Military Archives » The Collection

Typescript copy of Meteorological Office paper With Wind and Sword: the story of meteorology and D-Day, a detailed examination of the Meteorological Office's role in the preparation and execution of Operations NEPTUNE and OVERLORD, the Allied preparation and subsequent invasion of France, Jun 1944, including weather pattern charts, weather forecasts, and memoranda and reports from the Chief Meteorological…

Copies of diaries, 1911-1916, covering his flying training, 1911-1914, his service with the Royal Naval Air Service in the UK, [1914]-1915, Gallipoli, 1915, Bulgaria, 1915, and Egypt, 1916. Copy of account of his imprisonment in Turkey, Mar-Jul 1917, written in [1917], with newspaper cutting describing conditions in prisons in Constantinople, [1917]. 'The story of the men and aircraft of the Fleet…

Copy of account of his failed attempt to join 8 Lancashire Fusiliers in France, covering his journey from Le Havre to Amiens, and his return from Amiens to the UK via Cherbourg, 17 May- 5 June 1940, written in [1940-1945].

The collection is 26 copies of the Daily Mirror newspaper, 29 Jul-11 Jun 1916. Included in the newspapers are photographs and articles concerning World War One, most notably the Austro-Hungarian declaration of war on Serbia, 28 Jul 1914; the mobilisation of Russian troops, 1 Aug 1914; Britain's declaration of war on Germany, 4 Aug 1914; the Battle of Liege, Aug 1914; the French seizure of Alsace, Aug…

Papers relating to his RAF career, [1914-1939], principally comprising log book covering his service in the UK and Middle East, 1929-1939; photographs of aircraft, notably flying boats, [1914-1939].

Papers of Gp Capt Albert Peter Vincent Daly on his Army and RAF service, 1910-1945; comprising papers on service as Private with 1st Canadian Expeditionary Force, Aug-Dec 1914; notebook 'My Experiences with the British Expeditionary Force, France, 1915' giving account of service with 4th Connaught Rangers, 6-11 May 1915; transcripts of letters to his mother, 1914-1918; copy of Daily Sketch , 13 July…

Bound photocopy typescript of "Memories of the long and happy life of Robert Bramston Thesiger Daniell, Brigadier, Royal Horse Artillery", a memoir of his life and career, 1901-1979, notably his wartime service in Palestine, Egypt and Libya, 1940-1942, and in Western Europe, 1943-1945, where he helped liberate Belsen concentration camp, in 1945.

Bound volume of copies of Cabinet Office documents relating to the planning and conduct of Mediterranean Expeditionary Force operations in the Dardanelles, 1915

Papers relating to Staff College, Quetta, including rolls of directing staff and students, joining instructions and pre-course reading list, 1942-1943; certificate of appointment as 2nd Lt, Indian Army, 1940.

Typescript of Letters from Helles (Longmans, London, 1936) describing his service in Egypt and Gallipoli, 1914-1915, written in [1930-1936]. Army books containing notes, orders and letters relating to his service at Gallipoli, Jul 1915-Nov 1915. Battalion orders for 2 Bn, Northamptonshire Regt, Alexandria, Aug-Sep 1914, and 5 Bn, Manchester Regt, Egypt, Oct 1914-Apr 1915. Papers relating to training…

Papers relating to Darlow's service with the Royal Army Service Corps and in Staff appointments, 1942-1966, including correspondence and memoranda relating to Darlow's training, appointments and promotions, 1942-1964; typescript memoranda entitled 'The art of lecturing', from the Middle East Royal Army Service Corps Training School, Dec 1943; copy of War Diary for No 1 Line of Communication Transport…

Copy of account of his service with the Royal Army Medical Corps in the Sudan, 1924-1931, written for [The Sudan Society].

