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To Fonds Description
John Gilbert Browne fonds. --
1914. -- 12.5 cm of textual material. -- 3 maps.
Series 1 Manuscripts
Manuscripts series. -- 1914. -- 10 folders. -- 2 maps. -- Title
based on content of series.
Box 1
Note: All manuscript material is in the hand of Br.-General Browne
unless otherwise stated.
F.1 Mobilization 1914. Autograph ms., 17 pp. feint ruled fcap.;
1 item.
Only the early paragraphs cover the mobilization of No. 3 Base in England.
The greater portion is a detailed account combining personal memoirs and
an administrative history of the operations of the Base once it had reached
Boulogne. Duties of the British officers and those of their French counterparts
are explained with the aid of sketch maps and tables. Browne describes
how men, stores, horses and transports were disembarked and moved to railway
yards, camps, and depots as efficiently as possible to prevent congestion
delaying the arrival of future ships.
F.2 [Notes on Staff Duties at Boulogne]: [1914]. Untitled autograph
ms., 3 pp., feint ruled fcap.; 1 item.
Browne’s meticulous aide memoir relating the exact sequence
of events to be followed by him and his subordinates on the arrival, berthing,
and disembarkation of troopships at Boulogne.
F.3 Richmond (Captain H.C.): Report on St. Nazaire Harbour with a view
to landing troops: 31 August 1914. Autograph ms., 1 p.: Includes an
annotated printed plan, 22" x 29", of St. Nazaire Harbour; 2 items.
A brief report comprising notes keyed to numbers on the heavily annotated
large scale plan. Extensive comments in ink and pencil indicate the suitability
of berths, cranes and hoisting equipment, dockside storage facilities,
resting places for disembarked troops, etc. Richmond was apparently sent
to prepare this survey when the German advance and consequent British
Retreat from Mons threatened to cut off the BEF from its existing Channel
port bases, including Boulogne and Havre. Only Havre was temporarily evacuated
to St. Nazaire.
F.4 Work on Staff [of 3rd Division] in France Sept-Nov [sic]
1914. Autograph ms., 14 pp., feint ruled fcap.; 1 item.
An account of Browne’s work as a temporary supernumerary on the
staff of General H.I.W. Hamilton, commanding the 3rd Division, in the
aftermath of the Retreat from Mons. Staff duties, divisional order of
battle and its order of march are detailed. He also lists German prisoners
of war he interrogated, with examples of his interrogation technique.
The account ends 14 October 1914 and does not extend to November.
F.5 [Daily war diary of Cavalry Corps Headquarters, 15th
October to 6th November 1914]. Pencil autograph ms., 21
pp., feint ruled squares; 1 item.
A highly detailed record of operations of the newly formed Cavalry Corps
during the first 3 weeks of its involvement in the Battle of Messines
(First Battle of Ypres). It records orders issued and received, messages,
information and reports received, details of the movements of the formations
and units commanded by the Corps, as well as those of the British infantry
formations and units with whom they were co-operating.
F.6 [Summary of messages and information from unit commanders, liaison
officers and others during operations of the Cavalry Corps, October-November,
1914]. Pencil autograph ms., feint ruled squares; 1 item.
Information recorded as received at the Cavalry Corps Headquarters, supplementary
to F.6.
F.7 [Summary of 3rd Corps Operations]: [1914]. Pencil
c.c. ms., 2 pp., feint ruled squares; 1 item.
F.8 Maps of the position at Le Gheer (south of Ypres) at the time of its
capture by the German Army and recapture by the Inniskilling Fusiliers:
[1914]. 2 hand-drawn sketch maps, 2 pp., feint ruled squares; 2 items.
F.9 Message concerning British artillery firing on their own troops: [1914].
Pencil c.c. ms., 1 p., feint ruled squares; 1 item.
F.10 [Report by the Officer Commanding 129th D.C.O. Baluchis
concerning operations, 23rd to 31st October 1914].
Pencil c.c. ms., 6 pp., feint ruled squares; 1 item.
Series 2 Printed and Duplicated Material
Printed and duplicated material series. -- 1914. -- 11 folders.
-- 1 map. -- Title based on content of series.
F.11 Instructions for Base Commandants at Ports C, B and R: [The
War Office: July 1914]. iv, [26] pp., wrappers, upper wrapper slightly
defective; 1 item.
Classified “Secret” and one of only 160 copies printed by
Harrison & Sons. Browne’s copy with his crayon autograph signature
and extensive crayon, pencil and ink notes throughout. Harrison &
Sons were the printers most frequently employed by the War Office for
producing printed material requiring a high security clearance. Only Harrison
& Sons staff were permitted to operate the secret press housed in
the War Office building itself.
F.12 Disembarkation Tables 1914: [The War Office: March 1914].
57 pp., wrappers; Includes: Amendments to “Disembarkation Tables
1914. [The War Office]: July 1914. Duplicated typescript, 2 pp.; 2
items.
Classified “Secret” and one of only 200 copies printed by
Harrison & Sons. Browne’s copy with his crayon autograph signature
and heavy crayon, pencil and ink annotations on pp. 45-57 that cover the
disembarkations at Boulogne.
F.13 Table D: [The War Office: February 1914]. Nine parts [all
issued], wrappers, classified: “Confidential”; 1 item.
Tables giving details of units, their strengths, vehicles, etc, with dates
of sailing and other information. Browne’s personal set, annotated
by him in ink and crayon to show the convoy reference number, name of
ship, and other information concerning those units disembarked at Boulogne.
F.14 Table “B” 1914: Approximate list of ships due to arrive
daily at Boulogne: [The War Office: July 1914]. Duplicated typescript,
1 p., classified: “Secret”; 1 item.
F.15 Distribution of L[ines]. of C[ommunication]. Units: [The War
Office: July 1914]. Duplicated typescript, 9 pp., classified: “Secret”;
1 item.
F.16 Key to “Disembarkation Tables”: [The War Office:
July 1914]. Duplicated typescript, 2 pp., classified: “Secret”;
1 item.
F.17 Glossary of French railway & L. Of C. Terms: [The War
Office: July 1914]. Duplicated typescript, 2 pp.; 1 item.
F.18 General Statement of the arrangement of the work of Staffs at
a port of landing: [The War Office: July 1914]. Duplicated typescript,
single sheet; 1 item.
F.19 Table “A” 1914. List of Supplies and Stores due at
Boulogne: [The War Office: July 1914]. Duplicated typescript, 1 p.,
classified: “Secret”; 1 item.
F.20 Map of Boulogne: [n.d.]. Commercially printed, 14" x 20"; 1 item.
Browne’s personal copy, annotated in ink and pencil to indicate
locations of the offices of various offers of the Base Staff.
F21 Uniforms and Distinctive Badges: [The War Office: July 1914].
24 pp., wrappers, printed by Harrison & Sons.
A pamphlet of colour plates showing the uniforms, badges, flags, etc.,
of the French, Belgian and German armies. A copy was issued to each officer
of the BEF shortly before embarkation. Back to Top
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