FIRST

99pp., in 'Army & Navy Octavo Scribbling Diary (with a week on an opening) for 1910'. Good, on aged paper, in worn boards, with some preliminary leaves torn out, and a few childish scrawls by Irene and Pauline Knott (grandchildren of the author?) at beginning and end (not affecting text) . The author is intelligent and well-educated, pious and with a keen interest in sport, but there are few clues regarding his identity: his family is from Staines, and he trained at the Royal Naval College, Osborne. The itineraries of the two ships mentioned in this diary are as follows.

1p., 8vo. Fair, on aged and lightly-worn paper. The letter begins: 'If the only son of a widow, upon whose earnings the mother depends, does not volunteer, he will, if unmarried, and of military age, be entitled to appeal for exemption from the Military Service Act. Mr. Walter Long expressly stated in the House of Commons that it was the intention of the authorities to exempt such cases.' Simon goes on to discuss the position of 'the Local Tribunal', and to point out the position of those who attest. He has added in pen: 'Appeal must be made before March 2nd'.

3pp., 12mo. Fair, on aged and worn paper. Wilde explains that he had previously written regarding the case, but 'by some accident the Letter has been mislaid (I believe) among my mass of papers, and I therefore fear it may not have reached you as I cannot learn who among the Servants dispatched it'.

Five manuscript items, all in the same pencil hand. The name and address of Jean B. Maclachlan written twice on Item One indicates the identity of the notetaker. All texts clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper (but see slight damage to Item Two). Item One: Manuscript notebook. 12mo, 61 pp. Stapled. In original blue wraps, 'SUPPLIED FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE'. Repeatedly and untidily stamped in red ink on front cover 'PLYMOUTH', with 'CAPTAIN, R.M. | ASSISTANT PAYMASTER' and 'ROYAL MARINES | PLYMOUTH'.

On both sides of the card, which is not addressed, having fitted inside an envelope. Aged, but with text clear and complete. Inviting Constable to play golf with him at Littlehampton. He can be there at 12.28 pm. 'I go to Coates on Friday'.

One page, 12mo, bifolium, fold marks, good condition. Tamarton [sic for Tamerton] Church Tower & other Poems are now included in a volume called 'Amelia and other Poems.' It is published by Geo. Bell & Co. York Stret, Covent Garden. I do not know Mr Palgarve's address, but a letter to Macmillan & Co, his publisher would reach him.

4to, 2 pp. On bifolium. Twenty-two lines. Text clear and complete. In good condition, on aged paper. Lady Popham has written her opinion of the letter on the reverse of second leaf: 'Lord Melvilles cold hearted answer -'. To modern eyes the letter would appear to be a model of tact. Melville begins by expressing 'deep regret' at 'the late most afflicting addition to the loss you had already sustained' (the Admiral had died three weeks before).

Total 3pp., folio, fold marks, good condition. He asks the Scretary of the RSA to "draw the attention" of members to "to the fact that the Munitions Inventions Department, which ...

The five posters, presumably produced for the classroom, are scarce, with no reference to them on the internet or elsewhere. They are attractively painted in a bold and vivid panoramic frieze style. Each carries a single illustration showing two (counting the Cabot brothers as one) explorers in front of groups of men, with a merged background behind them.

Each print is in black and white, landscape and 17.5 x 23 cm. They are lightly-worn and in fair condition. Part of a series of British official war photographs (one was published on 26 January 1918 on p. 469 of Part 180, Vol. X, of 'The Great War' magazine), and each numbered between S480 and S501. Shots of troops marching past the Chateau, of a large body of men in battledress standing in grounds, being addressed by the General and a padre, standing at a rostrum draped with the Union Flag and other allied flags, with officers seated beside it.

Each print is in black and white, landscape and 17.5 x 23 cm. They are lightly-worn and in fair condition; one has a short closed tear and another a vertical crease at one side (neither of these in the panorama). Part of the same series of British official war photographs (one was published on 26 January 1918 on p. 469 of Part 180, Vol. X, of 'The Great War' magazine), and each numbered between S480 and S501.

Both good, on aged paper. Both docketed and with the Society's stamp. ONE: 14 October 1915. Folio, 1 p. Regarding a 'special examination in English, for Belgian refugees'. TWO: 21 October 1915. 4to, 1 p. Headed 'Examination for Belgians in the English Language'.

Corrected Galleys, five pages. c.67 x 16cm, some marking, mainly good condition, corrected relatively lightly in MS. possibly by two hands, presumably including the author, and in ink and pencil, some corrections qualitative. Corrections include omissions of words (the word "very" is excised on at least three occasions), additions of letters, change to lower case, added punctuation, etc.

Reprinted from Blackwood's Magazine. 16pp., printed wraps, good condition.

All four items clear and complete, on lightly-aged and creased paper. Item One: Report of WAC meeting of 16 November 1915. Folio, 6 pp. Includes 'Reports from District Sub-Committees' and section on 'Enlistment as to Skilled Agricultural Labourers'. Also section on 'Women's County Committee'. Item Two: Report of WAC meeting of 22 December 1915. Folio, 4 pp. Sections on 'Instruction in milking to women' and 'Employment of women on farm work'. Signed in type as Chairman by Padwick. Item Three: Report of WAC meeting of 9 February 1916. Folio, 4 pp. Signed in type as Chairman by Padwick.

Folio, 38 pp; and 4to, 22 pp. Trade source stated that this material was found in a file marked War Office, suggesting official file copies. All documents clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. All foreign documents translated into English. The main documents are Sir John French's Despatch on the Retreat from Mons, 7 September 1914 (folio, 10 pp); French's Despatch on the Battle of the Marne, 17 September 1914 (folio, 5 pp); French's Despatch on the Battle of the Aisne, 8 October 1914 (folio, 12 pp); Joffre's General Instruction No. 1, 8 August [1914] (folio, 4 pp).

