Collection GB 0099 KCLMA Archer - ARCHER, Capt John (1871-1954)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0099 KCLMA Archer

Title

ARCHER, Capt John (1871-1954)

Date(s)

  • 1889-1938 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

4 boxes or 0.04m3

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

John Archer, often known as Jack, was born 1871; enlisted with Rifle Brigade, 1889; joined 2 Battalion, Rifle Brigade; stationed in Ireland, 1890-1895; Sergeant, 1894; appointed Armourer Sergeant, Mounted Infantry, 1896; posted to Mashonaland, 1896-97; returned to 2 Battalion, Rifle Brigade and posted to Malta, Egypt, the Sudan and Crete, 1897-1899; fought in the Battle of Omdurman, 1898; Colour Sergeant, 1899; fought in the Second Boer War, South Africa, 1899-1902, including Siege of Ladysmith; posted to Egypt, the Sudan and India, 1902-1908; appointed Regimental Sergeant Major, 1 Battalion, King's African Rifles, 1908; posted to Nyasaland (Malawi) and Somaliland, 1908-1914; Sergeant Major, A Company, 1 Battalion Rifle Brigade, British Expeditionary Force, 1914; wounded and captured at Battle of Cambrai, Aug 1914; POW, Merseburg Camp, Germany and Scheveningen Camp, Holland, 1914-1918; retired from Army, 1919; worked for the prison service, Nyasaland (Malawi), 1919-1939; commissioned as 2 Lieutenant, East African Army Service Corps, 1939; worked in training and recruitment; retired with rank of Honorary Captain, 1947; died 1954.

Archival history

The papers were given to Professor Colin Baker by the Archer family.

GB 0099 KCLMA Archer 1889-1938 Collection 4 boxes or 0.04m3 Archer , John , 1871-1954 , Captain x Archer , Jack

John Archer, often known as Jack, was born 1871; enlisted with Rifle Brigade, 1889; joined 2 Battalion, Rifle Brigade; stationed in Ireland, 1890-1895; Sergeant, 1894; appointed Armourer Sergeant, Mounted Infantry, 1896; posted to Mashonaland, 1896-97; returned to 2 Battalion, Rifle Brigade and posted to Malta, Egypt, the Sudan and Crete, 1897-1899; fought in the Battle of Omdurman, 1898; Colour Sergeant, 1899; fought in the Second Boer War, South Africa, 1899-1902, including Siege of Ladysmith; posted to Egypt, the Sudan and India, 1902-1908; appointed Regimental Sergeant Major, 1 Battalion, King's African Rifles, 1908; posted to Nyasaland (Malawi) and Somaliland, 1908-1914; Sergeant Major, A Company, 1 Battalion Rifle Brigade, British Expeditionary Force, 1914; wounded and captured at Battle of Cambrai, Aug 1914; POW, Merseburg Camp, Germany and Scheveningen Camp, Holland, 1914-1918; retired from Army, 1919; worked for the prison service, Nyasaland (Malawi), 1919-1939; commissioned as 2 Lieutenant, East African Army Service Corps, 1939; worked in training and recruitment; retired with rank of Honorary Captain, 1947; died 1954.

The papers were given to Professor Colin Baker by the Archer family.

Presented to the Centre by the family, Oct 2003, and Prof Colin Baker, on behalf of the family, Aug 2005.

Papers of Capt John Archer, 1889-1938, including: diaries, 1889-1896, 1901, 1908-1910, 1919, 1921-1922, 1925 and 1938; correspondence with family, friends and colleagues detailing his military experiences, 1893-1913; papers relating to Archer's career, including notebook containing details of service record, examinations passed, certificates gained and financial accounts, 1889-1894; list of warrant and non-commissioned officers at School of Musketry, Hythe, Oct 1895; printed map of Mashonaland, 1896; issues of The Rhodesia Herald, 1896, concerning the Mashonaland Uprising; general instructions for non-commissioned officers, 1897; timetable for movement of Archer's unit from Omdurman, 1898; poem 'The Night Attack on Surprise Hill', by Pte J Gibbons, 1899; sketch map of Lydenburg and the surrounding countryside, South Africa, by R Verney, 2 Lieutenant, Rifle Brigade, [1899]; lithograph map of Cairo, War Office, 1901; special orders announcing proclamation of peace, June 1902; Intelligence summaries, Jan and April 1902; order of service for Military Thanksgiving Service for the Restoration of Peace, Pretoria, Jun 8 1902; order of service for Coronation Day, 26 Jun 1902; parade service for visit of the Amir of Afghanistan to Agra, Jan 1907, with map showing locations of troop billets and plan of organisation of troop review; papers relating to Archer's time as POW, Germany and Holland, 1914-1918, and press cuttings, correspondence and reports relating to Archer's job as Superintendent of Prisons, Nyasaland, 1920-1936.

Rifle and athletic meeting programmes, with press cuttings recording Archer's successes, 1898-1914. Photograph album showing manoeuvres, Malta, 1897; Crete, 1898; punitive raids on Transvaal farms, including taking Boer women into concentration camps, 1901; Middleburg and Groot Oliphant Camps, 1901-1902; views of Egypt including parades, inspections, sports and camps, 1902-1905; photographs of groups of POWs, Merseburg Camp and examples of paper money used in the Merseburg Camp, 1914-1919. Also copy of A Fine Chest of Medals: The Life of Jack Archer, Colin Baker (Mpemba Books: Cardiff, 2003).

In sections as above.

In order to view archive material you will need to provide two forms of identification.

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archives and Information Management.

English

Detailed box list available in the Reading Room.

Compiled by Katharine Higgon.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997

Oct 2007 Wars (events) Afghanistan Agra Archer , John , 1871-1954 , Captain x Archer , Jack Armed forces Battle of Omdurman (1898) Boer War (1899-1902) Cairo Central Africa Concentration camps Crete Diaries Documents Egypt Europe Gauteng Greece Humanitarian law India Information sources International conflicts Literary forms and genres Literature Malawi Malta Mashonaland Middle East Military organizations Nonfiction North Africa Organizations Peace Peacekeeping Pretoria Primary documents Prose School of Musketry , Hythe Second Sudan Campaign (1896-1898) South Africa South Asia Southern Africa State security Urban War War crimes War prisoners War victims Western Europe World War One (1914-1918) World wars (events) Zimbabwe

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Presented to the Centre by the family, Oct 2003, and Prof Colin Baker, on behalf of the family, Aug 2005.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of Capt John Archer, 1889-1938, including: diaries, 1889-1896, 1901, 1908-1910, 1919, 1921-1922, 1925 and 1938; correspondence with family, friends and colleagues detailing his military experiences, 1893-1913; papers relating to Archer's career, including notebook containing details of service record, examinations passed, certificates gained and financial accounts, 1889-1894; list of warrant and non-commissioned officers at School of Musketry, Hythe, Oct 1895; printed map of Mashonaland, 1896; issues of The Rhodesia Herald, 1896, concerning the Mashonaland Uprising; general instructions for non-commissioned officers, 1897; timetable for movement of Archer's unit from Omdurman, 1898; poem 'The Night Attack on Surprise Hill', by Pte J Gibbons, 1899; sketch map of Lydenburg and the surrounding countryside, South Africa, by R Verney, 2 Lieutenant, Rifle Brigade, [1899]; lithograph map of Cairo, War Office, 1901; special orders announcing proclamation of peace, June 1902; Intelligence summaries, Jan and April 1902; order of service for Military Thanksgiving Service for the Restoration of Peace, Pretoria, Jun 8 1902; order of service for Coronation Day, 26 Jun 1902; parade service for visit of the Amir of Afghanistan to Agra, Jan 1907, with map showing locations of troop billets and plan of organisation of troop review; papers relating to Archer's time as POW, Germany and Holland, 1914-1918, and press cuttings, correspondence and reports relating to Archer's job as Superintendent of Prisons, Nyasaland, 1920-1936.

Rifle and athletic meeting programmes, with press cuttings recording Archer's successes, 1898-1914. Photograph album showing manoeuvres, Malta, 1897; Crete, 1898; punitive raids on Transvaal farms, including taking Boer women into concentration camps, 1901; Middleburg and Groot Oliphant Camps, 1901-1902; views of Egypt including parades, inspections, sports and camps, 1902-1905; photographs of groups of POWs, Merseburg Camp and examples of paper money used in the Merseburg Camp, 1914-1919. Also copy of A Fine Chest of Medals: The Life of Jack Archer, Colin Baker (Mpemba Books: Cardiff, 2003).

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

In sections as above.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

In order to view archive material you will need to provide two forms of identification.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archives and Information Management.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Detailed box list available in the Reading Room.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area