ARMY

1p. 12mo. On grubby and creased paper, with rust mark from paperclip. Reads: 'My dear Alfred Montgomery | Thank's [sic] for yours received this morning. I have a vacant place at my dinner table for Monday next New Years day, so I hope to see you here at 8 o'clock and personally to wish you every sort of blessing for the coming Year. I remain | Yours most sincerely, | George.'

From the papers of Lieutenant Colonel William Otter Gibbs (1883-1960), Sixth Tank Battalion. Duplicated Typed Circular headed 'SPECIAL ORDER No. 15 | by | Major-Genl. H. J. ELLES, CB, DSO, Comdg. Tank Corps in the Field. | 13th August, 1918.' With facsimile signature of 'H. J. Elles. | Major-General, | Commanding Tank Corps in the Field.' 1p., landscape 12mo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper.

None of the items in the following collection has been traced elsewhere, either at the Imperial War Museum, or on WorldCat or COPAC. The background to the collection is explained by one authority as follows : 'The School of Army Co-operation was originally established at Old Sarum in 1920, to provide training for air officers supporting troops on the ground. It became the School of Air Support in 1945 when its remit was broadened to cover assistance by air in amphibious operations. It was reformed again in May 1947, within No. 11 Group, as the School of Land/Air Warfare.

3pp., 4to. In good condition, lightly-aged, on two leaves each neatly cut out of a windowpane mount. Headed 'Private'. Docketted by the recipient: 'Resp[ectin]g. the fitting up a part of the Old Palace at Linlithgow for the County Meeting'. He describes the applications he has made to the Lords of the Treasury and the Prince Regent, and a correspondence between the Keeper of the Palace and the Secretary of State. 'Your Lordship is aware that the Building is a complete Ruin; & of no use whatever, it its present state to any one [...]'.

Surman had a brief and undistinguished military career. Having trained with the Connaught Rangers, on 30 October 1895 he received a commission in the 9th Royal Rifle Corps, which he resigned a year later, on 20 October 1896. ONE: Autograph Letter Signed from 'J. Gilbert Surman' to Grubbe, in fragment of envelope addressed by him to 'Captain E. A. Grubbe | The Depôt of the Connaught Rangers | Galway'. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He writes having 'now left the Connaught Rangers to join my own Regiment at the above place.

2pp., 4to. In fair condition, on lightly aged and creased paper. Although he finds it strange that Cochrane should have had no reply from 'the professor', he points out that he sometimes goes travelling for weeks. He gives the address of 'Monsieur le Docteur W. Siebe' at the German Consulate in Mersine, before continuing: 'Strange to say I have another letter to forward to him from a friend of mine, and Prince Ferdinand, with whom I was talking here a few days ago, knows Dr. Siebe also and gets many bulbs from him and looks on him as a wonderful botanist.

Headed, with the first line in gold: 'Corps Royal du Genie. | 2e. Regiment. | Academie d'Escrime. | Brévet de Maitre d'Armes.' The commission reads: 'Nous soussigné Maîtres d'Armes, Composant la garrison d'Arras, après avoir reconnu les capacités du Sieur Chaix, (Marius) Maître Ouvrier à la Ce. Compagnie du 2e. Bataillon, du dit Regiment. On one side of a 28 x 36 cm piece of cream paper. In fair condition, aged, creased and worn, with central vertical fold.

On one side of 7.5 x 12 cm piece of paper cut from front panel of envelope. Postmarked 'Shooters Hill | Penny Post'. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Laid out in the customary fashion, all in his hand, and reading: 'Dover December twenty six | 1845 | Lt. Colonel Richd Jones | R Horse Artillery | Woolwich | Kent | Fitzroy Somerset'.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and a little smudged. He 'writes by direction of The Prince and Princess of Wales to invite him to pay their Royal Highnesses a visit at Sandringham from Saturday next the 22nd. Inst. to remain till Monday the 24th. He gives details of the best train to catch to 'Wolferton (the Station for Sandringham)', where there will be 'conveyances to take Sir Robert and the other Guests travelling by the same Train, from the Station to the House'.

