Key Information
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1956-1996 (Creation)
Level of description
Collection
Extent
1 box or 0.01 cubic metres
Scope and content
Correspondence, a television script, press cuttings and photographs relating to signals during World War Two, the Battle of the Atlantic and Operation GRAPPLE, 1956-1996; including correspondence and script for Westward Television documentary on the Battle of the Atlantic and Coastal Command during World War Two, 1969-1971; personal accounts, press cuttings and correspondence relating to the Battle of the Atlantic, 1990-1996; photographs of Operation GRAPPLE, British H-Bomb tests on Christmas Island, for which Oulton was Task Force Commander, 1956-1958.
System of arrangement
The collection comprises a single box arranged into sections as outlined above.
General Information
Name of creator
Biographical history
Born, 1911; educated University College, Cardiff (engineering) and RAF College Cranwell, 1927-1931; commissioned, 1931; served in flying boat squadron, Malta; studied and taught at School of Navigation, Manston; flying boat squadron at Pembroke Dock and in charge of research on navigational equipment, Ministry of Aircraft Production, 1939-1941; wartime service, 1941-1945, including training of British air crews and combined services liaison team, US, commanded 58 Squadron, set up RAF base on the Azores, in charge of the flying boat station, RAF Castle Archdale, Northern Ireland, Deputy Director Flying Control responsible for setting up air traffic control systems in post-war Britain; Director, Joint Anti-Submarine School, Londonderry, 1946-1948; Joint Services Staff College, 1948-1950; Air Attache, Argentina, Uraguay, Paraguay, 1950-1953; Director of Operations, Air Ministry, 1954-1956; commanded Joint Task Force GRAPPLE for first British thermonuclear weapons tests in the Pacific, 1956-1958; Senior Air Staff Officer, RAF Coastal Command HQ, 1958-1960; retired, 1960; upon retirement became Director of Defence Projects, EMI Electronics and established business consultancy, Medsales Executive; died, 1997. Publications: Christmas Island cracker (London, 1987)
Repository
Custodial history
Papers presented as a gift to the Centre by his son, Air Commodore Peter D Oulton, in 2002
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.
Existence and location of originals
Please note: We require 7 days notice to retrieve this collection as part, or all of it, is held off-campus. Read more ›
Note
Decorations: CB, CBE, DSO, DFC
Alternative identifier(s)
Subjects
- Wars (events)
- Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945)
- Communication process
- Disasters
- Group communication
- International conflicts
- Manmade disasters
- Military communications
- Military engineering
- Military equipment
- Military operations
- Nuclear explosions
- Nuclear weapons
- Operation Grapple (1957-1958)
- War
- Weapons
- World wars (events)
- World War Two (1939-1945)
Place access points
People and Organisations
Genre access points
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000.
Script(s)
Archivist's note
Source: Who's who.
Entry compiled by Geoff Browell as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.