The collection consists of pamphlets written by Davidson, papers relating to his part in the Allied Military Mission to Moscow, USSR, 1939 and papers relating to his career in World War Two as Commander in the Royal Artillery and as Director of Military Intelligence. The World War Two material includes maps used in the retreat of the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) to Dunkirk, France, maps used as…

Papers of Brig George Mark Oswald Davy, 1918-1982, relating chiefly to Davy's service 1940-1947, including; copy of The Times , 11 Nov 1918; article written at Royal Naval Staff College, 'Some lessons of naval strategy in the Great War and their possible application to a future war with Germany', Jul 1939; papers relating to Maj Gen Sir Richard Granville Hylton Howard-Vyse's Mission to French Gen Maurice…

Papers relating to the military career of Gp Capt Montague Ellis Dawson, 1940-2003, including copies of three letters home describing bombing raids, 1940; account, 'The raid on the SCHARNHORST, La Pallice, 24th July 1941', describing a daylight bomb attack on the German cruiser SCHARNHORST for which Dawson was awarded the DFM, with annotated sketch map and navigation log relating to the raid, Jul 1941,…

Journal, 1935-1939, covering his service in Abyssinia (Ethiopia), 1935, UK, 1936-1938, including his court martial after the grounding of HMS SCOUT, Jan 1938, and the Far East, 1938-1939.

Memoir by Captain Stanley Brian | de Courcy-Ireland, A Naval Life (Englang Publishing, Poulton, Gloucestershire, second edition, 2002), written in 1990, detailing his life and career, 1900-1951, including the scuttling of the captured German Fleet at Scapa Flow, 1919, and his service at Combined Operations Headquarters, 1944-1945, under Maj Gen Robert Edward Laycock. Also, further notes on the scuttling…

Papers relating to 8 Army operations in Western Desert and Battle of El Alamein, 1941-1942, in particular Operations LIGHTFOOT, SUPERCHARGE and GRAPESHOT, including maps, memoranda and plans; 21 Army Group, Operation OVERLORD, 1944 including notes of operations, Jun 1944-May 1945; report on Operation BLACKCOCK, attack by 12 Corps at Roermond, Jan 1945; surrender by German forces, May 1945 including…

Papers relating to his life and career, 1885-1941, including typescript volume entitled 'The story of the Egyptian campaign, 1885-1886', written in [1914]; two typescript volumes entitled 'My narrative of the South African War 1899-1902' and 'Second phase of the South African War' with sketch maps, notes and recommendations of awards for officers and men of 2 Mounted Infantry Corps, 1899-1900; reports,…

Typescript memoir entitled 'Ships in bottles' covering his life and naval career, 1902-1952, notably his service in the North Sea and the English Channel, 1915-1916, off the West coast of Ireland, 1917-1918, in Turkey, 1922, China, 1927-1929, the Mediterranean, 1934-1936 and 1939-1940, the North Sea, 1941-1942, the Indian Ocean, 1942-1944, at destroyer base HMS DEFENDER, Liverpool, 1944-1945, and in…

Edition of Sunday, weekly magazine for the Chicago Tribune newspaper, including article concerning computer threats to the national security of the United States by Professor Scott A Boorman, professor of computer science, law, and social sciences at Yale University and Professor Paul R Levitt, research mathematician at Harvard University and Yale University, entitled 'Deadly Bugs', 3 May 1987.

The collection consists primarily of master copies and research papers for Dean's book on the RAF, The Royal Air Force and two World Wars, foreword by Sir Arthur Travers Harris (London, Cassell, 1979). The research papers contain Dean's correspondence on aspects of RAF history with leading RAF personnel of the period before and during World War Two, in particular with ACM Sir Arthur Travers Harris…

Papers of Major General Anthony John Deane-Drummond on 22 Regiment Special Air Service (SAS) Operations in Muscat and Oman, 1958-1959, comprising reports, operational instructions, correspondence, signals and situation reports. Including reports on the death of Cpl D Swindells, operational patrol led by Sgt Herbie Hawkins (Hawkins was awarded the DCM and the operation became known as the "Battle of…

The Death of Yugoslavia archive, 1941,1985-1996, consists of interview transcripts, videotapes, transmission scripts, files, press cuttings and published material concerning the disintegration of the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) during 1987-1994.

