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Papers, 1814, 1857-1963, of Field Marshal Sir John Greer Dill and his family. Papers relating to Dill's family and family estates date largely from 1857-1953, but include press cuttings, 1814. The collection mainly comprises papers, telegrams and photographs relating to Dill's life and military career, dating from 1901-1944 but particularly from 1914 onwards, and includes correspondence and other papers concerning his service as General Staff Officer 1, 37 Division, and General Staff Officer 1, Operations Branch, General Headquarters, British Armies in France, Western Front, World War One, 1917-1918, notably instructions to 37 Division, 1917; 15 Division Operational Orders for the Battle of Arras, 1917. Official and some personal correspondence and notes, 1916-1939, including record of the advance of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, 1919; lecture notes relating to Dill's service as Chief Instructor, Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, 1920, and to his promotion to Lt Gen, 1936; letters from Captain Basil Henry Liddell Hart, Maj Gen Sir Sydney Frederick Muspratt, Maj Gen Arthur Cecil Temperley, and Maj Gen John Dudley Laverack, 1926-1939; correspondence with Field Marshal Sir Cyril John Deverell, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, relating to Dill's service as General Officer Commanding, Palestine and Transjordan, Sep 1936-Jul 1937. Official correspondence relating to Dill's command of 1 Army Corps France and Belgium, 1939-1940, principally including correspondence between Maj Gen Sir Henry Royds Pownall, Chief of General Staff British Expeditionary Force (BEF), and Lt Gen Ronald Forbes Adam, General Officer Commanding 3 Army Corps, Sep-Oct 1939; correspondence between Dill and Maj Gen Hugh Royds Stokes Massy, Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff. and Chief of General Staff Maj Gen Henry Royds Pownall, Oct 1939; correspondence with US Gen George Catlett Marshal, Chief of Staff US Army, relating to Joint Planning Committee, Mar 1940; correspondence on liaison arrangements between the French and British armies in France, Oct 1939, and letter to Dill as Chief of Imperial General Staff, from Lt Gen Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Southern Command, Nov 1940. Typescript report relating to imposition of economic sanctions against Ireland due to the refusal of permission for the use of Irish ports by the Royal Navy, Nov-Dec 1940, with letter from Maj Gen Hubert Jervoise Huddleston, General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland District, to Gen Bernard Paget, Chief of Staff, Home Forces, explaining the need for an appreciation of the political situation in Ireland, Jun 1940. Semi-official letters, diaries and notes to Dill as Chief of the Imperial General Staff, War Office, London, 1940-1941, including letter from Rt Hon (Arthur) Neville Chamberlain, Lord President of the Council, Aug 1940, official diary of tour of the Mediterranean, Feb-Apr 1941, correspondence congratulating promotion to Field Marshal, 1941; copy of personal minutes of Prime Minister, Rt Hon Winston (Leonard Spencer) Churchill, May 1941; notes on Dill's visit to Paris, France, with Prime Minister Churchill, including diary of events, May 1940; typescript notes on telephone conversation with Rt Hon (Robert) Anthony Eden, Secretary of State for War, Nov 1940; correspondence with Field Marshal Rt Hon Jan Christian Smuts, Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Pretoria, South Africa, Nov 1941,Gen Bernard (Charles Tolver) Paget, Commander in Chief Home Forces, Nov 1941, Lt Gen Arthur Nugent Floyer-Acland, Secretary to the Secretary of State for War, Nov 1941. Letters and notes relating to Gen Sir Archibald Percival Wavell, Commander-in-Chief India, including notes on operations in Greece, the defence of Egypt, Palestine and Crete, Sep 1941, and personal letter from Lt Gen Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, Commander-in-Chief, Middle East Command, regarding Prime Minister Churchill's negative attitude to Gen Wavell, May 1941. Four albums of photographs relating to Placentia Bay Conference, Newfoundland, Canada, Aug 1941, official visit to Canada, Aug-Sep 1943, and the Casablanca Conference, code name SYMBOL, Jan 1943, including the Prime Minister, Churchill, aboard HMS PRINCE OF WALES and aboard USS AUGUSTA 1941.

