FORCES

149pp., 4to. Carbon copy. On rectos of leaves only, and bound in a buff card folder with metal clasps. Internally in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in worn binding. The play centres around 'the "Hibiscus" night-club, one of those London resorts which are alike the despair of Social Reformers and the delight of the Forces when on Leave. It is situated somewhere between Berkeley Square and Dover Street.' The typescript is clearly an actual play and not a radio play, but there is no record of it having been performed on stage.

12mo (dimensions of leaf 18 x 8 cm): [iii] + 16 + 34 pp. No title leaf and publisher not stated. Printed on the versos only of 53 leaves. Unbound. In contemporary marbled-paper and cloth-spine wraps. Text clear and entire, on aged and lightly stained paper. Loss and staining to rear wrap. A few annotations in pen and pencil in contemporary hands (for example 'Horatio Nelson' is marked out as 'Lord Nelson'). Ownership inscription of Jane Hume. From the papers of her relative, Charles William Paterson, Admiral of the White.

12mo (dimensions of leaf 18 x 7.5 cm): [v] + 18 + 16 pp. No title leaf and publisher not stated. Printed on the versos only of 39 leaves. Unbound. In contemporary marbled-paper wraps. Dogeared and worn, on aged paper. Damage to last leaf causing loss of one word of text. From the papers of Charles William Paterson, Admiral of the White.

12mo (dimensions of leaf 17.5 x 8 cm): paginated [5] to 20. No title leaf and publisher not stated. Printed on the versos only of 19 leaves. Unbound. In contemporary marbled-paper wraps. Dogeared and worn, on aged paper. A few annotations in a contemporary hand in pencil and ink. From the papers of Charles William Paterson, Admiral of the White.

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.

ONE: The copy writ is 2pp., 8vo. On a leaf of laid paper with crown watermark. Aged and worn, and separated into two halves along central vertical crease line. Headed 'George R', the document begins: 'Whereas the Land Owners and Inhabitants within ye: Counties of Cheshire & Lancashire have most hbly represented unto us That Cross ye: River Mercy wch runs between those Counties had been built three Stone Bridges vizt. Warrington Bridge Stockport Bridge and Crossford Bridge and a Wooden Bridge called Carington Bridge'.

On piece of 6 x 8.5 cm. laid paper, cut from a document, with discoloration and traces of glue from previous mounting. Sherbrooke's signature is large and firm, with the words 'Commander of the Forces' in another, contemporary hand, beneath it. A scarce signature.

2pp., foolscap 8vo. On two leaves stapled together. In good condition, on lightly aged and creased paper. This item is discussed in M. F. Snape's 'God and the British Soldier: Religion and the British Soldier in the First and Second World Wars' (London: Routledge, 2005). Montgomery described Hughes as 'the ideal of what an Army padre should be', and according to Snape: 'A major theme which seemed to emerge from the collaboration of Montgomery and Hughes in 1942 was the notion of the consecration of British arms to a higher purpose.

All three are air mail letter cards. Each with 'Field Post Office' postmark and censor's stamp. The three in fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Letter One: To his father, 17 March [1944]. Addressed to 'My dear Father', with the envelope addressed to 'Sir E. de la Rue Bart. | The Sol | Cookham | Berkshire | England.' 1p, 4to, and 1p., 12mo. A light-hearted letter, in which he jokes about his father's inability to read the word 'Aviv' ('I suppose a series of "i"s and "v"s is rather difficult even if printed') and find the place on the map ('it is much larger than Bournemouth').

The collection is in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with all texts clear and complete. Totaling 223 pp in 4to (67 letters) and 30 pp in 12mo (6 letters). Twelve of the letters (4to, 30 pp; 12mo, 4 pp) date from 1928; thirty-two (4to, 93 pp; 12mo, 14 pp) from 1929; and twenty-nine (4to, 100 pp; 12mo, 12 pp) from 1930. All are addressed to 'My darling Mummy', with Leahy usually signing his name in full, and occasionally as 'A. J. Leahy', 'John Leahy' or 'John'.

Notebook, 7pp. used, 12mo, some staining and chipped corners but mainly good. A handwritten compilation of the commanding officers of British Land Forces at the conclusion of the Seven Years' War (The French and Indian War, 1756-1763).

Printed on one side of a piece of grey paper, 22.5 x 16 cm. Text clear and complete. In fair condition: lightly-aged and with remains of stub adhering to the blank reverse, on which a clean closed tear has been unobtrusively repaired with archival tape. Nine regulations are listed, from 'I. No Person will be nominated to a Cadetship in the Royal Navy, who shall be under 12 or above 14 years of age at the time of his first Examination.' to 'IX. After having completed twelve months' instruction, exclusive of vacations, in the Training Ship, a Cadet will have to undergo the final examination.

Interesting item with contemporary resonances. ITEM ONE: dimensions eight and a half inches by fourteen and a half inches. Around fifty lines of text. Clean, but heavily folded. States that 18 months previously Maude and the British Army had come 'not as conquerors but as deliverers'. Describes the progress of the war and states that despite Maude's death the promises he made in a proclamation to the citizens of Baghdad will be kept. Announces eight undertakings (e.g. 'Fifth, that the routes to the sacred places will be thrown open once again for organized pilgrimages').

The six-line letter, which is laid down on a slightly larger piece of lilac paper, was originally on one side of an octavo leaf, but it has had a strip (presumably carrying the name and address of the recipient) beneath the address cut away. It is now in two pieces: 5 x 15.5 and 12 x 15.5 cm. Otherwise very good. Laid down on the top piece is a slip of paper in Hill's hand, reading 'From: Air Commodore Dame Felicity Hill D.B.E. WRAF (retd)'. In the bottom right-hand corner of the second piece of paper is a strip carrying Hill's autograph.

Scottish 'Chaplain-General of the Forces' (1796-1888) and military historian. On piece of paper roughly 4 1/4 by 4 inches. Folded once. Very good. Reads 'Sincerely yours - | G. R. Gleig. | Lt Colonel Buchanan - | 9th Regiment' and on reverse '<...> the music of the Te Deum with which I was so greatly pleased, when I heard it sung by your Choir - You have got together an admirable body <...>'.

One page, 4to. Very good, though on discoloured paper, and with traces of grey-paper mount adhering to blank reverse and minor damage at foot affecting one word. Reads 'I am favored with your Letter of the 1st. instant, enclosing One Guinea subscribed by Rudston Calverley Rudston Esqr.