One volume of 23 typescript 2 Army planning intelligence summaries, dated 28 Jan-20 May 1944, relating to Operation NEPTUNE, the assault phase of Operation OVERLORD, the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, Jun 1944, with 31 aerial photographs of Normandy. Fourteen volumes of 336 typescript 2 Army intelligence summaries, dated 24 May 1944-5 May 1945, relating to the Allied campaign in North West Europe,…

Copies of correspondence and papers relating to the Women's Land Army, 1939-1946, covering clothes rationing and uniform, housing and billeting, conferences, wages, and related printed memoranda, circular letters and leaflets.

Draft text entitled 'My tour with the Pakistan Army' covering the period 1947-1949, written at the request of Maj Gen Shankal-Riza for a history of the Pakistan Artillery.

Manuscript narrative diary relating to Dewing's service as Director of Military Operations, War Office, and as Chief of Staff to ACM Sir (Henry) Robert (Moore) Brooke-Popham, Commander-in-Chief Far East, 1939-1941; two typescript narrative diaries relating to Dewing's service as Head of Army and Air Liaison Staff, Australia, 1943-1944, and as Head of Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force…

Photocopy of manuscript diary, in Spanish, written by Antonio Jorge Felipe Petane, leader of Argentinean scrap metal expedition to South Georgia Island, south Atlantic, 11 Mar 1982-14 Apr 1982. Passages detail events leading to the outbreak of the Falklands War, 2 Apr-12 Jul 1982, including the sailing of Argentinean expedition merchant ship ARS Bahia to South Georgia, 12 Mar 1982; the early sense…

Copies of papers relating to his career and the strategic significance of seapower, 1915-1962, including official and personal correspondence, 1915-1936, including letters from Adm Sir Arthur Cavenagh Leveson, Commander-in-Chief, China Station, 1923, R Adm Montagu William Warcop Peter Consett, 1923, V Adm Sir Lewis Clinton-Baker, 1926, Lt Gen John Greer Dill, 1929-1936, Adm Sir Herbert William Richmond,…

Papers, 1814, 1857-1963, of Field Marshal Sir John Greer Dill and his family. Papers relating to Dill's family and family estates date largely from 1857-1953, but include press cuttings, 1814. The collection mainly comprises papers, telegrams and photographs relating to Dill's life and military career, dating from 1901-1944 but particularly from 1914 onwards, and includes correspondence and other papers…

The papers cover the period 1914-1965 and include papers relating to service in England, France and with British Army of the Rhine, 1914-1919 in particular 35 Division Artillery Signals; Iraq, including diary, 1920-1921; Nigeria, including field message book, 1924; Quetta, India, including earthquake diary, 1935; newspapers covering death of King George V, 1936; command of Northern Rhodesia Regt, Lusaka,…

Papers, 1914-1979, of Brig Sydney Thomas Divers, including correspondence and papers relating to service with Territorial Force and Army Service Corps, 1915-1926; correspondence and papers relating to employment in Civil Service and other civilian posts, 1915-1952; Tropical topics magazine , produced on Troopship ARANDORRA STAR, 1941; account of 50 Div, Cyprus, 1941; correspondence and cuttings relating…

Papers principally relating to operations of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in Italy, Greece, the Aegean and the Balkans, 1941-1945, including: SOE training manuals, and various SOE memoranda relating to the 'Rhine mine', poisons, inland waterways, and the 'New Zionists', 1941-1944; memoranda and directives on SOE infiltration of Italy and the recruitment of Italian agents, the production of…

Documents of the National Security Council, 1947-1985 are microfilmed copies of memoranda, policy papers, directives and records of actions undertaken by the US National Security Council, 1947-1985. Document material relates to US policy with respect to Japan, the Soviet Union, China, 1948-49; military assistance to non-communist nations, 1948-49; US policy on atomic warfare, 1948; the Berlin Blockade;…

