ARMY

1p., foolscap 8vo. 36 lines of text. A frail survival: in fair condition, lightly creased and aged, with short closed tear repaired on reverse with archival tape. Badge design at head of text, with white shield with yellow cross against blue background, and facsimile of McCreery's signature at foot. The text begins: 'On 9th April, the Eighth Army started the last great battle in Italy. Twenty-three days later, on 2nd May, the enemy surrendered unconditionally.' The penultimate paragraph reads: 'The unconditional surrender of the enemy bring the Eighth Army many new and urgent tasks.

1p., 4to. A frail survival: In good condition, on aged high-acidity paper, with closed tear repaired with archival tape on reverse. A stirring message, divided into four sections, the first reading: '1. The leading units of Eighth Army are now only about 200 miles from TRIPOLI. The enemy is between us and that port, hoping to hold us off.' 'The enemy will try to stop us', Montgomery warns, but 'Nothing has stopped us since the battle of Egypt began on 23rd October, 1942. Nothing will stop us now.' Two points in capital letters: '2. THE EIGHTH ARMY IS GOING TO TRIPOLI.' and '4.

1p., 4to. A scarce survival: good, on lightly aged and creased paper. Divided into 5 points, with the first reading: '1. The Eighth Army has turned the enemy out of the famous AGHEILA position and is now advancing into TRIPOLITANIA. It is wonderful what has been achieved since the 23rd October, when we started the Battle of Egypt. | Before the battle began I sent you a message in which I said: - | Let us pray that "the Lord mighty in battle" will give us the victory.

1p., 4to. 25 lines of text. A frail survival. In good condition, on lightly aged and creased paper. Signed with facsimile of signature of 'B. L. Montgomery.' Divided into six points, the text begins: '1. The time has now come to carry the war into Italy, and into the Continent of Europe. The Italian Overseas Empire has been exterminated; we will now deal with the home country.' The last point reads: '6. To each one of you, whatever may be your rank or employment, I would say: | GOOD LUCK AND GOOD HUNTING IN THE HOME COUNTRY OF ITALY'.

2pp., foolscap 8vo. On two leaves stapled together. In good condition, on lightly aged and creased paper. This item is discussed in M. F. Snape's 'God and the British Soldier: Religion and the British Soldier in the First and Second World Wars' (London: Routledge, 2005). Montgomery described Hughes as 'the ideal of what an Army padre should be', and according to Snape: 'A major theme which seemed to emerge from the collaboration of Montgomery and Hughes in 1942 was the notion of the consecration of British arms to a higher purpose.

2 vols, 8vo. Vol.1 (1906): [8] + 106 + [1] + 17. Vol.2 (1907): [6] + 97pp. Both volumes with frontispieces and several plates. Both in original red cloth bindings with Sprot's crest in gilt on front board, and all edges gilt. Both in fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, and with the first volume (despite slight damp staining to the binding and damage to one plate) better and brighter than the second, which has wear at the foot of the spine.

On one side of a piece of 15.5 x 11 cm laid paper. In fair condition, on lightly-aged and creased paper. The list gives the weights of nine items (Saddle; Horse Shoes & Nails; Velisse; Sword & Belts; Carbine; Ammunition 20 rounds; Cloak; Sheep Skin & Shabracque; Wallets), ranging in weight from 27 lbs to 4 1/2 lbs, and totalling 7 st 3 lbs. Apparently very scarce. No record found.

125pp., 4to. In 'S.O. Book 130' ('Supplied for the Public Service'). With printed brown card boards and cloth spine. Main sequence on rectos numbered by Hawker 1-110. Label pasted to front pastedown: 'Please return to: | J. P. Hawker, | c/o Mrs Rowland | 17 Heathfield Terrace, | Chiswick W.4'. First entry from Tattenhoe, 6 March 1944; last entry from Minehead, 2 July 1944. Loosely inserted at the start of the volume is a contemporary 4 x 6 cm photograph of eight men in fatigues standing to attention in relaxed style (the one on the far right is holding a pipe) on a green.

Henry Wentworth Windsor Aubrey was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Dorset Regiment Militia on 21 April 1875, and resigned his commission three years later. He qualified as a Doctor in 1885 and practiced in Clifton, where he was a keen cricketer and golfer. During the First World War he served in the RAMC, reaching the rank of Temporary Captain (Home) on 1 December 1917. The six items (including Item Four, a typescript of Item Three) are in very good condition, on lightly-aged paper.

Four pages, 4to. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged ruled paper, with watermark 'D. K & Co. | LONDON'. Sixty-four lines, arranged in eight eight-line stanzas. Apparently unpublished. Evocative of the sensibilities of a more naive age: sincerely meant, but coming across somewhat in the style of a Stanley Holloway monologue.

8vo booklet stapled into card wraps, with 40pp. of text, headed 'OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS - R.107' (divided into: General Description; Working Instructions; Maintenance), followed by the ten fold-out plates, consisting of three circuit diagrams and seven plates of photographic illustrations on art paper.

2pp., 4to. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. One minor manuscript emendation (see below). Dated at the head 'March 3rd. 1921' and addressed to 'Madam'.

Both items in good condition, on lightly aged paper. Letter: 2pp., 4to. Headed 'Care of [blank] | To His Excellency The Ambassador of [blank]'. It begins: 'Your Excellency, | We beg to bring under your notice the following facts with regard to the present slow murder of the Lord Mayor of Cork in Brixton Prison, as a matter of concern for your Government. | The Lord Mayor of Cork, Terence MacSwiney, was arrested on August 12th. in the City Hall, Cork, by the English Army of occupation.

1p., landscape 12mo. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. At the foot of the page Dryhurst has written 'Copy of Women's Resolution.' Apparently unpublished. The reference to a 'disguised murder gang' clearly suggests composition during the early period of the Black and Tans, and before the truce in the Irish War of Independence on 11 July 1921.

2pp., foolscap 8vo. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. Captain Begg had died at the Siege of Kut Al Amara, Mesopotamia (now Iraq), and Urquhart begins by informing the Rev. Begg that the inventory which he sent of his brother's effects has 'gone astray'. 'In order to save any further delay I am forwarding you a complete list including some things recently recovered from Kirkee Arsenal. Would you kindly point out what you wish returned to you. The remaining items will be sold by auction here.' He continues with 'a summary of what has been done up to date'.

On both sides of a piece of 11.5 x 7.5 cm card, with rounded edges, and with the reverse paginated '(2)'. A nice piece of provincial printing, in very good condition, lightly-aged. The first page headed: 'INSPECTION EXERCISE | FOR THE BRIGADE OF | BUCKS YEOMEN CAVALRY.' , and with the slug '(Seeley, Printer, Buckingham.)' at the foot. The first page carries 23 lines of commands, from 'MARCH past by half Squadrons.' to 'Wheel on Centre of Squadron, by the Right.' The reverse carries 25 lines of commands, from 'ADVANCE, File from right of threes. Front form.' to 'General Salute.

1p., 4to. Neatly written-out within a red ruled decorative border. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-creased paper. The poem is twelve lines long, and begins: 'Oh Sir! Words are, but inadequate to reveal, | Humble and penetent [sic] as I, admittedly, feel | To own my hapless grevious folly | In venturing to accost you unceremoniously; | And it grives me all the more to state | That in my guileless efforts to propitiate | I have only given you an offence so grave | That on my knees, your pardon, I humbly crave'.

65pp., in narrow ruled 32 x 13 cm notebook, with maroon embossed boards and cloth spine. Rankin has etched his initials into the front board. All in pencil, with the first page headed 'NO I LECTURES JAN-FEB. 44 | T M RANKIN. 7394616. 13 F.D.S.', and carrying a numbered list of 38 topics, from 'Observation of Patient' and 'Diet of Disease' to 'Fracture of Spine' and 'Burns'. Four pages of medical notes follow. Upside-down at the other end of the volume are 59 paginated pages of further notes, preceded by a list of a further 15 topics (numbered 39-53), from 'Eye Drops' to 'Rheumatic Fever'.

An attractive item, with the poem neatly written out on one side of a piece of 19 x 14cm paper, and placed within a 17.5 x 11.5cm windowpane in a 32.5 x 24.5cm leaf. The poem, consisting of twenty lines arranged in five four-line stanzas, begins: 'We loved you Colonel Peacock | And will always cherish you; | It's a truth; no idle talk, | Though told in words so few.' The last stanza reads: 'Fare you well kind master!

For more information on Sibbald see the obituary quoted at the end of this description. ONE (Abstract): 3pp., 4to. Headed 'Abstract of the Services of Dr. Sibbald | Assistant Inspector of Hospl.' Dated at end: 'Maidstone | 1st. February 1842.' Bifolium. In good condition, on aged paper, with slight loss at foot of both leaves (affecting a couple of words of text), repaired with archival paper. 53 lines, probably in Sibbald's own autograph, beginning: 'Dr. Sibbald entered the Army as Hospital Assistant in August 1810 - was appointed Assist. Surgeon to the 6th. Dragoon Guards in Decr.

The three items are in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. ONE. Autograph Letter Signed from Haldane to Potter. Head Quarters, VI Corp; 11 August 1916. 1p., 4to. In a difficult hand. He apologises for having to 'depart so hurriedly'. 'I want to thank you for the very loyal way you helped me when I was in command of the 3 Division and express my thanks through you to Buchanan and Prideaux and of your staff.?>

The four items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. In envelope addressed to Mrs P. E. Batt, Beckenham, Kent. ONE: 'The Last Month' by Wilmott. 13pp., foolscap 8vo. A photocopied typescript on thirteen leaves of paper, stapled together, with five original autograph annotations by Batt. The first reads '"Big funf" was one of the German Guards - had no roof to his mouth - spoke funnily' and the fourth 'We had a "Union Jack" which was used for burials when P.O.W.'s died.' Wilmott's account commences: 'There had been gun fire from the west and the south for the last three days.

On one side of an 11 x 17.5 piece of light-blue paper. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with two fold lines (not affecting signature). The signature is written in pencil, and reads 'Rambahadur Limbu V.C.' Beneath the signature, in blue ink, is the signature of 'Ranjit Rai', and beneath this, in a different blue ink, an indecipherable signature. With newspaper cutting, dated 28 September 1966, of article titled 'After the glory - it's back to the jungle'. The article carries two photographs of Limbu.

ONE: Addressed 'A Sa Majesté Le Roi des Pays-bas, Prince d'Orange Nassau, Grand Duc de Luxembourgh &c &c &c' by 'le Chevalier Antoine Joseph Van Marcke de Lummen, natif de Bruxelles'. The last page carries an embossed seal in red wax, besides the signature of 'le Chevalier Van Marcke de Lummen' (beneath the words 'C'est la Grace'); the rest of the document apparently in the same notarial hand as Item Two below. Without place or date, but presumably written at the same time as Item Two, which is dated 13 April 1815 (William having proclaimed the Netherlands a kingdom on 16 March). 3pp., 4to.

5pp., folio. In very good condition on lightly-aged paper. Copies of this document were sent by the War Office to the officers commanding the various corps, the Secretary of State considering that it would 'assist [them] in preparing Regulations for the government of the Corps under [their] Command'. For a full account of the subject see Hugh Cunningham's 'The Volunteer Force: A Social and Political History, 1859-1908' (1975). The cover page has in its top left-hand corner: 'V | General No. | 469', and carries a table of contents.

The four items in very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. For a full account of the subject see Hugh Cunningham's 'The Volunteer Force: A Social and Political History, 1859-1908' (1975). Item One: 'RULES OF THE ---- VOLUNTEER CORPS.' 5pp., folio (paginated to 6). The cover page has in its top left-hand corner: 'V | General No. | 469', and carries a table of contents.

1p., 8vo. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with slight wear and few short closed tears. An interesting artefact, reflecting the postwar British manpower shortage. The heading is all in block capitals, with 'TRADESMEN WANTED' across the top.

Printed in black on one side of a piece of thick laid paper, 30.5 x 19.5 cm. Aged, and separated into two parts by a neat tear along a vertical fold line 13 cm from bottom (repaired on reverse), and with slight wear at the head. An attractive and characteristically Victorian design, entirely drawn onto the stone (i.e. none of the text set in type). The design displays a quirky and charming amateur energy, with the text within a decorative border incorporating what appears to be 'IOD POONA' at the foot. Headed by the words 'STATION THEATRE .

The seven items are from the papers of Brig.-Gen. H. C. Potter, who served in the 3rd Division, whose conduct during the Spring Offensive of 1918 is the main subject. Of particular interest is Item Two, concerning a visit by King George V. The collection is in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, Item Five having a few closed tears to one edge. ONE. Manuscript copy (or original) dispatch headed '1/North L. Fus. 4/Royal Fus. | 13/ Kings. R./S.H.B. | The following messages have been received from 3rd Division for communication to all ranks'.

The three items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. All three are 1p., 4to, and printed in purple on government 'S O | ABSORBENT' paper. Item One: Special Order of the Day, 11 November 1918. Signed in type at foot: 'J. BYNG, General, | Commanding Third Army.' It begins: 'The operations of the last three months have forced the enemy to sue for an armistice as a prelude to peace. | Your share in the consummation of this achievement is one that fills me with pride and admiration.