Description
Object description
116 cheerful and optimistic ms letters and airgraphs to his mother and sister at home in Bolton during his army training in the United Kingdom (March - November 1940) and on active service overseas as a Trooper with C Squadron, 1st King's Dragoon Guards (2nd Armoured Division), equipped with armoured cars, initially carrying out border patrols and then, after the retreat, based in the Tobruk Garrison, Libya (January - December 1941), on leave in Cairo (January - March 1942), then in the Western Desert with the 4th Armoured Brigade (7th Armoured Division) during the retreat to El Alamein (April - June 1942), carrying out patrols on the Alamein line (July - September 1942), on leave in Cairo (September - October 1942) before returning to the desert in November and carrying out patrols during the advance towards Tripoli until he was killed during an air attack on the Squadron Headquarters in January 1943, containing a few useful details regarding living conditions (particularly food) in Tobruk and in the desert, descriptions of periods of leave in Cairo and his visits to the cinema there but mostly consisting of comments on their news from home, which he clearly enjoyed receiving (frequently teasing his sister about 'Brylcream boys') and, rather poignantly, on his plans for his return. These letters are accompanied by his 2 pocket diaries for 1942 (103pp & 106pp, one partly duplicating the other) containing daily entries with brief details of his duties; 5 ms letters of condolence (January - June 1943) to his mother and sister from fellow members of his squadron, Lieutenant Colonel R A Hermon DSO Officer Commanding, 1st KDG and from the wife of the former Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel D McCorquodale; photographs; copies of EIGHTH ARMY NEWS (September 1942), THE TOBRUK TRUTH (September 1941) and Montgomery's personal message to the Eighth Army prior to the advance on Tripoli (January 1943).
Content description
116 cheerful and optimistic ms letters and airgraphs to his mother and sister at home in Bolton during his army training in the United Kingdom (March - November 1940) and on active service overseas as a Trooper with C Squadron, 1st King's Dragoon Guards (2nd Armoured Division), equipped with armoured cars, initially carrying out border patrols and then, after the retreat, based in the Tobruk Garrison, Libya (January - December 1941), on leave in Cairo (January - March 1942), then in the Western Desert with the 4th Armoured Brigade (7th Armoured Division) during the retreat to El Alamein (April - June 1942), carrying out patrols on the Alamein line (July - September 1942), on leave in Cairo (September - October 1942) before returning to the desert in November and carrying out patrols during the advance towards Tripoli until he was killed during an air attack on the Squadron Headquarters in January 1943, containing a few useful details regarding living conditions (particularly food) in Tobruk and in the desert, descriptions of periods of leave in Cairo and his visits to the cinema there but mostly consisting of comments on their news from home, which he clearly enjoyed receiving (frequently teasing his sister about 'Brylcream boys') and, rather poignantly, on his plans for his return. These letters are accompanied by his 2 pocket diaries for 1942 (103pp & 106pp, one partly duplicating the other) containing daily entries with brief details of his duties; 5 ms letters of condolence (January - June 1943) to his mother and sister from fellow members of his squadron, Lieutenant Colonel R A Hermon DSO Officer Commanding, 1st KDG and from the wife of the former Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel D McCorquodale; photographs; copies of EIGHTH ARMY NEWS (September 1942), THE TOBRUK TRUTH (September 1941) and Montgomery's personal message to the Eighth Army prior to the advance on Tripoli (January 1943).
History note
Cataloguer AAM
History note
Catalogue date 2003-03-24