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.

India remembered', a typescript account of political and military life in India during the period 1920-1939, drawn partly from his experiences in the Indian Army, 1917-1946, written in 1965.

Copies of papers relating to his service in Burma, 1926, 1928-1929, [1932]-1933, [1947-1953], principally comprising official report on the military phase of Hwekum Column operations, Burma, 15-20 Feb 1926, written by [Moore]; 'Report on the Naga Hills (Upper Chindwin) expedition for the abolition of human sacrifice', Jan- Mar 1928, written by H J Mitchell, Assistant Superintendent, Burma Frontier Service, printed by the Government of Burma, 1928, and including a report by Moore as Officer Commanding Military Police, Naga Hills Expedition; 'Report on the Naga Hills (Upper Chindwin) expedition for the release of slaves and the suppression of human sacrificing', 1929-1929, written by Mitchell and printed by the Government of Burma, 1929; typescript notes on the Burma Rebellion, 1930-1932, written by Moore for officers of the Chin Hills Bn, [1932]; typescript 'History of the Chin Hills Bn (The Burma Regt)', 1894-1933, written by Moore in 1933; typescript history of the Chin Hills Bn, 1942-1947, written by [Moore], c 1950.

Papers relating to service as Quartermaster General of the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) in France and Belgium during World War Two, including narratives, war diaries, reports and memoranda, 1939-1941; papers relating to service as Lt Gen in charge of Administration in the Middle East, including narratives, a volume compiled by the Q Staff entitled Maintenance of the Eighth Army...from El Alamein to Tunisia , 1943, and memoranda and newscuttings on the Middle East Base in Egypt, 1943-1948; papers relating to service as Principal Administrative Officer to the Indian Command, comprising texts of speeches and articles on Indian economy and the India Base, 1943-1945; papers relating to post-war life and career, mainly texts of lectures and articles and newspaper cuttings on international relations in the Middle East, especially the Suez Crisis of 1956.

Three scrapbooks containing newspaper and magazine cuttings, invitations, envelopes, menus, postcards, programmes, telegrams and correspondence, 1839-1906, notably including manuscript orders for Keppel, commanding Nile flotilla, from Lt Col Francis Reginald Wingate, ordering HM Gunboats SULTAN and ABU KLEA to Fashoda, Sudan, and for Keppel to communicatethe intentions of any Europeans found there to Maj Gen Sir Horatio Herbert Kitchener, Sirdar of Egyptian Army, 18 Sep 1898; cuttings from The Illustrated London News, The Daily Graphic, The Navy and Army Illustrated, Black and White and The Penny Illustrated Paper, mostly relating to the Nile Expedition, 1885, the Sudan campaign, 1898, including the Fashoda incident, Sudan, Sep 1898;invitations and envelopes addressed to Keppel's father, Capt Hon Henry Keppel, RN, 1839-1856. Three photograph albums with 454 photographs relating to Keppel's career, 1888-1913, including service on HMS ALEXANDRA, Mediterranean, 1888-1889; the loss of HMS SULTAN, run aground, Comino Channel, Malta, 1889; RN Gunboats on the river Nile, 1897-1898; the launch of HMSDREADNOUGHT, Portsmouth, 1906; Keppel's service as Commodore of the Royal Yachts, 1905-1909; the funeral of HM King Edward VII, 1910; the coronation of HM King George V, 1911; Keppel's command of HMS MEDINA on voyage to India with HM King George V for the King Emperor's Durbar, Delhi, 1911; Royal visit to Berlin and Potsdam, Germany, 1913. Typescript volume entitled 'Reminiscences of Admiral Sir Colin Keppel GCVO KCIE CB DSO. Collected from his diary' by Rt Hon Sir Algernon Edward West [1947].

Anti-British propaganda leaflet, in Arabic, Hindi, and Urdu; anti-British propaganda leaflet calling for the Indian Independence League in East Asia to assist the Japanese in ridding Asia of all British influences; anti-French propaganda leaflet distributed in Indo- China announcing the fall of Singapore to the Japanese, 1942

