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Copies of extracts from 'Wells, a family history', produced by Tessa J Harfield, 1988, principally comprising a brief account of the life and RAF career of Sidney McLeod Wells (Wg Cdr Maurice Clunes Wells' brother), 1906-1941, written by Harfield in 1988; transcription of Brig (then Lt) Brian Gordon Wells' account of a big game hunt in Northern Rhodesia, 1931, written in [1931-1932], with his record of service, 1923-1955, dated 1955; transcription of 'My career in the RAF, 1935-1950' written by Wg Cdr Maurice Clunes Wells, written in [1980-1985]. Original manuscript of 'My career in the RAF, 1935-1950'. Photographs relating to Wg Cdr Maurice Clunes Wells' army career, dated [1940-1945] and [1980-1988], notably his internment as a POW, [1940-1945].

Papers relating to the career of Brig John 'Joe' Starling, 1947-1992, including copy of memoir Soldier On! The Testament of a Tom , (Spellmount Ltd., 1992), detailing 45 years of Starling's military career; pamphlets and brochures advertising the Parachute Regiment and the Red Devils display team including The Parachute Regiment: Challenge! , c.1970; Train to be a Parachute Soldier , [1975]; Parachute Regiment and Officer Parachute Regiment , Office of Information, 1985; The Airborne Initiative: The 1990 Airborne Forces Golden Jubilee Appeal , 1989 and recruitment posters; recognition guides including Tips for Tankers: Defeating Soviet Armor , US Army Armor School, c 1955; Recognition Handbook: Foreign Weapons and Equipment (USSR) , MOD, 1964; Notes on the Soviet Ground Forces , MOD, 1972; Intelligence Aide-Memoire , Staff College, Camberley, 1976; Threat Recognition Guide , 1 (BR) Intelligence Training Directive, 1984; RAF: Aircraft, Missiles, Vehicles , Office of Information, 1985; Threat Recognition Guide , 1 (BR) Intelligence Training Directive, 1988; and flipbook showing Soviet weaponry and equipment.

Publications including Field Engineering and Mine Warfare, Pamphlet No. 4: Mines - Individual Mechanisms , War Office, 1961; NATO: Facts and Figures , NATO Information Service, 1971; Ranger Handbook , United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia, May 1972; Northern Ireland: What is it like for soldiers? , HMSO, 1974; Back Pocket Briefs: Royal Navy, Directorate of Naval Staff Duties , MOD, c.1988.

Lecture notes, handouts, pictures, maps and teaching aids on topics including lessons learned at Fibua Tewt, Aden, May-June 1967; battle handling exercises: tank stalk and tank ambush; explosive excavation of trenches; tactical exercises, Joint Services Free Fall Trials Team, May 1971, and the construction of petrol bombs to effectively attack tanks. Photographs including Starling in a rubber estate, evening meal in the jungle, Bukit Prang Base, river crossing, a patrol resting, armoured 3 ton truck, the corpses of Tamil terrorists killed in ambush, captured weapons displayed by an Iban tracker, Malay policemen and Starling, Malaya, 1949; group photographs including Champion and Waterloo Company; Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, July 1947; Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Hare and Hounds; Waterloo Company, July 1948; No 2 Platoon, East Anglian Regiment Training Brigade; Officers, School of Infantry (Platoon Weapons Wing), Hythe, May 1950; School of Infantry Tactical Wing Platoon Commanders Course, August 1950 and the Parachute Regiment Regimental Sergeants Major Convention, March 1973. Also Yemeni flag with National Liberation Front slogan in Arabic, Aden, 1963.

Papers relating to the life and military career of Maj David Stuart Gilbert Smith, 1950-2003, including: detailed letters home from Korea, 1952-1953; account, 'The third Battle of "The Hook"', by Maj Rudolf Edmund Austin, c 1953; details of wanted members of Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA), Cyprus, 1956; instructions on personal security for members of 22 Bn Special Air Service (SAS), [1968]. Album of photographs and press cuttings, 1950-1957, relating mainly to Gilbert-Smith's rugby union career, but also including snapshots of Gilbert-Smith in Korea, 1952, press cuttings relating to his MC following the Battle of 'The Hook', Korea, May 1953, and press cuttings relating to his service with 1 Bn, Duke of Wellington's Regt, Cyprus, 1956; photograph album relating to Gilbert-Smith's command of 22 Bn Special Air Service Mountain Training Centre, Bavaria, Germany, 1965. Winning hearts and minds (Pen Press Publishers Ltd, London, 2003), Gilbert-Smith's theories of leadership, drawing on his military experience.

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.

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.

