BRIGADE

[The Great War, Royal Army Medical Corps: A Medical Officer In Charge on the Western Front.] Typescript of Diary of Captain William John Henry, describing his service attached to the Royal Garrison Artillery, Wiltshire Regiment and Rifle Brigade.

Author: 
The Great War: Royal Army Medical Corps; Captain William John Henry M.B. Ch.B.; British Army; Royal Garrison Artillery; Wiltshire Regiment; Rifle Brigade; Battle of the Somme; Ludendorff Offensive
First World War
Publication details: 
Vols 1-3 cover the period 27 August 1915 to 12 July 1916; Vols 4-8 the period between 31 January 1918 and 7 June 1919. On the Western Front in France, with leave in Britain
£4,000.00
First World War

It is hard to do justice to this vivid, informative and well-written 250,000-word account of the author's First World War service as Medical Officer In Charge attached to three regiments on the Western Front, present during the Battle of the Somme, Kaiserslacht and Hundred Days Offensive. It is hard to conceive of a better account of the day-to-day activities of a member of the Royal Army Medical Corps on active service during the Great War.

[Canon Barnett [Samuel Augustus Barnett], clergyman and social reformer who founded Toynbee Hall.] Autograph Letter Signed, asking ‘Maud’ to send violet leaves three times a week to William Tourell, who is dying of cancer.

Author: 
Canon Barnett [Samuel Augustus Barnett] (1844-1913), Church of England cleric and social reformer who founded the East End university settlement Toynbee Hall [East London Shoeblack Brigade]
Publication details: 
8 June 1902; on letterhead of St. Jude’s Cottage, Spaniard’s Road, Hampstead Heath, N.W. [London]
£56.00

Barnett’s entry in the Oxford DNB accepts his ‘greatness’ and discusses its nature. 1p, 16mo. On bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. The subject of this letter is William Tourell, Superintendent of the East London Shoeblack Brigade, a charity of which Barnett was treasurer. The letter begins: ‘Dear Maud. / My Friend Towrell [sic] is dying of cancer. He is taking violet leaves & somehow the disease seems arrested. The doctor says he had better go on taking these leaves as they may be doing good’.

[Sir Richard Airey: the man who issued the order for the Charge of the Light Brigade.] Autograph Letter Signed to ‘Mrs. Gardiner’, describing the ‘escape by a miracle’ of ‘Gardiner’ after a dangerous fall from his horse.

Author: 
Sir Richard Airey [Richard Airey, 1st Baron Airey] (1803-1881), senior British Army officer, remembered for writing out the order for the Charge of the Light Brigade, and 1879-1880 Airey Commission
Publication details: 
29 June 1865; ‘Horseguards’ [Horse Guards, London.], on embossed government letterhead.
£56.00

See his entry in the Oxford DNB: ‘Following Raglan's instructions, he wrote out the order which led to the fateful charge of the light brigade on 25 October 1854, but unfortunately in the heat of battle kept no duplicate. Subsequently, he had to request a copy from Lieutenant-General Lord Lucan, the cavalry division's commander, to whom the order was addressed and who strongly resented implications that he was at fault. In writing and in person Airey attempted to placate Lucan, reputedly arguing that “it is nothing to Chillianwallah”’.

[Colonel Sir Anthony Coningham Sterling of the Highland Brigade, Scottish soldier and military historian.] First four pages of Autograph Letter to 'Maclean', describing his efforts to obtain a commission for Maclean's 'Young friend'.

Author: 
Colonel Sir Anthony Coningham Sterling (1805–1871), Scottish soldier who distinguished himself during the Crimean War and Indian Mutiny, author of 'The Highland Brigade in the Crimea'
Publication details: 
3 South Place, Knightsbridge. 1 November 1856.
£120.00

4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Evidently incomplete: the first part only of a long letter. Begins: 'My dear Maclean | I have it not in my heart to put forward an excuse for very long silence, beyond an amount of employment the like of which I have never had thrown upon me before, for many years.' He hopes to see him, but leaves that night 'for the North on a tour of inspection'.

[ Two printed items relating to the Royal Naval Artillery Volunteers, London Brigade. ] A pamphlet giving information regarding the London and Brighton Corps, with a large table headed 'Progress Return of No. 3 Battery, for 1890.'