Papers relating to the North West Frontier of India, 1928-1933, principally comprising a letter from Maj J Muirhead, 2 Bn, Seaforth Highlanders, describing his experiences in the region, May 27 1928, and photos of Miri Khel camp and surrounding area, including staff of Seaforth Highlanders, 1930-1931. List of commanding officers and stations of 1 and 2 Bns, Seaforth Highlanders, 1881-1929, published as a supplement to Cabar Feidh, vol 5 no 33, [1929]. Papers of David Ogilvy Stewart, namely his burgess ticket for the Burgh of Hamilton, 1828, and orders to attend St James' Palace in connection regarding his duties at Queen Victoria's coronation, 1838.

Papers created or collected by Edmonds during the course of his life and career, dated 1827-1838, 1852, 1879-1881, 1890-1957, principally comprising typescript memoirs covering his life and career, 1861-1951, and notably concerning his work at the Royal Military Academy, 1890-1896, and in the Intelligence Division of the War Office, 1899-1901, 1904-1908, his service in South Africa, 1901-1902, and in World War One, 1914-1918, at the Geneva Conference, 1906, as General Staff Officer, 4 Div, 1911-1914, and in the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence, 1919-1949, written in [1951]; correspondence with Rt Hon Sir Winston (Leonard Spencer) Churchill, 1922-1954, relating to Churchill's book The World Crisis, 1911-1918 (Thornton Butterworth, London,1923-1929, abridged and revised, 1931); letters from FM Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig and his wife, 1903-1939, mainly relating to Edmonds' work on the official history of World War One; correspondence with Maj Gen Sir Ernest (Dunlop) Swinton, 1919-1950; texts of lectures,[1908-1947], notably relating to the American Civil War, 1861-1865, laws of war and the organisation of intelligence and information in warfare; typescript and printed articles, 1893-1957, mainly relating to World War One; official army handbooks and reports by Edmonds and others, 1899-1918, 1945; papers related to World War One collected by Edmonds, dated 1900, 1907, 1914-[1945]; presscuttings, [1906-1943], mainly concerning political and military developments and international relations; photographs, 1895-1918, mainly of Edmonds with Army colleagues.

Typescript and manuscript texts of fifteen speeches by Ash, mostly after dinner and school and college prize days relating to aspects of RN Electrical Engineering, 1955-1963, notably including apprentices' passing out parade, HMS COLLINGWOOD, Fareham, Hampshire, 1955; Admiralty Electrical Engineering Officers' annual dinner, 1955 and 1957; Devonport Dockyard Technical College prize day, 1956; inaugural address as Chairman to the South Western Sub-Centre, Institute of Electrical Engineers entitled 'Electrical engineering in HM Dockyards', 1958, with typescript copy of memorandum 'Electric firing - torpedoes and torpedo gear', 27 Feb 1873; Trafalgar Night dinner, HMS COLLINGWOOD, Oct 1960; Victoria County Secondary School speech day, Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, 1962; Rodway Technical High School speech day, Bristol, 1962; RN and RN Reserve Electrical Officers' reunion dinner, HMS COLLINGWOOD, 1963.

Correspondence, [1874], 1900-1901, 1914-1916, principally comprising letters to his family describing his service with 6 Corps, Mounted Infantry, South Africa, 1900-1901, and with 1 Norfolk Regt and 7, 95 and 14 Infantry Bdes, France and Belgium, 1914-1916, notably at the Battle of Mons, Aug 1914.

Papers relating to his life and career, 1896-1902, 1908-1918, principally comprising letters to his family, 1896-1902, notably describing his service in operations in Orange Free State and Transvaal, South Africa, 1899-1900; notebook relating to his service in South Africa, 1899-1902, containing copies of brigade and divisional orders, notes on horses health, lists of men killed and financial accounts; 'Notes from beleaguered Kimberley', an account of the siege and relief of Kimberley, Feb 1900, by one of his colleagues, [1900]; letters to his wife, 1913-1917, notably describing his service in the UK, 1914-1917, and on the Western Front, 1917; letters to Poore's wife from Lt Col William Brooksbank Garnett, Commanding Officer, 2nd Bn, Royal Welch Fusiliers, 1917-1918, chiefly concerning the circumstances of Poore's death; army message book containing notes on explosives, 1917; photographs of Poore, 1882-1917. Family papers, 1869-1879, 1893, 1899-1979, notably including papers relating to Poore's wife, Mrs Lorne Margery Poore (née Dennistoun), 1869-1879, 1899-1979; correspondence with his sister, Nina Hamilton, wife of Duke of Hamilton, concerning Poore's management of a suspense account established to provide for the Hamilton's children, 1904-1916.

