REGIMENT

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.

Scarce: no other copy traced. The only similar material are the volumes for 1851, 1852 and 1853 in the Bishopsgate Institute. Stitched booklet. 16pp, 8vo. With card cover and frontispiece, both ornately engraved. Text and illustrations complete and undamaged, on aged paper worn at edges and with front cover detached. The cover carries the royal arms beneath the engraved words: ‘FIELD MARSHAL / His Royal Highness / The Prince Albert / K.G. K.T. G.C.B. K.P. G.C.M.G. &c. &c. &c. / Captain General and Colonel.’ At foot of page: ‘Honourable Artillery Company.

A scarce piece of regimental ephemera: no copies found on JISC or WorldCat. 32pp, 16mo. Stitched into grey paper wraps, with the regiment’s Minerva and Mars device and the title printed on the cover, and with ‘For Private Circulation only’ at bottom left. Inscribed at top right ‘J W Mackay’. (For James Waite Mackay (fl.

See his entry in the History of Parliament, which quotes a contemporary source describing him as ‘one of the oldest reformers in the House’, ‘in favour of the ballot and the immediate abolition of slavery’. 1p, 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded four times. Begins: ‘Colonel Gore Langton presents his Compliments to Messrs: Cox and Greenwood, and as the Oxfordshire Regiment of Militia are expected to return from Ireland about Christmas, he is very desirous of being informed whether any arrangement has been made respecting their Winter Quarters’.

See E. A. H. Webb, 'History of the 12th (The Suffolk) Regiment, 1685-1913' (1914). Picton was the uncle of 'the illustrious Picton', Lt-Gen. Sir Thomas Picton (1758-1815), who was his sole executor and residuary legatee. The year of Picton's birth is variously reported, but the Monthly Magazine, December 1811, is among several sources reporting his death in Bond Street at the age of 87. 4pp, folio. Bifolium. In fair condition, aged and with closed tears along the three fold lines. Endorsed on reverse of second leaf: '12th.

One page, folio, top corner lost with apparently little loss of text, fold marks, small closed tear, faint foxing, mainly good condition. "The undermentioned Arms &c being [expec?]ted to complete the 4th/or King's Own Regiment of Foot: I have the Honour to request that your Grace will receive and transmit His Majesty's commends to the Master General and Board of Ordnance, that the said Arms &c. may be delivbered out of His Majesty's Stores, for the use of the said Regiment, and the Expense thereof charged to the Estimate of Ordnance for Parliament".

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Two days before the writing of this letter the London Gazette had announced (10 November 1846) that Napier, then Deputy Adjutant-General in Ireland, had been promoted to Lieutenant General. The letter, in which he writes to his Commander in Chief in Ireland, is headed 'Private'.

39pp., 12mo, with an additional fifteen plates. In boards of white shiny paper, with the royal crest of King George V stamped in blue and gilt on the front cover, and with all edges (including the boards) gilt. White dustwrapper with the following printed on the front: 'Extra Copies of this Book may be had on application to the Regimental Orderly Room.' Inscribed three times (reverse of title and last leaf, and on back of a plate) by 'Col. Sergt C. Riches | 3d: Battn. Grenr Gds'.

On both sides of a folio leaf. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Paginated 47-48. The first page is headed 'Establishment of the Forces and Garrison of Gibraltar | A Regiment of Foot | Field & Staff Officers'. Giving the cost by day and year for 'Field & Staff Officers' (in margin: 'A Regiment of Foot'); 'One Company' (in margin: 'Commanded by Brigadier General Fowke'); 'The Pay of Eight Comps: more of the like Numbrs: & Rates as ye. Compy.

4pp., 4to. On four leaves. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with minor rust marks from paperclip. Ownership signature at top right of first page: 'Lt M P M Ollard'. The pages are numbered in type 5 [corrected in manuscript to '1'], 2, 3 and 4. The first page is headed 'Some golden rules for the desert', with subheadings 'Desert March Discipline', 'Protection', 'Navigation', 'Messing, Rations etc.', 'Maintenance' and 'General'. The next section is headed 'Tips for the desert', with subheadings 'Clothing', 'Stores and Equipment', '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). 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.

6pp., 12mo. Cyclostyled in purple ink on two loose leaves of 8vo paper (one printed on one side only, and the other on both sides). A facsimile of small handwriting, with five illustrations, including one captioned 'Steamer on the Hudson River' (the others a view of the Brooklyn Bridge from the river, a silhouette of a racing 'sulky' carriage, a steamer, and an ancient statue 'From Cyprus'). In fair condition, lightly-aged, with light rust marks from a paperclip. The second sheet, of four pages, ends abruptly, with a pencil note: 'concluding pages wanted'. The text begins: 'New York.

Wrench was the son of a clergyman, and well educated and well connected (being presented to the Prince of Wales and staying at Chatsworth in his old age). His obituary in the British Medical Journal (27 April 1912), describes how, after service in the Crimea, 'he was transferred to the 4th Lancers, went to Madras with that regiment in the following month, and served with it during the whole of the Indian Mutiny. For his services in India he received the Indian medal and clasp for Central India. He returned to England in 1860, and married in 1861 his cousin, the daughter of Mr.

