Papers relating to Kennedy's career, 1911-1972, notably narrative diaries of his service on the Western Front during World War One, narrative diaries of his service with the British Military Mission to South Russia, 1919-1920; narrative diaries and papers relating to his senior planning role at the War Office during World War Two; typescript of, and papers relating to, an unpublished memoir of his period as Governor of Southern Rhodesia, 1969. A collection of official photographs relating largely to Kennedy's service at the War Office between 1939 and 1945, has been included at the end of the collection, as has a group of unpublished memoirs written by Col Roderick (Rory) Macleod, presented by the author to Kennedy in 1966.

Papers of Reginald Ruggles Gates, 1896-1969, including diaries and research notebooks, papers relating to Botanical Biology ; Gates' research files; photographs; appointment diaries; correspondence; papers relating to professional memberships and conference material; press cuttings and published articles on his research interests. Including diaries and research notebooks, 1906-1962. Papers relating to Botanical Biology , an unpublished work by Gates, including manuscript notes, statistics, photographs and plant seeds. Research files, including draft papers by Gates such as notes from publications, articles, lecture transcripts, lecture notes, chapters of books, book reviews and others. Also photographs, articles, tables of data on physical characteristics of various peoples, graphs and charts, press cuttings and correspondence, on a variety of subjects including botany, oenothera , ethnic groups, race, genetics, biology, anthropology and Gates' anthropological studies in Australia, Canada, Cuba, India, Japan, Mexico, New Guinea, Okinawa, South Africa and Taiwan. Photographs from Gates' travels to Algeria, the Amazon river, Andamanese Islands, Australia, California, Canada, Canadian Arctic, Cuba, England, Gibraltar, Italy, India, Japan, Kenya, Morocco, New Guinea, Russia, Sicily, South Africa, South Rhodesia, Spain, Swedish Lapland and Tunisia; photographs of plant life, particularly oenothera ; lecture slides; photographs used for publication in various books and articles by Gates; photographs of human and ape skulls and skeletons, photographs of people suffering from genetic diseases and personal photographs. Appointment diaries, 1921-1962. Personal and professional correspondence, including personal financial papers, 1903-1962. Papers relating to professional memberships and conference material, 1922-1962; press cuttings collected by Gates, 1915-1962 and printed material collected by Gates and his widow, 1928-1966, on subjects relating to his research including oenothera , botany, race, blood groups, physical anthropology, human biology, genetics, prehistoric man and population.

Papers relating to writings, broadcasts and lectures, 1969-1985, including typescripts for Evelyn Baring the last Proconsul, incorporating copy source material from 1942 and correspondence with publishers; newspaper articles, 1971-1985; and memoirs of boyhood and schooldays. Papers relating to conferences and travels, 1965-1982, including typescript and manuscript accounts of visits to South Africa, Swaziland, Rhodesia and Kenya in 1976, Iran in 1978, China, Hong Kong and India, 1979 and Brazil and Chile, 1980; and diary of travels, 1976-1980. Personal papers, including invitations and correspondence, 1970-1985.

Copy of detailed memoir, 'From air to chair', covering his RAF career, 1929-1961, including sections on his RAF training, bomber squadron service, 1930-1933, armament training and duties, 1933-1944 and service in Iraq, 1937-1939, Bomber Command, 1939-1940, the Air Ministry, 1940, 1947-1949 and 1954-1956, Malaya, 1946, Joint Services Staff College, 1947, Central Gunnery School, 1949-1951, Rhodesian Air Training Group, 1951-1953 and Technical Training Command, 1956-1961, written in 1985. Copy of chapter of personal family history giving an account of his father, Lt Col Lewis Collinwood Bearne, during the period 1878-1918, including his service in the Boer War and World War One, [1980-1985].