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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.

Papers relating to his military career, 1939-1962, principally his service in Burma, 1939-1941, UK, 1941-1943, North Africa, 1943, Italy, 1943-1944, and Korea, 1955-1956, notably including battalion orders for 2 Bn, Sherwood Foresters, 1945; German propaganda leaflets for US and Allied troops, [1944]. 'An ancient Yorkshire family', a history of the Slingsby family, written by Slingsby in 1989.

Papers relating to his military career, 1913-1945, dated 1915, 1919 and 1945, notably including his commission as 2nd Lt, Royal Engineers, 1915.

Papers relating to the defence of Calais, May 1940, dated 1940-1971, notably including copy letter from Wright to Kathleen Howard (later Mrs L W Wright), 28 May 1940, detailing the events of his escape from Calais; typescript extracts of messages from the log kept by Control Wireless Station of No 12 Wireless Section at Vice Admiralty, Dover, 1940, copied in [1960-1970]; 'Personal experience in the defence of Calais', manuscript text compiled by Wright in 1946 from a report written for the War Office in 1940; press cuttings and copies of press cuttings, 1940-1962; correspondence relating to the rescue of a group of soldiers (including Wright) from Calais harbour by HMS GULZAR, May 1940, dated 1940 and 1968; 'Calais 1940 remembered', article by Lt J A Evitts reprinted from the Journal of the Royal Signals Institution vol 10 no 3, 1971. Other papers relating to Wright and his family, 1916, [1975], 1986, notably including newspaper cutting concerning the rescue from under enemy fire of Wright's father, 2nd Lt Leonard Wright, by Pte William Hall, 1916.

Papers relating to his service in East Africa, 1912-1923, and Iceland, 1940-1941, dated 1916-1918, 1935, 1940-1941 and 1976, notably including maps of German East Africa (Tanzania), 1916, and Portuguese East Africa (Mozambique), 1918; field service correspondence book, including war diary entries, covering his service with 3 Bn 2 King's African Rifles, East Africa, 1917; letter to the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence, giving an account of action fought near Lindi, German East Africa on 11 Jun 1917, written in 1935; letter to Phillips from Harry Curtis, giving instructions relating to operations in Iceland, 1940; diary covering his service in Iceland, 1940-1941.

32 captioned photographs of the British Military Mission to Russia, Odessa Detachment, 1919-1920. Typescript 'Interim report by No 1 War Crimes Review of Sentences Board on Italian War Criminals', Apr 1949. Typescript 'Report and recommendations by No 1 War Crimes Review of Sentences Board on German and Austrian War Criminals', Aug 1949. Typescript notes on ten prisoners held at Karlau prison, Graz, Austria, 1949. Typescript lists of 295 male and 27 female War Criminals held at Werl prison, British Zone of Germany [1949]. Typescript lists of 30 male War Criminals held at Hameln prison, British Zone of Germany, with manuscript plan of the prison [1949]. Typescript list of 28 male and female War Criminals held in various other prisons, British Zone of Germany, and those transferred into the jurisdiction of other powers [1949]. Typescript 'Report and recommendations by No 2 War Crimes Sentences Review Board on Japanese War Criminals', 1949. Wade's personal file of notes, correspondence and directives as Chairman of No 1 Board, 1949, including manuscript letter, in German, to Wade, by German FM Albert von Kesselring, Feb 1949, with typescript translation.

Papers and photographs relating to his life and career, [1915]-1944, dated [1915-1920], 1930, 1944-1945 and 1963, principally comprising newspaper cuttings concerning his air crash in Burma, 1944, and letters of condolence to his wife, 1944.

Papers of Brig George Fothergill Ellenberger, 1916-1932, including operational orders for 64 Infantry Bde, 21 Div, Western Front, May 1916-Nov 1917, including assault on Flers-Courcelette, Battle of the Somme, Sep 1916, Battle of Arras, Apr 1917, and Third Battle of Ypres, Oct 1917; facsimile of report by Ellenberger and Maj William Wyndham Torrs Torr, West Yorkshire Regiment, on a reconnaissance of eastern Belgium and Luxembourg, 1930; two facsimiles of reports by Ellenberger on military liaison tours to Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Austria, 1930-1931; facsimile of report by Ellenberger on the political situation in Austria and Hungary, 1931; facsimile of report by Ellenberger on the growth of National Socialism in Austria, 1932.

Copy of manuscript account by Drummond relating to 1 Bn, Royal Ulster Rifles service during D Day, Operation OVERLORD, the Allied invasion of occupied France, and subsequent operations in Longueval, France, 1944, with four photographs including parade in Belfast, Northern Ireland [1936], groups of officers, Royal Ulster Rifles [1946] and Victory in Europe (VE) Day parade, Belfast, May 1945.