Wrench was the son of a clergyman, and well connected, being presented to the Prince of Wales and staying at Chatsworth in his old age. His obituary in the British Medical Journal (27 April 1812), describes how he went out to the Crimea in 1854. 'He had been gazetted Assistant Surgeon to the 34th Regiment in November, and joined it on its arrival in the Crimea. He served during the terrible winter of that year, and was present at the capture of the quarries, the successful assault on the Redan of June 18th, and the final capture of Sebastopol on September 8th, 1855.

All three items bifoliums in good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. ONE: 13 July 1799. 2pp., 4to. Regarding his endeavours to sell 'the whole Estates of Lewis & Kintail & Lochalsh [...] either in Cumulo or Lots with a resolution to sell to the amount of the debt that is upon them'. He states that it has always been his 'wish & endeavour to satisfy any Creditor on the Seaforth Estate & the interest is paid with a punctuality not exceeded'. He complains of 'the singular hardship of the times'.

2pp., small 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, on lightly aged paper. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'Mr. Smith | Mechanic Arms | Henry Street | oppe Ancott Street | Manchester'. With contemporary note, in another hand, on separate piece of paper: '312. | Journal of Sergt. Major Dove, of six Years Service of the 7th Royal Fusiliers, in the Peninsula'.

2pp., 8vo. On the first leaf of a bifolium of laid paper with watermark 'WILLIAMS | 1803'. On aged and worn paper, with closed tears and chipping to extremities.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on aged paper. Small square cut away from second leaf of bifolium, not affecting text. Docketed: 'Pay Receivable 2 Monday in Augt.' and '663. | Captn. W. Trevelyan | 25 Aug: 1844 | Recd. 26 - - | Ansd 27 -'. The letter begins: 'My dear Thomson | There appears to be some mistake; what I wished to know was, "when my Pay was due at the India House", commencing from the 20th May last - my Pay certificate was included amongst the Papers I left at your House - the sum you mention recoverable on the 29th Inst.

1p., 4to. In good condition, on aged paper, with slight wear to one edge. Regarding their previous correspondence, Calvert has 'directions to request' Ridge to inform him, 'if you are aware of any Steps having been taken, for conveying back the Clothing for M: General Wattevelle's [sic] Regiment, from Sicily to Cadiz - where that Corps is now stationed'. From Cadiz the Watteville's Regiment would be transferred to Upper Canada, where it would take part in the War of 1812.

146pp., 12mo, in autograph, almost entirely consisting of poetic compositions, with numerous emendations; with a further 35 cuttings of poems laid down (33 of them by Edwards) and another two cuttings of another two poems loosely inserted. Also loosely inserted are two poems (totalling 7pp., 4to): 'To Ill Health', dated September 1835; and 'The last hope', 28 December 1869. In contemporary dark-green crushed morocco binding, gilt, recently rebacked by Ipsley Bindery with new enpapers. All edges gilt.

The three items all cropped, but in good condition, on lightly aged and creased paper. ITEM ONE: Headed 'Extract from the Star of Thursday, 17th October, 1805. | Royal Westminster Volunteers.' 1p., 8vo. Printer's slug in bottom left-hand corner. Autograph note by Twining at foot: 'This was printed by the voluntary act of my honor'd friend Dr.

Initialled "[?]P 10/12" (10 December"2pp., 4to. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. A number of minor autograph corrections suggest that the author of the letter may not be a native English speaker.

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.

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'.

2pp., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The letter is written in pencil, and begins: 'Sir, | I am awfully sorry to say that I have just been ordered to report tomorrow to G. H. Q. where I shall very probably receive the order to go to the Yankee Army. | I am really very sorry to leave you without having even been able to present to you my respects and my thanks for the kindness you have always shown to me during the time I have been attached to this brigade which is now exactly a year ago.

13pp., foolscap 8vo. Paginated 1 to 13 and signed at the end 'Ernie Wilmott'. On seven leaves stapled into grey covers, with the title 'The Last Month' typed on the front cover. In good condition, in worn wraps. The account commences: 'There had been gun fire from the west and the south for the last three days. Friday the 13th April 1945 the usual officials did not come to fetch the men, but a little later than usual the Gaschwyz [sic] column was called, so we assembled and left for work, about 20 of us.

1p., 4to. Thirteen lines of text, daintily printed in small type. On lightly-aged and creased paper, with a number of short closed tears. Dated in print at the foot 'Castletown, Isle of Man, | 1847.' Beneath this De Renzy has written, in manuscript, '1st January, | [signed] George Webb De Renzy, Major | and Barrack-Master'.

The nine items in this collection provide valuable information regarding the management of the estate of a Georgian colonial British army office. Coane's battalion had served in New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land between 1812 and 1814, and had been in Ceylon (under Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Giels) since 1814 by the time Coane died on 5 January 1819, his demise much regretted by his superiors. The nine items are on aged and worn paper with chipping to extremities. ONE: Autograph Letter Signed from 'G[eorge]. Minter' to unnamed recipient. Kandy; 29 December 1818. 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium.