Liddle Collection Summary Guide
The material in the Liddle Collection includes the personal papers of well over four thousand men and women who lived through the First World War, and of approximately five hundred who experienced the Second World War. These have been grouped by geographical area in which a man or woman served, or by the nature of his or her military service.
A database catalogue describing each individual set of papers relating to the First World War has now been completed and contains 4300 records. The Second World War catalogue contains 488 records.
On this page:
- Aden
- Africa
- East Africa
- Air
- ANZAC (Australia)
- ANZAC (New Zealand)
- Burma
- China
- CO/FAU (Conscientious Objection and Friends' Ambulance Unit)
- Domestic Front
- Dunsterforce/Caspian Naval Force
- Egypt/Palestine
- French
- Gallipoli
- Gallipoli (Royal Navy)
- General Aspects
- General Section (including Western Front)
- German
- Germany, Occupation of
- India
- Italy
- Mesopotamia
- Pacific
- POW (Prisoners of War)
- Royal Navy/Merchant Navy
- Russia
- Ruhleben
- Salonika
- Turks
- Women
- 1939-1945 Section
Aden
- Reference: AD
- Extent: 1 box
- Content: Contains the personal papers of three men, and papers relating to the South Wales Borderers, who served in Aden
- Dates Covered: 1914-1918
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files, alphabetically by name or title
- Finding Aids: Aden catalogue (hard copy)
- Related Material: For papers of other men serving in Aden, see also the holdings of East Africa (AFE), Africa (AF), and Egypt/Palestine (EP)
Africa
- Reference: AF
- Extent: 5 boxes
- Content: Contains the personal papers of 14 men who served in West Africa (Cameroons and Togoland, Gold Coast and Nigeria),in the Sudan and Somaliland, and South Africa, 1914-1918
- Dates Covered: 1914-1918
- Arrangement: The material is arranged geographically by area, and alphabetically by surname or by subject
- Finding Aids: Africa catalogue (hard copy)
- Related Material: For papers of other men serving in Africa, see also the holdings of East Africa (AFE), Aden (AD) and Egypt/Palestine (EP)
East Africa
- Reference: AFE
- Extent: 21 boxes
- Content: The East Africa section contains the personal papers of 38 men who served in British, German and Portuguese East Africa, 1914-1918
- Dates Covered: 1914-1918
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files, alphabetically by surname
- Finding Aids: Africa catalogue (hard copy)
- Related Material: For papers of other men serving in East Africa, see also the holdings in Africa (AF), Aden (AD) and Egypt/Palestine (EP)
Air
- Reference: AIR
- Extent: 235 boxes
- Content: The Air section contains collections of personal papers of men who served with the RFC (Royal Flying Corps), the RNAS (Royal Naval Air Service), and the RAF (Royal Air Force), between 1914 and 1918
- Dates Covered: 1914-1918
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by surname, and in sub-groups by category of material: miscellaneous, photographs, recollections, and Squadron Histories
- Finding Aids: Air catalogue (hard copy). This includes cross-references to RFC/RAF squadrons
ANZAC (Australia)
- Reference: ANZAC (AUST)
- Extent: 32 boxes
- Content: The ANZAC (Australia) section contains 98 collections of personal papers of men who served with the AIF (Australian Imperial Force) at Gallipoli, the Western Front and in Egypt and Palestine, 1914-1918
- Dates Covered: 1914-1918
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name, and in sub-groups by category of material: miscellaneous, newspaper cuttings, photographs, and recollections
- Finding Aids: Anzac catalogue (hard copy)
ANZAC (New Zealand)
- Reference: ANZAC (NZ)
- Extent: 21 boxes
- Content: The ANZAC (New Zealand) section consists of 146 collections of personal papers of men who served with the NZEF (New Zealand Expeditionary Force), at Samoa, Gallipoli, the Western Front, and Egypt and Palestine, 1914-1918
- Dates Covered: 1914-1918
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name, and in sub-groups by category of material: photographs and recollections
- Finding Aids: Anzac catalogue (hard copy)
Burma
- Reference: BU
- Extent: 3 files
- Content: Burma contains the personal papers of three
men who served in Burma, 1914-1918.
Dates Covered: 1914-1918 - Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name
- Finding Aids: Burma/India catalogue (hard copy)
- Related Material: For papers of other men serving in Burma, see the holdings of Mesopotamia (MES), India (IND) and General Section (GS)
China
- Reference: CH
- Extent: 1 box
- Content: The China section contains collections of personal papers of men who served in China, and in the navy off the coast of China, 1914-1918
- Dates Covered: 1914-1918
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name
- Finding Aids: Pacific, China and Indian Ocean catalogue (hard copy)
CO/FAU (Conscientious Objection and Friends' Ambulance Unit)
- Reference: CO
- Extent: 51 boxes
- Content: This group holds collections of personal papers of men active as Conscientious Objectors and in the Friends' Ambulance Unit, 1914-1919
- Dates Covered: 1914-1919
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name and subject title, and also in a sub-group by category of material: miscellaneous
- Finding Aids: CO/FAU catalogue (hard copy)
Domestic Front
- Reference: DF
- Extent: 157 boxes
- Content: The Domestic Front section holds collections of personal papers of men and women who were active on the home front during the war and at the armistice. It also contains a General Aspects sub-section (see Domestic Front: General Aspects Subject Index) which holds collections of papers, categorised by subject, relating to particular aspects of wartime experience and the armistice on the Domestic Front.