Papers relating to his life and career, 1917-1963, principally comprising official correspondence with Lt Gen M Brocas Burrows, British Military Mission, Moscow, 1944-1945, Gen Mark Wayne Clark, US Army, 1943-1944, 1951-1952, Maj Gen Richard Henry Dewing, UK Army and RAF Liaison Staff, Australia, 1943-1944, Maj Gen Gordon Edward Grimsdale, Military Attaché andhead of Military Mission to Chungking, China, 1942-1943, AF Sir Roger John Brownlow Keyes, Bt, Director of Combined Operations, War Office, 1940-1942, Lt Gen Sir Henry Pownall, South East Asia Command HQ, 1944-1945, Lt Gen Sir Harold Redman, British Joint Staff Mission, Washington DC, 1943-1944, AF Sir James Somerville, Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet, 1943-1947, and Maj Gen Sir Edward Spears, Minister to the Lebanon, 1940-1944, and Lt Gen Albert C Wedemeyer, US Army, Deputy Chief of Staff; South East Asia Command, 1944; personal correspondence with and about FM Lord Alanbrooke, 1946-1947, 1957-1963, FM Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, 1941-1961, and FM Archibald Percival Wavell, Viscount Wavell of Cyrenaica and of Winchester, 1943-1946; official andpersonal correspondence with Dwight David Eisenhower, 1942-1965, and AF Louis (Francis Albert Victor Nicholas) Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, 1943-1954, 1960-1964; correspondence with publishers and colleagues, including Gen Sir Richard Nugent O'Connor; papers relating to India, 1947-1951, including his correspondence as Chief of Staff to Mountbatten, 1947, notes on interviews with Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahomed Ali Jinnah, 1947, letters describing the political situation in India, 1947-1948, and correspondence concerning compensation for Indian Government servants, 1948-1951; correspondence concerning the proposed defence reorganisation, 1955-1963; papers relating to his service as Secretary General, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), 1952-1957, including his official progress reports, 1952-1956; newspaper cuttings, statements to the press and texts of speeches and broadcasts, 1952-1957; papers relating to his memoirs, [1940-1960] including correspondence with publishers, 1960-1961, and colleagues, 1957-1960, notebooks, 1940-1960, and drafts and proofs, [1960]. newspaper cuttings, 1943, 1948, 1951-1952, 1957; texts of speeches, 1943-1958; correspondence relating to operations in Somaliland, 1917-1920; notes and papers relating to his studies at Staff College, Quetta and RAF Staff College, 1922-1924. Papers relating to Rt Hon Sir Winston (Leonard Spencer) Churchill, 1940-1965, including personal correspondence with Churchill, 1940, 1943-1945, 1947-1964; correspondence relating to Churchill's memoir The Second World War (Cassell, London, 1948-1954), 1946-1956, including correspondence relating to Dieppe Raid, Aug 1942, dated 1950, and galley proofs, [1948-1954]. Printed material, 1941-1945, 1947, 1951, notably including copies of telegrams sent by Winston Churchill as Prime Minister, 1941-1942; minutes of Chiefs of Staff meetings, 1943-1944; minutes of Combined Chiefs of Staff meetings, 1943, 1945.

Copy photographs relating to his voyage to India, 1930, and his service in the Indian Army, 1930-1935, with list of subjects.

The peace divided', an account of his life and career, 1905-1948, notably his service in India with the Queen's Royal Regt, in Africa with King's African Rifles, and in UK, 1938-1940, 1941-1944, Gibraltar, 1940-1941, South East Asia, 1945, East Africa, 1946-1947 and Berlin, 1948, compiled in 1970 by Ben Lockwood, Hart Dyke's stepson, from notes left by Hart Dyke and printed in1995. 'Normandy to Arnhem, a story of the infantry', an account of his service with 4 Bn, (Hallamshire Bn), York and Lancaster Regt in the UK, 1943-1944, and North West Europe, 1944-1945, written using regimental war diaries in 1946 and originally printed in 1966, reprinted by 4 Bn, Yorkshire Volunteers in 1991.

Seventeen volumes of Survey of India. Geodetic Report, 1922-1940 (Surveyor General of India, Survey of India, Dehra Dun, India, 1928-1945), with editions of Survey of India. Supplement to the Geodetic Report Volume VI. Indian deflection and gravity stations (Surveyor General of India, Survey of India, Dehra Dun, India, 1931) and Survey of India. Supplement to the GeodeticReport 1937. Isostatic reductions of Indian Gravity Stations (Surveyor General of India, Survey of India, Dehra Dun, India, 1939). Eight volumes of Survey of India. General Report, 1947-1955 (Surveyor General of India, Survey of India, Dehra Dun, India, 1949-1959).Twelve volumes of Survey of India. Technical Report, 1947-1954 (Surveyor General of India, Survey of India, Dehra Dun, India, 1949-1957). Six volumes entitled Survey of India. Professional Paper No 15. The pendulum operations in India and Burma 1908 to 1913 by Capt Harold John Couchman, Royal Engineers, Deputy Superintendent, Survey of India (Government of India, Dehra Dun,India, 1915); Survey of India. Geodetic triangulation by Capt Guy Bomford, Royal Engineers, Superintendent, Survey of India (Surveyor General of India, Survey of India, Dehra Dun, India, 1931); Survey of India. Professional Paper No 27. Gravity anomalies and the structure of the Earth's crust by Maj Edward Aubrey Glennie (Surveyor General of India, Survey of India, Dehra Dun, India, 1932); Survey of India. Professional Paper No 30. Gravity anomalies and the figure of the Earth by B L Gulatee, Mathematical Adviser, Survey of India (Surveyor General of India, Survey of India, Dehra Dun, India, 1940); damaged volume entitled Survey history [1950]; The Survey of India during war and early reconstruction 1939-1946 by Brig Sir Oliver Wheeler (Surveyor General of India, Office ofthe Geodetic and Research Branch, Survey of India, Dehra Dun, India, 1955). War Office map case containing forty three printed maps of western Europe, mainly France and Germany, and twenty two printed maps of the UK, various scales [1944].