Author: 
Royal Naval Artillery Volunteers, London Brigade [ E. B. Fletcher, Lieut.-Instructor; A. H. Fry, Sub-Lieutenant in Command ]
Publication details: 
Pamphlet by 'Royal Naval Artillery Volunteers, London Brigade, Head Quarters, H.M.S. Frolic, off Somerset House, W.C December 1891.' Printed by Woodfall & Kinder, London. 'Progress Return', 1890.. Printed by W. Collins, Harlesden.
£220.00

The two items from the papers of Sir Richard Harington of Ridlington, 12th Baronet, who features as 'R. Harrington [sic]' in the 'Progress Return'. The pamphlet is 6pp., 12mo. The front page is headed, with crown-and-anchor device, 'Royal Naval Artillery Volunteers. | London Brigade. | Head Quarters, | H.M.S. Frolic, off Somerset House, W.C | December, 1891.' Printed by Woodfall & Kinder, Printers, 70 to 76, Long Acre, London, W.C.' Aged and grubby. Folded into a packet and addressed, with postmarked Halfpenny Red stamp, to 'R.

[British civil defence, 1950.] Autograph Notebook, with 'G. Reeves Atom' on cover, containing notes made at civil defence meetings (Home Office, Army or Fire Brigade?) in preparation for nuclear and biological warfare.

Author: 
G. Reeves [Home Secretary Planning Committee, Regional Office, Div, S/DO; Fire Services; British 1950s civil defence; nuclear war; atom bomb; biological warfare; atomic warfare]
Publication details: 
[London.] Notes made at meetings between 30 March to 25 June 1951.
£420.00

37pp., 12mo (including two irrelevant pages at the rear), of pencil notes, with some diagrams. In a spiral-bound 'No. 430 Reporter's Note Book' by Brown Knight & Truscott, Ltd, London. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. On cover: 'G. Reeves Atom'. The notes were made at meetings or lectures held at roughly fortnightly intervals. (The last page records 'No meetings' on 9 and 23 June.) Topics include: 'Types of Shelter', 'Refuge Room', 'Long range rocket', 'Antipersonnel Bomb' ('When a bomb is found a red flag in a stick is to be placed 3 paces to the North so that B[omb].

Lithographic coloured London Fire Force plan, indicating the wartime Emergency Water Supply to the Trafalgar Square and Whitehall area of London, headed 'E. W. S. No. 284 | Plan referred to on Sheet No. 10 Water Unit Maps | re Government Buildings'.

Author: 
[London Fire Force; Metropolitan Water Board; Fire Fighting in the Second World War; maps and plans]
Publication details: 
Without date or place. (London Fire Force, circa 1943.)
£180.00

On one side of piece of 41 x 20.5 cm paper, with lines and indications in light and dark blue, red and green. In fair condition, on aged paper, with creasing and one closed tear towards the head. The map has Trafalgar Square at its head (with the note that the two 'Basins' carry '40,000 Galls. each') and Parliament Square at its foot. Whitehall and Parliament Street connect the two on the right of the map, and to the left of the map is the lake in St James's Park: '200000 Galls Underground Tank | Pumping Station 1400 Galls | Pump | 15 foot Gravity Main from Serpentine'.

[Frederick Gorringe's Department Store.] Manuscript subscription list of donations by staff to the Daily Telegraph fund for 'the Sufferers' by the Edgware Road Fire, giving more than 200 names and sums. With two press cuttings.

Author: 
[Frederick Gorringe (1831-1909), draper; Frederick Gorringe's Department Store, 75 Buckingham Palace Road, London; the Daily Telegraph; the Edgware Road Fire, 30 May 1888]
Publication details: 
[London. May and June 1888.]
£120.00

4pp., foolscap 8vo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged paper. First page headed: 'The Edgware Road Fire | The proprietor of "The Daily Telegraph" have as hitherto on similar occasions opened a Subscription list for the Sufferers and it is estimated that £3,000 will be required to meeet the urgent claims for relief which are already too well known | I shall be glad to receive any donations you may be pleased to give on their behalf | (JNER.)'. Arranged in eight columns, two to a page, with running totals and a grand total of £16 1s 0d. The first donation is for 10s 6d from 'Mr.

