World War, 1939-1945 | Personal narratives

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Signed by Gordon Brown, then Prime Minister of the UK. 'The Government wishes to express to you its deepest gratitude for the vital service you performed during World War II'

Scope and Contents This is a cutting from the publication Time and Tide of an article entitled "Parachute", written by David Haig-Thomas (ornithologist, wildlife photographer, explorer, and rower who competed for Great Britain in the 1932 Summer Olympics) and published on 18 March 1944. A handwritten annotation next to the name of the author (David Haig-Thomas) reads "Killed in action 6.6.44". The article a first person account of Haig-Thomas's experience...

Scope and Contents 56 letters, manuscript, 1 July to 18 November 1941, from Leslie G. Cairns, 152nd Field Regiment RA, Ayrshire Yeomanry, while in Caithness. In the letters Leslie writes to Irene about life in Caithness, reflections on his relationship with Irene, visits to family remembers and excitement towards seeing Irene when he returns home on leave.He describes some living difficulties such as a period of being without running water and trouble with mice in the food stores. Across the...

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1 folder: Material, "Enigma Variations", manuscript, relating to an early attempt by Young at an autobiographical work, 1979 (re-started again in 1982) - intention was to focus on the war, childhood, school and university.

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1 folder: Material, Enigma Variations, manuscript, notes and drafts.

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Postcards, newspapers, notes, photocopies, magazines relating to Bletchley Park.

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Correspondence. From file: 'Cairns Family post-war. Leslie's mother (Agnes Josephine Gardner, MS ChB) and her sisters; Aunts Janie, Edie and Rhoda; Cousin Donald MacLean MB ChB (Edin), FRCGP, FBMA; Cousin Joe Gardner and wife Heather, South Africa.'

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Notes, drafts, cuttings, magazines. Unpublished text.

Scope and Contents From file: 'Second Spring: War Remembered, Love Renewed' was written by Irene Brown in 1991 at the suggestion of Mainstream Publishing who had published her Enigma Variations the previous year. This version of the typescript is not the final one. She continued to revise the text through the 1990s even after Mainstream had said that they could not, after all, afford to take it on at the time of submission.... The real problem was that the manuscript did not satisfy her....This version was...

Scope and Contents Forty-three letters written from Leslie G. Cairns to Irene J. Young while at University between 5 January 1938 and 16 January 1940. The letters are all handwritten and some contain drawings and illustrations by Leslie Cairns.Notable letters include: A Valentines Day card in the shape of a red love heart, sent in February 1938. A letter sent on 1 April 1939, expressing...