Papers relating to Gibbs' early career, 1917-1927, including typescript copies [1972] of combat reports written by Gibbs, 17 Sqn, Macedonia, 1917-1918; typescript notes by Gibbs entitled 'Service experiences', 1926; typescript Staff College essay entitled 'Leadership and morale', 1927. Nine typescript texts of lectures by Gibbs, 1948-1972, on the RAF in World War Two, post war airpower, India and the Indian Air Force and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), also 'Air power in modern war', by MRAF Arthur William Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder of Glenguin, 1947. Papers relating to Gibbs' career in the RAF, 1945-1954, including correspondence and typescript notes by Gp Capt I C Bird on the war efforts of India, South Africa and the Colonies [1948]; letter andgraph by Wg Cdr J D Warne, dated 1949, on numbers of sorties flown and losses suffered by the Luftwaffe and the RAF during the Battle of Britain, 1940; typescript copies of correspondence between Gibbs and Adm Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, 1953; typescript report by Gibbs entitled 'Report on the progressand the policy problems of the Indian Air Force', 1954. Papers and correspondence, 1955-1984, including typescript article by Gibbs entitled 'The lessons of Skybolt, Britain's new defence plans', with letter from Sir Hugh (Nicholas) Linstead MP, 1963; typescript memorandum by MRAF Sir John Cotesworth Slessor entitled 'Integration of the Services within the new defence organisation', 1964;correspondence with Dr G Vincent Orange, History Department, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, dated 1982, concerning research for A biography of Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park GCB, KBE, MC, DFC, DCL (Methuen, London, 1984), with copy of letter from ACM Sir Keith Rodney Park, Air Commander-in-Chief, South East Asia to MRAF Sir Charles Frederick Algernon Portal, Chief of the Air Staff, relating to the possible replacement of Gibbs as Chief Air Staff Officer, Supreme Headquarters South East Asia Command [1945]. Copies of Gibbs' letters to the press, 1955-1982, relating chiefly to defence issues, service pensions, capital punishment, immigration and Rhodesia. Publications and articles, 1928-1961, including copy of Air Ministry Air Publication 1308 entitled 'A selection of lectures and essays from the work of officers attending the fifth course at the Royal Air Force Staff College, 1926-1927', (HMSO, London, 1928), including article by Gibbs 'Lecture on fighter squadrons in air defence'; article by Gibbs 'Aircraft types and strategical mobility', Journal of the Royal Air Force College, 1930; booklet by Gen Sir Archibald Percival Wavell entitled 'Generals and Generalship' (reprinted from The Times, London, 1941); three editions of Impact magazine, subtitled 'US Tactical air power in Europe', May 1945, 'Strategic air victory in Europe', Jul 1945, and 'Air victory over Japan', Sep-Oct 1945; restricted pamphlet by MRAF Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard of Wolfeton, entitled 'Air power', 1946; restricted pamphlet by US Gen Carl A Spaatz entitled 'American views on air power', 1947; article by ACM Sir Keith Rodney Park entitled 'Background to the Blitz, from Hawker Siddeley Review, Dec 1951; article by Gibbs 'The development of defence in NATO's second decade', The British Survey, Feb 1959; article entitled 'Maintaining the deterrent in the future', by Gibbs, The Aeroplane, Mar 1961.

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.

Unpublished memoir of the life and military career of Maj Gen James Archibald Ferrier including: service with Royal Engineers, India, 1875-1878; Afghanistan, 1878-1880; Sudan (Nile) Expedition, 1884-1885; Sudan, 1885-1886; Tirah and North West Frontier Expedition, India, 1897-1898; Natal, 1904; Sierra Leone, 1911-1914; UK, 1915-1917. Includes epilogue and notes written by Ferrier's grandson, James Llay Ferrier, 1995.

Letters to his wife, Elizabeth Montgomery Carr, 1914-1940, including service on the Western Front during World War One, 1915-1918, in India, 1920-1926, and with 2 Infantry Bde, in Palestine, including details of Arab and Jewish unrest and the policing of the area by the British Army, 1936-1937. Certificates recording mentions in despatches during World War One, 1915-1918 and Warrants of Appointment for DSO, 1917 and OBE, 1919.

Edition of The British Way and Purpose, 3: The Growth of Empire, the Dominions, India, the Colonial Empire (The Director of Army Education, London, 1943); photocopy of manuscript note from Rt Hon William Maxwell Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook of Beaverbrook, Minister of Aircraft Production, relating to aircraft production and storage, [1943].

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.