Autograph Letter in the third person from Lord Bingham [later George Charles Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan] to Sir Francis Freeling, Secretary of the General Post Office, regarding a petition to be presented to the House of Commons. With two cuttings.

Author: 
George Charles Bingham (1800-1888), 3rd Earl of Lucan [Lord Lucan], until 1839 known by the courtesy title Lord Bingham [Sir Francis Freeling (1764-1836), Secretary of the General Post Office]
Publication details: 
3 Park Place [London] 12 June 1830. One of the cuttings dating from the commencement off the Crimean War, 1853.
£220.00

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. 'Lord Bingham presents his compliments to Sir Francis Freeling & will feel much obliged to him if he will be good enough to have the accompanying letter opened & returned to him free of postage as Ld. B. knows it to be a Petition to the House of Commons | Ld. B.

Autograph Letter Signed ('E. F. H. McSwiney') from Col. Edward Frederick Henry McSwiney of the Intelligence Division, War Office, condoling with Sir Graham Bower on his brother Denis's death, discussing 'revolver accidents' on the North-West Frontier

Author: 
Col. Edward Frederick Henry McSwiney (1858-1907), DSO, Colonel on the Staff, Ambala Cavalry Brigade, from 1906
Publication details: 
On letterhead of the Intelligence Division, 18 Queen Anne's Gate, S.W. [London]. 21 June 1898.
£160.00

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. Very good, on aged paper. In a letter clearly written to dispel any suspicion of suicide, McSwiney begins: 'My dear Bower | I write to offer you mhy sincerest sympathy on the death of your brother Denis, which occurred through the accidental discharge of his revolver that he had taken up to unload prior to packing it up - he was to have started from Peshawar that very day to rejoin his regiment en route to England on a year's well earned furlo', which he had been looking forward to with so much delight. [last eleven words underlined] He like many other men on the N.W.

Signature ('Fitzroy Somerset') of Lord Fitzroy Somerset, later Lord Raglan, on frank to Colonel Brotherton.

Author: 
FitzRoy James Henry Somerset [known as Lord FitzRoy Somerset], 1st Baron Raglan [Lord Raglan] (1788-1855), British army officer [The Charge of the Light Brigade; Battle of Balaklava; Crimean War]
Publication details: 
Merthyr Tydvil [Wales]. 11 June 1831.
£25.00

On piece of 6.5 x 11.5 cm paper, cut from front of frank. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. With the red government postmark ('FREE | 11 JU 11 | 1831'). Reads 'London June seventh 1831 | Colonel Brotherton | Merthyr Tydvil | [signed] Fitzroy Somerset'.

[Printed card.] Inspection Exercise for the Brigade of Bucks Yeomen Cavalry.

Author: 
[John Seeley, printer, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire; Bucks Yeomen Cavalry; Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry]
Publication details: 
'(Seeley, Printer, Buckingham.)' [John Seeley, Buckinghamshire; circa 1825.]
£75.00

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.

Manuscript diary for the year 1944 by an English army officer ('H. E. Nash?') in the 23rd Armoured Brigade of the British Eighth Army in the Second World War.

Author: 
[Diary of an officer in the 23rd Armoured Brigade, British Eighth Army, 1946]
Publication details: 
Entries from 1 January to 27 December 1944.
£280.00

Text on 87 pp of a 8vo 1944 'Surrey Desk Diary' (Mitcham: Surrey Manufacturing Co.). Text clear and complete. Volume in good condition on aged paper. While the author's ownership signature at the front of the volume ('', ', '') is not decipherable, there are clues to his identity: his birthday is on 24 June, he states on 5 October that he is in the 23rd Armoured Brigade, and on 19 August he gives his Identity Card No. as 116941. He begins as a sergeant, and by 13 January is 'H.Q. Troop commander, which, out of action, no schemes, no censoring, doesn't amount to much'.

Twenty-six items of ephemera relating to the 1st Battalion The Rifle Brigade, and Peter Kirwan-Taylor, designer of the Lotus Elite car, and assembled during his service in the Brigade as a Lieutenant.