Papers relating to his life and career, [1931-1936], 1940, 1942-1943, principally comprising 'The army instructor or the instructor and the soldier' and 'The art of lecturing', typescript texts by [Rusbridge], [1931-1936]; detailed lecture notes, [1931-1936], notably on teaching methods and psychology, [1931-1936]; typescript summaries of lectures on psychology by Capt Frederick Wren, delivered at the Army School of Education, Shorncliffe, [1931-1936]; 'Education in the war-time army', printed leaflet issued by the War Office, 1940; bound volume of Current Affairs, journal issued by Army Bureau of Current Affairs, vol 2 nos 27-52, Sep 26 1942-Sep 25 1943. 'Reproductions of water colour drawings of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst', privately printed pamphlet, ND.

Papers and photographs of Lt Christopher Michael Cadogan from his service on the 'Hopkinson Mission', May-Jun 1940, principally comprising an album of photographs taken by John Gabriel of the Hopkinson Mission in Belgium and the Dunkirk evacuation, featuring photos from the Hopkinson Mission of refugees, military personnel and events taken at Valenciennes, Warve, Aalst, St Trond, Neelanden, Waterloo, near Terneuzen, Gennape, Enghien, Beuvry, Douai, near Orchies, Armentieres, Dunkirk, Ypres, Ostend and photographs from the Dunkirk evacuation including of SS AKUBIR and SS MARQUIS; Cadogan's typescript "War Diary" 10-29 May 1940 as composed Oct 1940 covering the period of the Hopkinson Mission's operations until evacuation from Ostend, with handwritten comments and annotations by 'JPG' [probably John Gabriel]; typescript edition of Cadogan's pre-war letters and his war diary of 1940, edited by his widow, Stella Zilliacus.

Papers relating to his service in the BEF during 1940, dated 1940 and 1980, notably including a text comprising a description of his role as Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General, General HQ, BEF, France, 1940, written in 1980, an account of his work relating to ammunitions supply, May 1940, including an expedition to Dunkirk to unload an ammunitions ship, written in Jun 1940,an account of a reconnaissance expedition to assess the area around La Rochelle and La Pallice as a possible site for a new base for UK forces, Jun 1940, written in 1980, and a conclusion giving Fernyhough's views on the success of the Dunkirk evacuations, May-Jun 1940, written in 1980.

Copy of typescript extract from letter, dated 16 Dec 1940, by Hingston, General Staff Officer 3 (Intelligence), Headquarters, 4 Indian Div, Western Desert, to his wife at General Headquarters, Delhi, India, with detailed uncensored account of British success in Operation COMPASS, 1st Western Desert campaign, 6-16 Dec 1940. Typescript notes by Mrs Hingston on Hingston's health and pre-war service in India [1997].

Papers relating to his service in Somaliland, 1940, notably including typescript copies of telegrams to Lt Gen Arthur Francis Smith, Deputy Chief of General Staff, [GHQ Middle East], giving a brief account of the attack by Italian troops on British forces at Tug Argan, 11 Aug 1940, dated 12 Aug 1940, and to [Gen Sir Archibald Percival Wavell] giving an appreciation of the current situation in Somaliland, 14 Aug 1940.

Photocopy of typescript account of service of 2 Lancashire Fusiliers in France and Belgium, 14 May-2 Jun1940, notably their evacuation from Dunkirk, 30 May-2 Jun 1940, dated 14 Jun 1940.

Copies of papers, 1940-1982, including narrative manuscript diary covering service with 3 Div Royal Engineers, Belgium and France, May-Jun 1940, with printed map entitled Lille-Ghent, North West Europe, sheet No 2, scale 1: 250, 000 (GSGS 4042, War Office, 1938); narrative manuscript diary covering service with 51 Highland Div Royal Engineers, North West Europe, Oct 1944 and Feb-May 1945, with typescript nominal roll of officers, list of casualties between Jun 1944 and May 1945, and typescript programme for the 51 Highland Div victory parade, Bremerhaven, Germany, May 1945; five printed maps of North West Europe entitled 'Brussels and Liege', 'Walcheren and Amsterdam', 'Osnabruck', 'Hamburg', 'Hannover' (no publication details or scale), with printed map of the Rhine entitled 'Outline of 51(H) Div RE plan, Operation PLUNDER', annotated with dispositions of Royal Engineers units for the Rhine crossing, 1945; correspondence with Maj Karol John Drewienkiewicz, 25 Field Sqn Royal Engineers, 1982, concerning operations of 3 Div Royal Engineers (May 1940); typescript text of lecture, given at Antwerp, 1982, on operations to clear the Scheldt Estuary, 1944.

Epic violet', a draft memoir covering his service with the Air Ministry and the BEF, 1939-1940, notably pre-war air intelligence, the 'phoney war' and air reconnaissance in France, Sep 1939-Apr 1940, the German invasion of France, May 1940, and the evacuation of UK troops from Dunkirk, May-June 1940, written in [1957]. 'Skies to Dunkirk', a memoir based on the above draft,published in 1982.