Documents on British Policy Overseas, Series 1, Volume 4, and, Series 2 Volume 2, are microfilmed copies of documents relating to British foreign policy, 1945-1950. Part of a larger collection encompassing British foreign policy, 1945-1955, the microfiche in this collection relate specifically to Anglo-American relations, Dec 1945- Jun 1950. This collection is in two sections. The first includes documents…

Documents on Disarmament, 1945- 1982, is a themed microfilm collection including documents on arms control and disarmament developments, 1945-1982. Subjects include relations with the US Atomic Energy Commission; proposed prohibition requirements for the production of biological and chemical weapons; bilateral talks between the Soviet Union and the United States, including the Strategic Arms Limitation…

Papers of Sir Derek Dodson, 1935-1986, relating to his service in Special Operations Executive (SOE) in Greece and Italy, comprising papers including message books, notes, reports and correspondence related to service in the Allied Military Mission to Greece, Sep 1943-Mar 1945; messages, notes, and diary relating to service with partisans in Italy, Apr-May 1945; photographs of Dodson; maps of Greece,…

Copies of papers relating to his life and career, 1935, 1937, [1939], comprising an account by John Masters of the shooting of a tiger at Bakloh, Punjab, 1937 (an incident in which Donlea was involved); photograph of Donlea, 1935; photographs relating to his service in North West Frontier Province, India, [1939], including 4th Gurkha Rifles and Royal Ulster Rifles.

Copies of papers relating to his life and career, 1921-1986, dated 1940, [1944], [1960-1970], 1986, notably including notes taken on a mountain warfare course, Abbottabad, India, Apr 1940; his Royal Ulster Rifles Historical Record, giving personal details and a career summary, 1921-1959, dated [1960-1970]; copy photographs of Donlea, 1935, and 1 Bn, Royal Ulster Rifles with Gen Sir Law Bernard Montgomery,…

Copies of papers relating to his life and career and other family members, 1911, 1915, 1932, comprising: letter from Lt Col Sir George Roos-Keppel, Chief Commissioner and Agent to the Governor General, North West Frontier Province, to the Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign Department, reporting the capture of a party of raiders at Tarnab and commending various army and police officers, including…

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,…

Papers relating to his life and career, 1906-[1968], dated 1930-[1968], 1984-1985, 1988-1990, principally comprising correspondence relating to his role as Group Controller, No 11 Group HQ during the Battle of Britain, Sep 1940, dated 1965, 1968, 1984-1985, 1988-1990; photographs, 1930-[1968], mainly relating to his service with the RAF, 1930-1955; 'The Battle of Britain, August-October 1940' by AVM…

Papers relating to aviation and transport, dated 1910-1928, principally comprising papers relating to Joint War Air Committee (Inter-Departmental Committee on the Air Service) chaired by Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby, 1916, Committee on the Administration and Command of the Royal Flying Corps, 1916, and Air Boards chaired by Weetman Dickinson Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray, 1917,…

Papers of Frank Dowling relating to his work for the Psychological Warfare Division, 1942-1945, including correspondence regarding positions with the Political Intelligence Department and Psychological Warfare Division, 1943-1945; Joint PWE/OWI and SOE/OSS Political Warfare Plan, Oct 1943 , outlining how Psychological Warfare Division and Office of War Information propaganda was to be used by special…

Papers relating to the Anglo-German Yola-Cross River Boundary Commission, Nigeria and Cameroon, 1907-1909, comprising bound typescript account of the work of the Commission between Yola and Kwosa, Aug 1908, with unsigned geological report on the Nigerian-Cameroon Boundary, Yola to Cross River, 1907-1909, written in [1909]; photographs, 1907-1909, bound with 'Two years on an Anglo-German boundary commission…

Three articles by Air Vice Marshal John Downey: 'The ageing of deterrence', reprinted from The year book of world affairs , 1983; 'The West against terrorism', at www.opendemocracy.net, April 2002; 'The Third World versus the West', at www.opendemocracy.net, August 2002.

