1943; the Allied decision to invade France made at the QUADRANT Conference, Quebec, Canada, Aug 1943; the planning and conduct of Operation OVERLORD, the Allied invasion of France, Jun 1944; the effect of the bombardment of London by German V1 pilotless aircraft and possible RAF reprisals against German civilian targets, Jun 1944; post-war reconstruction and rehabilitation in Europe, Jul 1944; plans for the Allied occupation of Germany and Austria, Nov 1944; British intervention in Greece in order to prevent a Communist take-over of the peninsula, Nov 1944; the establishment of the United Nations, 1945; arrangements for celebrating the end of the war in Europe, May 1945; the British General Election, Jul 1945.

Copies of editions of World War Two newspapers, including Daily Express; Daily Sketch; Daily Mail; Daily Mirror; Daily Herald; Evening Standard; and Union Jack, 1940-1945, with articles relating to the withdrawal of British and French forces at Dunkirk, France, May 1940; the German occupation of Athens, Greece, Apr 1941; German and Italian frontier assaults across the Egyptian border, Apr 1941; US naval protection of British merchant routes across the Atlantic, Apr 1941; the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, United States, Dec 1941; the Japanese declaration of war on Britain and the United States, Dec 1941; the US naval victory over the Imperial Japanese Navy at Midway Island, Jun 1942; the establishment of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force in London, under the commander of US Gen Dwight David Eisenhower, Jan 1944; the Allied capture of Rome, Italy, Jun 1944; the Allied invasion of Northwest France, Jun 1944; the surrender of the German armed forces in Paris, France, Jun 1944; the unconditional surrender of all German armed forces in Italy, May 1945