Finding Aid
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.
F.21 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.