Photocopy of article 'The Downfall of Leslie Hore-Belisha' by Major General Anthony John Trythall, published in the Journal of Contemporary British History Vol 16 (1981), pp.391-411, on the dismissal of (Isaac) Leslie Hore-Belisha (later Baron Hore-Belisha) as Secretary of State for War, Jan 1940

Bound volume of weekly intelligence reports by Valentine Hugh Wilfred Dowson, Basra, 1 Jan - 23 Dec 1944, including comment on: Iraqi politics and political appointments, propaganda, Iraqi economics, commodity prices, attitudes towards Britain, exports and supplies. Reference material relating to Iraq and the Middle East comprising: Extract from the geographical and statistical gazetteer of the Persian…

'Operation BUFFALO: the indoctrination of serving officers. AWE Report No T1/93', official Atomic Weapons Establishment report on a nuclear warfare training programme for British Army officers held during the BUFFALO atomic tests at Maralinga, South Australia, 1956, written by Drake Seager in 1994 using contemporary notes and reports. 'British atomic trials', copy of printed article by Drake Seager,…

Photocopy of account of the planning and execution of the invasion of Normandy in 1944 from the point of view of the Deputy Provost Marshal, 2 Army, covering the period 1943-1944, with particular reference to the role of the military police.

Copy of manuscript account by Drummond relating to 1 Bn, Royal Ulster Rifles service during D Day, Operation OVERLORD, the Allied invasion of occupied France, and subsequent operations in Longueval, France, 1944, with four photographs including parade in Belfast, Northern Ireland [1936], groups of officers, Royal Ulster Rifles [1946] and Victory in Europe (VE) Day parade, Belfast, May 1945.

Copies of papers relating to his life and career, 1929-[1962], comprising four letters written while serving in Mediterranean, 1936-1937; text of his speech to the crew of HMS BERWICK in honour of Capt Arliss, 1946; synopsis of his lecture on 'The Royal Navy today', given at the Sociedade Brasileira de Cultura Inglesa, Rio de Janeiro, 1951; curricula vitae, 1955, [1959], [1962].

Papers relating to his service in the RN, 1911-1945, dated 1911, 1914, [1918], 1919, 1945, principally comprising his notes on Battle of Dogger Bank, 1915; printed memorandum from AF David Beatty to flag officers, commodores and officers in command of ships in the Grand Fleet, 20 Nov 1918, concerning the handover of the German High Sea Fleet to the British Grand Fleet on 21 Nov 1918; photographs of…

The Papers of John Foster Dulles and of Christian A Herter, 1953-1961 are microfilmed copies of minutes of telephone conversations, memoranda, reports, and correspondence between Dulles and Herter as US Secretary of State and Under Secretary of State respectively (1953-1959), and Herter as US Secretary of State (1959-1961), and White House staff members, Vice President Richard Milhous Nixon, Central…

Papers, 1953-1977, including draft of article relating to the role of air transport in army supply, published in the Army Journal; Imperial Defence College background study notes, 1966, on international relations, the UK economy, research and development; papers relating to Aden, 1967, including extracts of regimental journals relating to operations of British units in Aden, situation reports of 1…

Bound typescript memoir by Duncan entitled 'Camp leader' relating to his experiences in civilian internment camps in occupied Denmark and Germany, 1940-1944, with additional biographical notes by Duncan's son, John Daniel Duncan, Sep 1997.

Report by Maj Gen Dermott Dunlop on 'Security of Documents', written by Dunlop when Special Security Officer, Colonial Office, [1951], consisting of a series of questions to consider about the storage, classification, and circulation of documents.

Papers relating to the career and publications of Lieutenant General Cyril Durnford, 1914-1956, notably correspondence including letters of thanks and congratulations from colleagues, government officials and industry figures; progress reports and testimonials; official notices regarding promotion, awards and transfers; sailing orders; leave arrangements; mess arrangements and pay information, 1914-1947.…