Papers of John Patrick Ryland, comprising papers relating to the Home Guard, 1940-1944 and collected material relating to World War One, 1916-1918, Home Guard papers, 1940-1944, comprise published material including Home Guard instructions on training 1940-1944; regulations, 1942, and training manuals, 1940-1944 and unpublished material including instructions for training exercises; notes from training courses and Home Guard examination papers; map of 'Hazebrouck 5a, Belgium', edition 2, scale 1:100,000, Geographical Section, General Staff, No. 2364, published by Ordnance Survey ,1916; map of the Somme, France entitled 'Special Sheet, edition 2 A' showing British and enemy trenches corrected from information received up to 24 Jun 1918, scale 1:20,000, published by the Field Survey Co. No. 3790; German map of France, Belgium and the Netherlands entitled 'Spezialkarte der Nördlichen Westfront' Flemmingskriegskarte No 23, scale 1:320,000, 1916 and 120 degree panoramic photograph Number 304 of the Somme from North North West to East created for the Fourth Army, 16 Nov 1916 and Daily Telegraph War Map of Europe, World War Two, specially prepared for The Daily Telegraph by the London Geographical Institute, displaying neutral and belligerent countries, scale 50 miles = 1 inch.

Papers relating to service with the 12 (Prince of Wales's Royal) Lancers during World War One, notably relating the advance into Flanders, the first Battle of Ypres, and the advance to, and fighting around, Amiens, 1914-1935; the writing and publication of Charrington's book Where Cavalry Stands Today (Hugh Rees, London, 1927), 1927-1928; papers from a report by Charrington on the operations of the British Army in Eritrea and Abyssinia during 1941; correspondence, narratives, photographs and maps relating to Charrington's command of 1 Armoured Bde during operations in Greece and Crete, 1941, 1941-1962.

Papers relating to his military career, 1937-1972, principally comprising recruitment poster for North Staffordshire Regt, 1937; unsigned account of operations of 2 Bn North Staffs Regt, France, 12 May-1 Jun 1940, written in [1940]; unsigned account of operations of 6 Bn North Staffordshire Regt, France, 1 Jul-31 Aug 1944, written in [1944]; The Battle of Flanders by Kenneth Adam (Hutchinson and Co, London, 1940); papers relating to his service with North Staffordshire Regt in Trieste, 1951-1953, principally comprising press cuttings concerning protests against the Allied Military Government in Trieste, 1953, and official photographs of visit by Adm Louis (Francis Albert Victor Nicholas) Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet, [1952-1953]; copies of letters written to his family during his service in Korea, 1953-1954; press cuttings relating to evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk, France, 1940. Papers relating to Bird's grandfather Gen James Lewis Bird, 1857- 1938, notably including copy of a letter from Gen James Lewis Bird to his sister Pamela, 2 Jun 1857, describing the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny at Meerut, India, May-Jun 1857.

Papers relating to operations of 20 Corps in Palestine, 1917-1918, including third Battle of Gaza; correspondence including with Gen Sir Kenneth Wigram, 1935, and FM Sir Philip Chetwode, 1926-1936, with related papers, 1911-1950; Bartholomew Committee, Jun 1940 including operations in Flanders, organisation and training of troops; Northern Command and civil defence, 1940-1945.