The Duke was the head of the Committee in charge of the Royal Naval Asylum, which had been founded as the British National Endeavour in 1798, for the orphans of military and naval personnel killed in action. It had moved from Paddington to the Queen's House, Greenwich, in October 1807, having received a large amount of public support (including that of Lord Nelson), and was responsible for upwards of 1000 boys and girls. 3pp., 4to. Bifolium. On aged paper, with damp damage resulting in some loss (including a little text). Repaired with archival tape.

A strict disciplinarian, the Duke was appointed Governor of Gibraltar in March 1802 and, as this letter describes, immediately set about dealing with what he considered the various abuses of the Garrison. His harsh discipline would precipitate a mutiny by soldiers in his own and the 25th Regiment on Christmas Eve 1802. The Duke of York, Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, would recall him in May 1803 after receiving reports of the mutiny, but despite this direct order he would refuse to return to England until his successor arrived.

8pp., 8vo. Stapled pamphlet. Aged, worn and creased. Photograph (by 'Swaine') of author in uniform on front cover, and 'Introductory Note' on p.2, beginning: 'General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston, K.C.B., D.S.O., was elected Member of Parliament for North Ayrshire last year, and he delivered his maiden speech in the debate on the Military Service Bill (Man-Power) in the House of Commons on January 24th, 1918.

2pp., folio. In fair condition, with light signs of age and wear. On first leaf of bifolium, the second leaf docketted in pencil. In fair condition, with light signs of age and wear. Detailed letter, filling two whole folio pages, beginning: 'Sir. | In the absence of the Storekeeper General I have the honour to refer you to his letters of the 12th. Novr. 19th. & 31st. Decr.

Stamped and postmarked, and addressed to 'Colonel Barker | Bourchins Lodge | Tolleshunt D'Arcy | Essex'. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. Reads: 'I am trying to get some of the old firm together for a table at the Sudan dinner. I have got Kennedy Cook & wife, Griselda Maurice & myself. Would you & your wife join us | Yrs ever | Philip'. Egerton was with the Sudan Civil Service; and with the 3rd battalion of Shropshire Light Infantry won a 4th clasp of the Order of the Nile.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. One can hear the clipped tones of the military man: 'Dear Capt. Barron, | Gen. Gosling spoke & wrote to me about you. | What is your present state, duty, light duty, leave, or what? | Please let me know & tell me when you get orders to join a reserve unit, & which. | Yours very truly | H. C. Lowther | Brig. Genl.' Lowther's entry in Who Was Who reads: 'Entered Scots Guards, 1888; Capt.

MANUSCRIPT: 1p., folio. On the recto of the first leaf of a bifolium. On good watermarked laid paper, with pencil text written over an elegantly printed page divided into five columns ('Class', 'Studies', 'Order', 'Names', 'Remarks'), headed (with manuscript additions in square brackets): 'Monthly Return of the Classes under the First drawing Master at the Royal Military Academy. [March] 1st. 17[39 Paul Sandby Esqr.]'. The manuscript text is written both across the page and lengthwise. At the foot is a stave of music, with the words 'Violoncelloe [sic] de la music militaire'.

Both items in good condition, on lightly aged paper. PAMPHLET: 23pp., thin 12mo (15 x 7.5 cm.). Stapled; in blue printed wraps, with two 15 x 16.5 cm. fold-outs carrying four maps.

On 3 x 9.5 cm strip of laid paper. In fair condition, with light signs of age. In another hand on the reverse: '1791 | Governor of Gibraltar'. Presumably cut from a letter in response to a request for an autograph.

4pp., 8vo. In good condition, with light signs of age. A lively and vivid account, as the opening indicates: '"Ah!

A recipient of the Military Cross, Beazley was educated at Rugby and Sandhurst.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged paper, with traces of tissue mount running along one edge. Addressed to 'My dear Lloyd'. He is sending on Mrs Hay's letter, and asks his 'intentions with regard to Lt: Col: Hay - when he left Aldershot it was understood that the Command of the 2nd. Bde. Divn. Field Artillery would be kept open for him, but now Major Hall has been appointed Hay has lost his command here'. He praises Hay as 'so good an officer & has done such good work here that I am very anxious to help him' He suggests him for another appointment at Okehampton.

2pp., folio. In fair condition, on aged paper. He writes that two of his aides-de-camp belong to the 'famille distinguée' of Duverger, and asking for assistance in obtaining preferment for a third in the service of the King of Westphalia. The document is annotated by the recipient at the head of the first page.

1p., folio. In fair condition, on aged paper. The petition is headed 'A Monsieur le Baron de Schonen | liquidateur de l'ancienne liste civile', with 'Sallemant' (the name of the petitioner) beneath it in another hand. Clausel's note, of eleven lines of a few words each, is in the left-hand margin, and recommends to 'la bienveillance de Mr. de Schonen' the petition of a woman who describes herself as 'une malheureuse veuve'. Laid down on the reverse is a piece of card, carrying a biographical note in English in an nineteenth-century hand.

Photolithographically printed in black on one side of a 51 x 63 cm. piece of cloth, folding into a 16.5 x 11 cm. packet, in green printed cloth covers backed with card. In good condition, lightly-aged, with minor signs of age and wear. Cover reads: 'Transvaal. | (Major Jackson's Series). | Sheet No. 37. | Melmonth. | Field Intelligence Department. | Pretoria, 1901.' Signed in pencil on front cover 'G S Scovell | Cam Hrs.' In top left-hand corner of map: 'No. 37'. In bottom left-hand corner: 'Compiled in Surveyor General's Office - Pretoria underdirection [sic] of MAJOR H. M. JACKSON R.E. Mch.

Of the twelve items (all black and white), the ten small photographs are uniform at 7 x 9 cm; the portrait of Scovell is 21 x 13 cm., and the image of the Spion Kop battlefield 14.5 x 11 cm. Accompanied by a note by Scovell on a slip of paper: 'Relics of the S. African Campaign | 1901-1902 | belonging to G. J. S. S'. The ten small pictures and are in good condition, loose and in an envelope.

Printed on both sides of a 15 x 11 cm piece of card. In good condition, lightly-aged. Unsigned autograph note by Scovell on reverse: 'Drawn up by me when adjt.

Educated at Haileybury and Sandhurst, Scovell was gazetted to the Cameron Highlanders in 1900 and served with the regiment in the latter part of the Boer War (his diaries for the period being among material offered separately). He served on the General Staff in the First World War, and was appointed deputy Director-General of Recruiting in 1917, retiring from the Army the following year. For more information about Scovell, see his entry in 'Who Was Who', and his obituary in The Times, 29 April 1948.

Photolithographically printed in black on one side of a 51 x 63 cm. piece of cloth, folding into a 16.5 x 11 cm. packet, in green printed cloth covers backed with card. In good condition, lightly-aged, with minor damp staining along outer edge of front cover. Cover reads: 'Transvaal. | (Major Jackson's Series). | Sheet No. 38. | Pomeroy. | Field Intelligence Department. | Pretoria, 1901.' Signed in pencil on front cover 'G S Scovell | Cam Hrs.' In top left-hand corner of map: 'No. 38'. In bottom left-hand corner: 'Compiled in Surveyor General's Office - Pretoria under direction of MAJOR H. M.

Educated at Haileybury and Sandhurst, Scovell was gazetted to the Cameron Highlanders in 1900 and served with the regiment in the latter part of the Boer War (his diaries for the period being among material offered separately). The present paper is well-written and the fruit of experience. Scovell's views were clearly well-received, as he was appointed deputy Director-General of Recruiting at the end of the First World War. For more information about Scovell, see his entry in 'Who Was Who', and his obituary in The Times, 29 April 1948. The present item is 32pp., 4to.

2pp., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged paper. He apologises for being unable to be in London the following Saturday, as he has to 'take part in an odious function at Glasgow on that day'. He gives a date when he will be in London, in the hope that there will be 'a B. C. [ Breakfast Club ] breakfast on that day', hoping 'to renew my acquaintance then with the choice spirits who belong to that coterie'.