Author: 
Lieutenant Peter Robin Kirwan-Taylor, 1st Battalion The Rifle Brigade (b.1930, designer of the Lotus Elite car) [British Army; military]
Twenty-six items of ephemera relating to the 1st Battalion The Rifle Brigade
Publication details: 
Between 1949 and 1952.
£100.00
Twenty-six items of ephemera relating to the 1st Battalion The Rifle Brigade

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.

Humorous pamphlet entitled 'Display of Knights in Tourney. Programme. 1. Jousting. 2. The two-handed Sword. 3. Melee with Battleaxes and Maces.'

Author: 
Ferozepore Brigade, Punjab [British Army in India; Firozpur; the Raj]
Publication details: 
Undated [early twentieth century]. Muir Press Brigade Printers, Ferozepore Area.
£45.00

4to (leaf dimensions 21.5 x 17.5 cm), 3 pp. Bifolium. On green paper. The central two pages carry a 'arms', 'motto' and 'biography' of each of the 'Dramatis Personae': 'Sir Attaboy de Walloper', 'Sir Kolynos Dent', 'Sir Bottholm Duster' and 'Sir Guinness Comme-Boisson'. The targets of this lighthearted satire are lost. Beside each character is an Indian name (the last being 'L/Def. Mohmed Sultan Khan'). There are also nine Indians named as playing herald, pages and varlets. No copy on COPAC.

Liverpool Fire Prevention. An Act For the better protection of Property in the Borough of Liverpool from Fire. [ROYAL ASSENT, AUGUST 24th 1843.] 6 Vict. - Sess. 1843.

Author: 
Liverpool Fire Prevention [Act of Parliament, 1843; British Fire Brigade]
Publication details: 
London: J. B. Nichols and Son, Printers, 25, Parliament-street. [1843.] [Radcliffe, Town Clerk, Liverpool. Burke and Venables, 44, Parliament Street, Parliamentary Agents.]
£150.00

Folio: ii + 59 + [1] pp. Unbound. Stitched as issued. Text clear and entire, but in poor condition: on creased, discoloured and stained paper, with wear to extremities. Begins 'WHEREAS fires in warehouses in the borough of Liverpool have of late years been of frequent and alarming recurrence, and have been attended with considerable loss of life and property.' 124 clauses, followed by seven pages of 'Schedules referred to by the foregoing act'.

Indian Army Corps. Narrative of Events from 20th-30th November 1914.

Author: 
Indian Regiments in the First World War.
Publication details: 
[1914]
£95.00

Printed handbill, 2pp., 8vo, edge attached to card, bottom edge curled but text complete. At the top the words "N.B. This narrative of events is not to be taken into the trenches". Obviously an account of a German atttack dealt with and returned by Indian regiments, issued in this form for morale-boosting. Laid down on reverse printed Christmas greetings from Sir John French, Xmas Day, 1914 (a "Special Order of the Day"). Two items,

Autograph Note Signed to the "Conde de Mirasol", Mariscal de Campo de los Niales[?] Ejincitos[?]" (address panel), in Italian.

Author: 
Gideon Cranstoun.
Publication details: 
Edinburgh, 28 August 1835.
£75.00

Pencil note,to the effect that Cranstoun was the brother of Countess Purgstall (Styrian estates). One page, 4to, some damage and marking but text clear and complete. Approx. "Mi grande Mirasol: En obsequio y a solicitud de un amigo quien desio compacer, ti [?] esta canta de introduccion a favor de su respectable y joven postador il Teniente Digby Miller, [?] ala Brigade Escosesa que forma paste de la Legion levantada in este pais para il Servicio de la Reyna y se halla en Vespinas de partir para il norte de Espana . . ." He recommends him to his attention.

Autograph Signature on fragment of letter.

Author: 
Alexander William Kinglake
Publication details: 
Without date or place.
£18.00

English historian of the Crimean War (1809-91). On piece of paper roughly 4 1/2 inches by 1 1/4 inches. In very good condition. Remains of mounts adhering to blank verso. Reads '<...> be of use in making the collection. | I have the honour to be | Sirs | faithfully yours | A W Kinglake.'

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