My long journey: a true story of World War II as seen through the eyes of a former commando soldier , typescript memoir by Colour Sergeant George 'The Joker' Jowett, including descriptions of training with King's Own Royal Border Regiment in Armagh, Northern Ireland and Liverpool, England; selection for Special Service as a Commando; training at the Commando Basic Training Centre, Achnacarry, 1942; D-Day preparations with 6 Commando, May 1944; D-Day landings and subsequent action, Normandy, June 1944; evacuation after being wounded and recovery in Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Gloret Auxiliary hospital, June-July 1944; return to service in Ostend, Jan 1945; serious injury while on patrol, Feb 14 1945; treatment and physical therapy in Lille, France; posting in Veroa, Greece, Famagusta, Cyprus and Tobruk with the King's Own Royal Border Regiment after the disbanding of the Commandos, 1946-1947; demobilisation, 1947. Also typescript memoir 'D Day: before and after', account of the Normandy landings June 1944 excerpted from 'My Long Journey'.

Papers, 1953-1977, including draft of article relating to the role of air transport in army supply, published in the Army Journal; Imperial Defence College background study notes, 1966, on international relations, the UK economy, research and development; papers relating to Aden, 1967, including extracts of regimental journals relating to operations of British units in Aden, situation reports of 1 Bn the Lancashire Regt (Prince of Wales's Volunteers), translations of daily communiqués of FLOSY (Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen) and NLF (National Liberation Front), texts of speeches and official briefing papers of Headquarters MELF, notes and drafts for a book by Dunbar on Aden; articles by Dunbar, 1971-1973, relating to operations of 8 Bn (Midland Counties) the Parachute Regt in France, Belgium and Palestine, 1944-1948, and 16 Independent Parachute Bde Group in Cyprus and Suez, 1956.

Papers, 1914-1979, of Brig Sydney Thomas Divers, including correspondence and papers relating to service with Territorial Force and Army Service Corps, 1915-1926; correspondence and papers relating to employment in Civil Service and other civilian posts, 1915-1952; Tropical topics magazine , produced on Troopship ARANDORRA STAR, 1941; account of 50 Div, Cyprus, 1941; correspondence and cuttings relating to award of DSO, 1942; 'Ships Orders' by Divers, Officer Commanding Troops, HMS HILARY, 1943; RASC Depot on Operation AVALANCHE, 1943; account of invasion of Italy, 1943; recommendation of award of US Legion of Merit; report to RASC services, Italian campaign, 1945; 'Supply and transport 8th Army Operation Instruction No 1' on formation of RASC Regt for assault on Argenta, Italy, 1945; Deputy Director Supply and Transport 8 Army Administrative Instructions, 1945; Deputy Director Supply and Transport 8 Army Appreciation, Spring offensive, 1945; message of appreciation from Lt Gen Sir Richard (Loudon) McCreery, General Officer Commanding 8 Army; Deputy Director Supply and Transport 8 Army planning memoranda on supplies for British troops in Austria, 1945; report of Deputy Director Supply and Transport on 'Lessons of the fighting in Italy 1945'; '8th Army Leave Scheme', papers, cuttings and photographs, 1945; 'A collection of Gen Montgomery's, Lt Gen Leese's and Lt Gen McCreery's messages to the 8th Army, 1942-1945'; Special Order of Thanks from Divers to the RASC on leaving 8 Army, 1945; commendation of Divers from US Lt Gen Mark Wayne Clark, commanding US 5 Army, 1945; correspondence with Lt Gen McCreery, 1944-1953; personal correspondence, 1948-1979, including with US Gen Mark Wayne Clark and US Gen Alfred Maximilian Gruenther; account entitled 'Left hook at Mareth' on 1943 North African campaign, 1948; RASC Review, 1951, including article by Divers on formation of RASC Regt in 1944, with related notes and correspondence, including with McCreery; 'A wanderer returns', Divers' reflection on post-war UK, 1945; notes on career and on 50 Div, TA, during World War Two, compiled for inclusion in The story of the Reserve Army (1968). Printed material comprises issues of the periodical The illustrated war news (1914-1915); Generals of the British Army [1917]; The war in North Africa [1943]; The advance on Rome [1944]; The road to Rome [1944]. The collection also contains programmes for a reception of 56 Div and 47 Div, TA, at the Guildhall, 1934; Silver Jubilee of George V, 1935; visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Newcastle upon Tyne, 1954; 'Last reunion, El Alamein', 1976; menu for El Alamein dinner, signed by Montgomery (FM Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein); photographs, chiefly groups and functions [1940-1945].

Look back with pleasure', typescript memoirs covering his life and career, 1897-1965, notably his service in Mesopotamia and Palestine, 1915-1918, India, 1919-1925 and 1957-1962, Africa, 1939-1944, Germany, 1945-1950, and Cyprus, 1964-1965, written in 1971.