Microfilm copy of manuscript narrative diary by Pyle covering the voyage of two Sqns of 5 (Royal Irish) Lancers from Kingstown, Ireland, to the Sudan, and the subsequent Suakin campaign against Dervish forces commanded by the Mahdi (Mohammed Ahmed Ibn Al-Sayid Abdullah), 20 Feb-11 Apr 1885, including an account of the Battle of Tofrek, 22 Mar 1885.

Papers relating to his life and career, 1842-1885, dated 1856-1885, principally comprising press cuttings, 1856, 1877, 1882, [1884] and obituaries, 1885. A ride to Khiva (Cassell and Co, London, 1876); On horseback through Asia Minor (Sampson Low and Co, London, 1877).

Papers created or collected by Maj Gen Sir Thompson Capper during the course of his military career, [1896-1914], dated [1888], [1896], [1900]-1902, 1905, 1907-[1914] , principally comprising papers relating to his work at Staff College, Quetta, [1908]-1911; printed pamphlets and notes on operations in Manchuria during the Russo-Japanese War, 1904-1905, dated [1908-1914]; printed pamphlet and notes relating to operations against Dervish rebels in British Somaliland in 1913, dated [1913]; papers relating to his service with 13 Infantry Bde, notably including printed training instructions, 1907 and 1909, and his circular to officers of 3 Infantry Bde summarising the official report on army manoeuvres, Dublin, 1910. Three printed books, 1888, 1902 and 1908, comprising books on Napoleon I (Napoleon Bonaparte) and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 and The Second Afghan War (John Murray, London, 1908), an official account produced in the Intelligence Branch, Army HQ, India, annotated by Capper.

Papers relating to his service in West Africa, 1897, comprising his diary, 1897; glass lantern slides, 1897. Papers relating to his service in South Africa, 1899-1901, notably including diary, Dec 1899-Jun 1900, describing operations in Orange Free State and Transvaal, Dec 1899-Jun 1900; letter books containing transcriptions of letters [to his family] describing operations in Orange Free State, Transvaal and Cape Province, Dec 1899-Sep 1901.

Manuscript letter written in Afrikaans by Boer soldier A J Tapper to the Boethma family, Groenfontein, 7 Nov 1899, detailing Boer attitudes and expectations during the Siege of Ladysmith, Second Boer War, South Africa, with English translation of letter supervised by Brig William Francis Kynaston Thompson, 1966, and correspondence between Thompson and former holder of the letter Mrs L K Dodderidge, widow of Sgt Dodderidge, 1966

Papers relating to his naval service, 1927-1951, dated 1927-[1951], notably including a brief summary of his career, 1932-1951, dated [1951]. Notebook of F M Palmer (Palmer's father), containing notes relating to his work in the Naval Store Department, HM Dockyard, Devonport, [1898-1900].

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.

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.

Copies of papers relating to service in Second Boer War, South Africa, 1899-1902, principally comprising letters to his family describing his service with 10 Bn, Imperial Yeomanry, 1900-1901, notably action near Boshof, Orange Free State, in which Boer Gen Count de Villebois-Mareuil was killed, Apr 1900, and the failed attempt to rescue 13 Bn, Imperial Yeomanry at Lindley, OrangeFree State, Jun 1900.

Committee on Military Education, Report of the Committee appointed to consider the Education and Training of Officers of the Army (HMSO, London, 1902), including the official report and recommendations of the Committee on Military Education; Committee on Military Education, Minutes of Evidence taken before the Committee appointed to consider the Education and Training of Officers of the Army (HMSO, London, 1902), including interview statements from officers in the Army, most notably FM Rt Hon Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts of Kandahar, Pretoria and Waterford; and Maj Gen Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton.