Collection MEATES - MEATES, Lt Col Geoffrey Wells (1900-1985)

Key Information

Reference code

MEATES

Title

MEATES, Lt Col Geoffrey Wells (1900-1985)

Date(s)

  • 1919-1947 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent

0.07 cubic metres (7 boxes)

Scope and content

Papers, 1919-1947, of Lt Col Geoffrey Wells Meates, comprising his diaries, 1919, 1921-1939, 1943-1947, containing detailed narrative entries daily, and correspondence with his parents, 1921-1935, 1939-1945. Meates' diaries and letters record his activities, experiences, surroundings and travels, including his service with the Royal Artillery in Rangoon, Burma, and Calcutta, India, in the 1920s, and with Anti-Aircraft Artillery units in France (British Expeditionary Force, 1939-1940), Malta (1940-1944) and England (1944-1945) during World War Two.

System of arrangement

Meates' diaries (Ref: I) are arranged chronologically by volume and then by loose leaves; correspondence with his parents (Ref: II) is arranged chronologically.

General Information

Name of creator

(1900-1985)

Biographical history

Born, 1900; educated at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, from 1919; commissioned into the Royal Artillery, 1921; service with Royal Artillery, Shoeburyness, Essex, 1921; served with 4 Bde, Royal Artillery, India, 1921-1924; Adjutant, Royal Artillery, India, 1924-1927; Adjutant, 3 (Rangoon) Bde, Royal Artillery (Auxiliary Force), Rangoon, Burma, May-Sep 1927; served at Spike Island, Queenstown, Cork, Ireland, 1929-1930; service as Instructor, Royal Artillery, Clarence Barracks, Portsmouth, Hampshire, 1931-1932; Capt, Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, 1932-1936; retired, Dec 1936; served in World War Two, 1939-1945; Instructor, Anti Aircraft militia (Royal Artillery), 1939; served as Capt, 15 Anti Aircraft Battery, 6 Anti Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, British Expeditionary Force (BEF), France, 1939; served with 1 Light Anti Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery, BEF, France, Jan-May 1940; Maj, 2 Anti Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 1940; service with 27 Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery, Malta, 1940-1942; Lt Col, 7 Heavy Anti Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, Malta, 1942-1944, and in Workington, Cumberland, Orkney Islands, and Sandwich, Kent, 1944-1945; retired, 1945; excavated the Roman villa at Lullingstone, Kent; died, 1985. Publications: Lullingstone Roman villa (William Heinemann, London, 1955); Lullingstone Roman villa, Kent (HMSO, London, 1963); The Roman villa at Lullingstone, Kent. Vol 1. The site (Kent Archaeological Society, Maidstone, Kent, 1979); The Roman villa at Lullingstone, Kent. Vol 2. The wall paintings and finds (Kent Archaeological Society, Maidstone, Kent, 1987).

Custodial history

Placed in the Centre by Meates' literary executor in 1986.

Conditions governing access

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

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied from open material for research purposes only.

Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, via the Archives.

Language of material

Script of material

Uploaded finding aid

Existence and location of originals

Off-campus collection

Please note: We require 7 days notice to retrieve this collection as part, or all of it, is held off-campus. Read more ›

Related descriptions

Alternative identifier(s)

People and Organisations

Genre access points

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000.

Script(s)

Archivist's note

Compiled by Iain Mutch; revised by Rachel Kemsley as part of the RSLP AIM25 project.

Accession area