Collection SUEZ OHP - SUEZ CRISIS, 1956: ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION, 1989-1991

Key Information

Reference code

SUEZ OHP

Title

SUEZ CRISIS, 1956: ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION, 1989-1991

Date(s)

  • 1989-1991 (Creation)
  • 1956 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent

1 box (0.01 cubic metres)

Scope and content

Transcripts of interviews relating to political, diplomatic and military aspects of the Suez Crisis of 1956, with Rt Hon Julian Amery, Baron Amery of Lustleigh; Sir Harold Beeley; Sir Frederick Arthur Bishop; Rt Hon Sir Frank Cooper; Sir Patrick Henry Dean; Sir (Arthur) Douglas Dodds-Parker; Sir William Goodenough Hayter; Rt Hon Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel; Brig Kenneth Hunt; Rt Hon Douglas Patrick Thomas Jay, Baron Jay of Battersea; Gen Sir Frank Douglas King; Sir Donald Arthur Logan; Roger Mellor Makins, 1st Baron Sherfield; Sir Guy Elwin Millard; Sir David Bruce Pitblado; Sir Richard Royle Powell; (George Frank) Norman Reddaway; Sir (D'Arcy) Patrick Reilly; Sir Archibald David Manisty Ross; Sir (Charles Arthur) Evelyn Shuckburgh; Sir Denis Arthur Hepworth Wright. Copies of the Protocol of Sèvres, 24 Oct 1956, recording the agreements reached between the governments of Great Britain, France and Israel during discussions held in France, 22-24 Oct 1956, on a joint politico-military response to Egypt's nationalisation of the Suez Canal.

System of arrangement

Files of transcripts are arranged in alphabetical order based on the surname of the interviewee.

General Information

Name of creator

Custodial history

Transcripts of interviews were presented to the Centre by Dr W Scott Lucas in 1993. Copies of the Protocol of Sèvres, 1956, were presented to the Centre by Sir Donald Logan in 1996.

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

  • English
  • French

Script of material

Finding aids

This collection level description and detailed catalogue.

Existence and location of originals

The original Israeli copy of the Protocol of Sèvres is kept within the Ben-Gurion Archives, Sde Boqer, Israel.

Existence and location of copies

Another copy of the Protocol of Sèvres was presented by Sir Donald Logan to The national Archives, Kew, in 1996 (PRO 22/88).

Related materials

The Civil Service Oral History Project of the Institute of Contemporary British History (Ref: GB0099 KCLMA MISC 74) contains interviews conducted by Gorst and Lucas in 1989 withe Sir Harold Beeley and Sir Frank Cooper relating to their Civil Service careers. The audio recording of the Suez Seminar (Ref: GB0099 KCLMA NAME), held at King's College London on 5 Nov 1996, contains personal accounts of Maj Gen Denis Arthur Beckett, Second in Command, 3 Bn, Parachute Regt in airborne landings, 5 Nov 1956; Maj Gen Nicholas Francis Vaux, 2nd Lt, 45 Commando Royal Marines, 3 Commando Bde, in helicopter-borne amphibious assault, 6 Nov 1956 ; Dr Henry Cowper, lecturer in history, Napier University, Edinburgh, Corporal, 1 Bn, The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), 19 Infantry Bde (on National Service) in Port Said, 14 Nov-22 Dec 1956.

Related descriptions

Publication note

The interviews of the Suez Oral History Project were used by Dr W Scott Lucas for his Divided we stand, Britain the US and the Suez Crisis (Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1991). Several of the interviews refer to the article 'Suez 1956: strategy and the diplomatic process', by Anthony Gorst and Scott Lucas in the Journal of strategic studies (Dec 1988). A number of the interviewees have previously written related memoirs including Political eunuch (Springwood, Ascot, 1986) by Sir Douglas Dodds-Parker, The Kremlin and the embassy (Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1966) by Sir William Hayter, Change and fortune (Hutchinson, London, 1980) by Lord Jay, and Descent to Suez (Weidenfield and Nicolson, London, 1986) by Sir Evelyn Shuckburgh.

Note

Compiled Oct 1999

Alternative identifier(s)

Genre access points

Rules and/or conventions used

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

Script(s)

Accession area