- Dates Covered: 1914-1919
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name or subject
- Finding Aids: Domestic Front catalogue (hard copy)
Dunsterforce/Caspian Naval Force
- Reference: DU
- Extent: 4 boxes
- Content: The Dunsterforce/Caspian Naval Force section holds collections of personal papers of men who were active in Dunsterforce or the Caspian Naval Force at the end of the war and afterwards, 1918-1919
- Dates Covered: 1918-1919
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name
- Finding Aids: Dunsterforce/Caspian Naval Force catalogue (hard copy)
- Related Material: See also related material in the Royal Navy (RNMN) section
Egypt/Palestine
- Reference: EP
- Extent: 65 boxes
- Content: The Egypt/Palestine section holds collections of personal papers of men who were active in Egypt and Palestine, 1914-1918
- Dates Covered: 1914-1918
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name, and also in a sub-group by category of material
- Finding Aids: Egypt/Palestine catalogue (hard copy)
- Related Material: See also related material in the Aden (AD) section.
French
- Reference: FR
- Extent: 14 boxes
Content: The French section holds collections of personal papers of French men who served, mainly at the Dardanelles, with the French Navy East Mediterranean Squadron; it also contains the papers of French men serving on the Western Front, 1914-1918 - Dates Covered: 1914-1918
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name, and also in a sub-group by category of material: photographs
- Finding Aids: French catalogue (hard copy)
Gallipoli
- Reference: GALL
- Extent: 86 boxes
- Content: The Gallipoli section holds collections of the personal papers of men who served during the Gallipoli campaign, 1915
- Dates Covered: c 1915
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name, and also in sub-groups by category of material: maps, miscellaneous, photographs, recollections
- Finding Aids: Gallipoli catalogue (hard copy)
Gallipoli (Royal Navy)
- Reference: GALL (RN)
- Extent: 11 boxes
- Content: The Gallipoli (Royal Navy) section holds collections of personal papers of men who served in the navy during the Dardanelles and Gallipoli campaigns, 1915
- Dates Covered: c 1915
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name, and also in a sub-group by category of material: photographs
- Finding Aids: Gallipoli catalogue (hard copy)
General Aspects
- Reference: GA
- Extent: 168 boxes
Content: The General Aspects section holds collections of papers categorised by subject, relating to particular aspects of wartime experience and the armistice, 1914-1919 - Dates Covered: 1914-1919
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files by subject-heading
- Finding Aids: General Aspects catalogue (hard copy). As well as referring to papers catalogued by subject, this catalogue also constitutes a subject index to the First World War papers as a whole (see General Aspects Subject Index). It can be consulted in the Liddle Collection.
General Section (including Western Front)
- Reference: GS
- Extent: 1056 boxes
Content: The General Section, the most substantial of the Liddle Collection, holds collections of personal papers of men who served on the Western Front, and/or who served on several fronts during the war, 1914-1918 - Dates Covered: 1914-1918
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name, and also in sub-groups by category of material: miscellaneous and Recollections
- Finding Aids: General Section catalogue (hard copy)
German
- Reference: GE
- Extent: 25 boxes
- Content: The German section holds collections of personal papers of German men who served in the war, including one Austro-Hungarian, and of English clergymen and doctors, living in Germany at the outbreak of the war, 1914-1919
- Dates Covered: 1914-1919
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files by name, and also in sub-groups by category of material: maps, miscellaneous, photographs and recollections
- Finding Aids: German catalogue (hard copy)
Germany, Occupation of
- Reference: GO
- Extent: 6 boxes
- Content: The Occupation of Germany section holds collections of personal papers of men and women active in serving in Germany during its occupation after the armistice (1918-1920s)
- Dates Covered: 1918-1920s
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name, and by subject title
- Finding Aids: German catalogue (hard copy)
India
- Reference: IND
- Extent: 14 boxes
- Content: The India section holds collections of personal papers of men who served in India c 1914- c 1919
- Dates Covered: 1914-1918
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name
- Finding Aids: India catalogue (hard copy)
- Related Material: See also related material in the Mesopotamia (MES) section
Italy
- Reference: ITA
- Extent: 9 boxes
- Content: The Italy section holds collections of personal papers of men serving on the Italian Front, 1915-1918
- Dates Covered: 1915-1918
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name, and also in a sub-group by category of material: maps, photographs, recollections
- Finding Aids: Italy catalogue (hard copy)
Mesopotamia
- Reference: MES
- Extent: 74 boxes
- Content: The Mesopotamia section holds collections of personal papers of men who served in Mesopotamia, 1914-1918
