Harris introduction

Reference code: GB99 KCLMA Liddell Hart
Title: HARRIS, Maj Henry Ellis D (1913-1983)
Dates of creation of material: 1939-1945
Level of description: mainly file
Extent: 0.02 m³ or 2 boxes

Related pages:

Papers of Maj Henry Ellis D Harris (1913-1983), 1939-1945

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

Born in County Armagh, Ireland, 1913; briefly served in the Merchant Navy before enlisting in the 5 Inniskilling Dragoon Guards; commissioned into the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, 1939; evacuated from Dunkirk, France, 1940; served in France, North Africa and North West Europe, World War Two, 1939-1945; served in Egypt and with the British Army of the Rhine, 1946-1962; postwar appointments included the Royal Army Ordnance Corps Training Centre, Andover, Hampshire and the Central Ordnance Depot, Chilwell, Nottinghamshire; retired from the Army, 1962; died, 1983.

Publications:

• Model soldiers (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1962);
• assistant author of Brig Alan Henry Fernyhough's History of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps 1920-1945 (Royal Army Ordnance Corps, London, 1967);
• Irish Regiments in the First World War (Mercier Press, Cork, Ireland, 1968);
• How to go collecting model soldiers (Patrick Stephens, London, 1969);
• Knight's battles for wargamers. The Alma, 1854 (C Knight, London, 1971);
• The Royal Irish Fusiliers, the 87th and 89th Regiments of Foot (Leo Cooper, London, 1972);
• Model soldiers (Octopus Books, London, 1972).

PROVENANCE

The collection was given to Liddell Hart by Harris in 1967 and was incorporated into Liddell Hart's reference material. It was purchased by the Centre in 1973.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The papers relate to the role of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in the Middle East during World War Two, 1939-1945 and were used by Harris in his research, as assistant author, of Brig Alan Henry Fernyhough's History of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps 1920-1945 (Royal Army Ordnance Corps, London, 1967). The collection mainly consists of manuscript and typescript notes, memoranda, reports, photographs, statistical tables and graphs and related correspondence concerning the organisation of Ordnance Services (15/10/1, 15/10/5-7), the supply of Middle East Forces with equipment and stores (15/10/3-4) and the creation of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, in 1942, from the Engineering Branch of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps and elements of the Royal Engineers and Royal Army Service Corps (15/10/6).

Notable photographs contained within the collection include a series highlighting defects in the axle arm of Cruiser Tank Mk 6, 1941 (15/10/2), a series illustrating captured German clothing and equipment [1942] (15/10/11) and captioned photographs of the Captured Stores Depot, Alexandria, Egypt, May 1945 (15/10/13).

ARRANGEMENT

The papers of Maj Henry Ellis D Harris constitute section 15/10 of the papers of Capt Sir Basil Liddell Hart. The papers were used by Harris in his research, as assistant author, of Brig Alan Henry Fernyhough's History of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps 1920-1945 (Royal Army Ordnance Corps, London, 1967). The original order was retained by Liddell Hart and subsequently when the whole of the Liddell Hart archive was originally catalogued by Stephen Brooks between 1973 and 1975. This arrangement has been retained in the present catalogue, Jan 1998.

CONDITIONS OF ACCESS AND USE

Access

Open, subject to signature of Reader's undertaking form, and appropriate provision of two forms of identification, to include one photographic ID.

Copyright

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archive Services.

Language

English

RELATED MATERIAL

Related units of description

General correspondence with Capt Sir Basil Liddell Hart, 1958-1968 (Ref: GB99 KCLMA Liddell Hart 1/357).