Description
Object description
Correspondence from the author and journalist Harry Graham comprising an ms letter from RMC Camberley dated 1894; 45 ms letters written to his family during his service with the Coldstream Guards in the Boer War (November 1901 - September 1902) describing his duties as a company commander and commanding officer of a detachment of troops manning blockhouses in the Cape Colony with useful details of conditions generally for himself and his men and interesting references to the capture of General Kritzinger (14 March 1902) and especially to the arrest and execution of other Boer leaders (December 1901, 22 February and 19 April 1902 for example) as well as to operations by the enemy, including atrocity stories (see 3 and 10 May for example), the incompetence of secret service men (11 and 17 January 1902), the calibre of British troops in South Africa and the rivalries between units, a perceived casual attitude to death, and celebrations for HM King Edward VII's coronation day, as well as mention of publication plans for his ballads and other works; 300 ms letters (with ts transcript, 357pp) written while serving as ADC to Major General Sir John Ponsonby (GOC 40th Division, 1917 - April 1918, then 5th Division, 1918) on the Western Front with good descriptions of the Battle of Cambrai and 40th Division's role during the German Spring Offensive, life at Divisional HQ and reaction to the break up of the Division and 5th Division's operations during the German retreat (August - October 1918), also interesting references to his beliefs as a Christian Scientist, mixed views on clergymen at the front (see February 1918), annoyance at inaccurate press reports, contempt for Portuguese forces and their flight from Estaires (April 1918), admiration for Ponsonby and touching sympathy after his own brother-in-law (Lieutenant A H Villiers) was killed in action (November 1917), including also references to his biography of Villiers, as well as useful accounts of riding inside a tank (18 August 1918), conditions in recently liberated areas, including stories of German atrocities (September - November 1918) and mention of the influenza pandemic (June, October - November 1918) and his continuing work as a writer.
Content description
Correspondence from the author and journalist Harry Graham comprising an ms letter from RMC Camberley dated 1894; 45 ms letters written to his family during his service with the Coldstream Guards in the Boer War (November 1901 - September 1902) describing his duties as a company commander and commanding officer of a detachment of troops manning blockhouses in the Cape Colony with useful details of conditions generally for himself and his men and interesting references to the capture of General Kritzinger (14 March 1902) and especially to the arrest and execution of other Boer leaders (December 1901, 22 February and 19 April 1902 for example) as well as to operations by the enemy, including atrocity stories (see 3 and 10 May for example), the incompetence of secret service men (11 and 17 January 1902), the calibre of British troops in South Africa and the rivalries between units, a perceived casual attitude to death, and celebrations for HM King Edward VII's coronation day, as well as mention of publication plans for his ballads and other works; 300 ms letters (with ts transcript, 357pp) written while serving as ADC to Major General Sir John Ponsonby (GOC 40th Division, 1917 - April 1918, then 5th Division, 1918) on the Western Front with good descriptions of the Battle of Cambrai and 40th Division's role during the German Spring Offensive, life at Divisional HQ and reaction to the break up of the Division and 5th Division's operations during the German retreat (August - October 1918), also interesting references to his beliefs as a Christian Scientist, mixed views on clergymen at the front (see February 1918), annoyance at inaccurate press reports, contempt for Portuguese forces and their flight from Estaires (April 1918), admiration for Ponsonby and touching sympathy after his own brother-in-law (Lieutenant A H Villiers) was killed in action (November 1917), including also references to his biography of Villiers, as well as useful accounts of riding inside a tank (18 August 1918), conditions in recently liberated areas, including stories of German atrocities (September - November 1918) and mention of the influenza pandemic (June, October - November 1918) and his continuing work as a writer.
History note
Cataloguer AC