- Dates Covered: 1914-1918
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name, and also in sub-groups by category of material: miscellaneous, photographs, recollections
- Finding Aids: Mesopotamia catalogue (hard copy)
Pacific
- Reference: PA
- Extent: 1 box
- Content: The Pacific section holds collections of personal papers of men who served in the Pacific [including Samoa], 1914-1918
- Dates Covered: 1914-1918
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name
- Finding Aids: Pacific catalogue (hard copy)
- Related Material: See also the Royal Navy section (RNMN)
POW (Prisoners of War)
- Reference: POW
- Extent: 40 boxes
- Content: The POW section holds collections of personal papers of men who were Prisoners of War, 1914-1918
- Dates Covered: 1914-1918
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name, and also in sub-groups by category of material: miscellaneous, photographs, recollections
- Finding Aids: POW catalogue (hard copy)
Royal Navy/Merchant Navy
- Reference: RNMN
- Extent: 237 boxes
- Content: The Royal Navy/Merchant Navy section holds collections of personal papers of men who served in the RN (Royal Navy), RFR (Royal Fleet Reserve), RNR (Royal Naval Reserve); RNVR (Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve), Royal Marines and Merchant Navy (MN), c 1900 - 1940s. It also contains a General Aspects sub-section (see Royal Navy/Merchant Navy: General Aspects Subject Index) which holds collections of papers, categorised by subject, relating to particular aspects of naval service during the First World War. See also further information about the Royal Navy/Merchant Navy Section.
- Dates Covered: c 1900-c 1940s
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name or by subject title; and also in sub-groups by category of material: miscellaneous, photographs, recollections.
- Finding Aids: RNMN catalogue (hard copy)
- Related Material: See also Gallipoli Royal Navy [GALL (RN)] for related material
Russia
- Reference: RUS
- Extent: 24 boxes
- Content: The Russia section holds collections of personal papers of men who served in Russia both before and after the Russian Revolution, including Russian and British civilians and diplomats, 1915-1920s
- Dates Covered: c 1915-1920s
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name
- Finding Aids: Russia catalogue (hard copy)
Ruhleben
- Reference: RUH
- Extent: 28 boxes
- Content: The Ruhleben section holds collections of personal papers of men who were civilians in Germany during the war, and interred by law in the Ruhleben Camp near Spandau, Germany
- Dates Covered: 1914-1918
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name
- Finding Aids: Ruhleben catalogue (hard copy)
- Related Material: See also Ruhleben (Swale) correspondence
Salonika
- Reference: SAL
- Extent: 43 boxes
- Content: The Salonika section holds collections of personal papers of men who served in the Salonika campaign, c 1915 - c 1918
- Dates Covered: 1915-1918
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name and subject title, and also in sub-groups by category of material: maps, miscellaneous, photographs, recollections
- Finding Aids: Salonika catalogue (hard copy)
Turks
- Reference: TU
- Extent: 1 box
- Content: The Turks section holds collections of papers relating to aspects of the Turkish experience of the war, including its occupation, c 1914-1919
- Dates Covered: c 1914-1919
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files by subject
- Finding Aids: Turks catalogue (hard copy)
Women
- Reference: WO
- Extent: 182 boxes
- Content: The Women section holds collections of personal papers of women who served overseas, mainly as nurses, with the VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment), WAAC (Women's Army Auxiliary Corps), or WRNS (Women's Royal Naval Service). It also contains a General Aspects sub-section (see Women: General Aspects Subject Index) which holds collections of papers, categorised by subject, relating to particular aspects of women's service overseas during the First World War
- Dates Covered: 1914-1918
- Arrangement: The material is arranged in files alphabetically by name or subject title, and also in a sub-group by category of material: miscellaneous, photographs, recollections
- Finding Aids: Women catalogue (hard copy)
- Related Material: Many more collections of women's papers are held in the Domestic Front section
1939-1945 Section
- Extent: 373 boxes
- Content: The 1939-1945 Section holds collections of personal papers of approximately 500 men and women who either served during the Second World War or who had experience of the conflict. It also contains a General Aspects sub-section (see 1939-1945: General Aspects Subject Index) which holds collections of papers, categorised by subject, relating to particular aspects of the Second World War.
- Dates Covered: 1939-1945
- Arrangement: The material is divided into sections; Army, Navy, RAF, Women in Uniform Overseas, Home Front in Uniform, Domestic Front and Other Nationals: American, Czech, French, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Norwegian and Polish. Files are arranged alphabetically by name within each section.
- Finding Aids: 1939-1945 catalogue (hard copy)