World War, 1939-1945 | Personal narratives

Scope and Contents Letters, manuscript, 18 March 1941 to 29 June 1941, from Leslie G. Cairns, 152nd Field Regiment RA, Ayrshire Yeomanry, while in Caithness. In the letters, Leslie describes his daily life in Caithness, as well as a short period for a training course in Brora, Sutherland. He describes events like a barn dance, a fete and a sports day (where he ran a mile) being organised at Caithness. He also discusses his ambitions for a future with Irene J. Young such as travelling together and imagines what...

Scope and Contents One folder containing letters send to and from Irene J. Young, Leslie G. Cairns and "Mother", manuscript, 23 January to 19 October 1943, while Leslie is with 11th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, and 137/166th Newfoundland Field Regiment in North Africa. There are nineteen letters sent to Irene J. Young from Leslie G. Cairns describing his experiences in North Africa and his application, interview and...

Scope and Contents 1 diary/notebook: Notes, manuscript, kept by Irene J. Young, containing things said by Cairns, from Summer 1938 to Spring 1940.The notebook is a record of things said by Leslie G. Cairns to Irene J. Young during their relationship between the summer of 1938 and the spring of 1940 when he joined the army. Irene J. Young evidently wrote down these verbal expressions of love and devotions. The two poems by Irene J. Young at the beginning of the notebook are among those of hers...

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This is a page of notes on life in Warsaw ghetto, perhaps in connection with Roźa Niedźwiedź. The notes have been written on to a page of lined paper with the header "Department of Agriculture For Scotland".

Scope and Contents Between 1943 and 1945, Thompson set about keeping a personal wartime journal hoping to register possible changes to his psychological make-up. The journal offers data on the effects of long-term overseas service amongst officers. The journal is in diary form with 9 volumes, covering the period 18 July 1943 to 15 October 1945, and written while in North Africa, Italy, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Greece, and Austria. Within the diaries are newspaper cuttings of the period, photographs, franked...

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The material is composed of 5 files within a box-file and comprising, in Polish, the various chapters of Droga do Katastrofy. Wspomnienia Wojskowego Komendanta Miasta Warszawy z lat 1935-39. There is an English translation of the contents of this work with the English title, The road to disaster. Reminiscences of the military commandant of the city of Warsaw 1935-39.

Content Description This fonds consists of students records, correspondence, diaries, photographs, and training books formerly belonging to Flying Officer John V. Stuart Duncan RAFVR, killed aged 20 on active service in Weston Zoyland, Somerset, on 30 May 1943. School and University records; Diaries (one marked vol. 2, one small diary); Letters during his time in the UK; while training in...

Scope and Contents Printed documents related to Bletchley park. Photocopied pages from "The Secret Life of Bletchley Park" book by Sinclair McKay, 2010. Photocopied pages from "The Lost World of Bletchley Park" written by Sinclair McKay, 2013. Article from the Museums Journal entitled "Secret Society", reviewing The Intelligence Factory exhibition at...

Scope and Contents Two folders: This folder contains sixty-three Letters, manuscript, 5 May to 8 September 1940, from Leslie G. Cairns, on leaving for the army and Uniacke Barracks at Harrogate, and then Yeadon, and at OCTU at Ilkley. Some notable letters include: 28th May 1940, Leslie writes of "unexpected developments" on censorship being imposed, so "no more letters for a short while." The next letter, sent on 31 May...