Folio, 3 pp. Bifolium. Printed on laid, watermarked paper. Around thirty-four lines to the page. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper, with loss to one corner (not affecting text). Reverse of second leaf docketed, and with thin strip from mount adhering at fold. Written in a neat seventeenth-century hand, with a number of emendations (including a deletion of three lines) suggesting that this copy was made by the anonymous author himself.

Folio, 1 p. Thirty-eight lines. Text clear and complete. On aged and creased paper, with spike-hole at head, with 'ack[nowledge]d 3/10/16' in manuscript. Giving instructions regarding the means by which 'all consignments conveyed by Passenger or Goods Trains over controlled Companies' Lines on behalf of the Admiralty or War Office, [...] be invoiced without charges'. 'The above instructions will also apply to Traffic with Irish Ports when conveyed by Controlled Companies' Steamboats.'

Texts of all items clear and complete. The collection on aged paper, with occasional wear and creasing. Includes Kirwan-Taylor's 'Range Barrier Pass Certificate', his 'Combined Leave Pass and Railway Ticket'; an 'Application for a Game Licence in the British Zone of Germany' by him; his 'Final Clearance Certificate.

42pp., folio, unbound as issued, stabbed, some marking of titlepage, contents fair, ex lib with small stamps on title.

12mo, 2 pp. On bifolium. In fair condition, lightly-aged and creased. Discussing arrangements for a meeting with Thompson before 14 August, the date of the 'Furness general meeting', after which he is going on 'a months cruise'.

Ist Edition. No dustjacket except surviving front flap of dj enclosed, covers sl. sunned, corners bumped manily g+. INSCRIBED by AUTHOR on title; "Robertson Davies / with love to Elsa / Christmas 1967 // [The drawings in this book are by me but the publisher forgot to say so.]

An interesting correspondence, from one maritime expert to another, casting light on German naval attitudes in the period following the Great War. Batsch's father, Admiral Karl Ferdinand Batsch (1831-1898), is regarded as one of the founders of the German navy. Bower, who served for twenty years in the Royal Navy, retiring in 1884 with the rank of Commander, is best known as Imperial Secretary in South Africa at the time of the Jameson Raid. Following the First World War he established himself as an expert in international law relating to naval matters.

Landscape, with leaf dimensions 19 x 10.5 cm. The diary covers 48 pages at one end of the notebook, with the diagrams and specifications over 32 pp at the other end. In original sturdy brown leather binding, with brass clasp, empty wallet at front and pouch for pencil. Marbled endpapers. In good condition. Text clear and complete on lightly-aged paper. Binding worn and with split hinges. In pencil on fore-edge: 'J. RYAN.

3 pages, 8vo. On three leaves of paper, all creased, discoloured and worn, with a few tears and pin holes. Lively, humorous, and well-written account of the army career of a skiver. 'Behold me then the next time in the trenches a Lewis Gunner, my-self to be about to kill Bosches in neat little trenches of 47. As a matter of fact I did not kill one as I never fired the gun but we had one or two thrilling times. [...] January 1st. 1917 I became a member of the now famous Tank Corps.

Manuscript, 8 pages, 4to, chipped (with minor textual loss) and slightly stained, text clear. Convoy and anti-submarine activity. Usually one line description per day but there is a long description of action involved while on convoy duty, encounters with submarines, reinforcements, damaged ships, etc. Their first move was to leave Base on 27th June "in search of Submarine D.6. (overdue) and then carried on to Lamlash". [D.6.

Landscape 12mo (leaf dimensions 12 x 16 cm): 27 pp. Stitched with no jacket as issued. Covers a little grubby, but a good copy of a scarce item. Title page and twelve delightful full-page pochoir illustrations by Arnoux, all hand-coloured: 'En temps de Paix', 'Premier contact', 'Le sous-lieutenant', 'Les Indiens', 'Black-Watch', 'Le capitaine et l'infirmiere', 'Les Irlandais', 'Le Major', 'La Mascotte', 'Ship ahoy!!', 'Le bon Ecossais' and 'God save the King'.

The author is obscure, but the letter is addressed to 'Sir Rennell' [Sir James Rennell Rodd (1858-1941), diplomat and author]. 2 pages, 16mo, creased but in good condition. A florid missive beginning 'In this tempest of egotism and hate which has plunged us all into Teutonic darkness, you will not have forgotten, my dear Sir Rennell, the lines of Coleridge: | [...]'.

Dimensions of paper roughly. Creased, with fraying to extremities, closed tears, and some staining and fading due to damp. A careful production, detailing the fortification to the towns of Bilstein (north-east of Cologne), Junkermuehle and Nassenstein, in black, yellow, red and green, with attractive lettering. 'References' are to 'barbed wire entanglements', 'main roads', 'Woods', 'stream', 'bye Roads' and 'Bridges'. Pencil additions include position of 'SNIPERS'. Ascribed at foot to 'Cpl. A. Hunter' and dated 'February 1919'.

12mo, 3 pp, 26 lines. Good, with tiny pin holes at head and foot of both leaves of the bifolium, and one corner roughened by removal of mount. Buckmaster has learnt that Meade is 'contemplating leaving [his] work in this Office', and would 'greatly regret any such step' as Meade's work is 'of great assistance and is much appreciated by all of us in this room'. While Buckmaster realises that there is little opportunity for advancement, he feels that 'we all do render considerable service to the state'.