Collection OLDFIELD - OLDFIELD, Maj Peter Carlton (1911-1992)

Key Information

Reference code

OLDFIELD

Title

OLDFIELD, Maj Peter Carlton (1911-1992)

Date(s)

  • 1941-2004 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent

1 file or 0.01m3

Scope and content

Papers relating to the career of Maj Peter Oldfield, 1941-1944, including: diary, Jun-Nov 1941, detailing work at Air Reconnaissance Unit at the Middle East Headquarters; typescript 'War Diary' of Peter and Elisabeth Oldfield, with excerpts from Elisabeth's memoirs of following Oldfield to Middle East and Oldfield's reminiscences of his experiences, written by a member of the family, [2004]; Elisabeth Oldfield's typescript memoirs; constitution of Special Air Service regimental association; photographs of the Western Desert, [1942], including Long Range Desert Group activities, Field Marshal Erwin Rommell, and surrendering Italian prisoners; photograph of ship being sunk off Tunisia, 1941; photographic copies of letters from Oldfield to his wife Elisabeth, VAD, 15 Scottish Hospital, Cairo, Egypt, 1943. Letters to family from William Gibbons of Knight, Frank and Rutley, including description of Oldfield's capture, 1943; postcards from Oldfield while Italian POW to family and friends, 1943; correspondence from Switzerland whilst interned including letters to his wife from Berne, Dec 1943; postcards from Oldfield to family, 1944. Press cuttings relating to POWs, Special Air Service and events of war. Papers relating to award of bronze statuette to Oldfield by 1 Special Air Service regiment, including letters from Lt Col David Stirling, 1981, and press cutting on reward.

System of arrangement

1 file as above.

General Information

Name of creator

(1911-1992)

Biographical history

Born Harewood, West Yorkshire, 1911; educated at Repton and University College, Oxford; worked for Knight Frank and Rutley, surveyors and auctioneers; commissioned into Warwickshire Royal Yeomanry; photographic interpreter; head of Air Reconnaissance at General Headquarters Middle-East c 1941; joined 1 Special Air Service regiment September 1942; captured near Tuorga, Libya, after destroying 20 aircraft on the ground, 17 Dec 1942; POW, Italy; escaped to Switzerland, October 1943; repatriated to United Kingdom c 1944; died 1992.

Custodial history

Presented to the Centre by the family in July 2004.

Conditions governing access

Open, subject to signature of Reader's undertaking form, and appropriate provision of two forms of identification, to include one photographic ID.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied from open material for research purposes only.

Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, via the Archives.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Finding aids

This collection level description.

Related descriptions

Alternative identifier(s)

Place access points

Genre access points

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000.

Script(s)

Accession area