Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1914-1956 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
2 boxes or 0.02m3
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Born 1891; educated Merchant Venturers' School, Bristol; served in ranks, 4 Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, 1908; commissioned into 123 Outram's Rifles, Indian Army Reserve of Officers, 1914; Egyptian Expeditionary Force, 1915-1916; Lieutenant, 1916; British Mandate of Iraq, 1920-22; Rajputana Rifles, Waziristan, India, 1923; Staff College, Camberley, 1924-1925; Brevet Major, 1930; Brevet Lieutenant Colonel, 1935; Brigadier General Staff, Northern Command, India, 1940; Deputy Quartermaster General, General Headquarters, India, 1942; Major General in charge of administration, Central Command, India, 1943; temporary Lieutenant General, 1945; Quartermaster General, India, 1945-1947; retired 1947 with honorary rank of Lieutenant General; died 1965.
Archival history
GB 0099 KCLMA Durnford 1914-1956 collection level 2 boxes or 0.02m3 Durnford , Cyril Maton Periam (`Tirpitz') , 1891-1965 , Lieutenant General
Born 1891; educated Merchant Venturers' School, Bristol; served in ranks, 4 Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, 1908; commissioned into 123 Outram's Rifles, Indian Army Reserve of Officers, 1914; Egyptian Expeditionary Force, 1915-1916; Lieutenant, 1916; British Mandate of Iraq, 1920-22; Rajputana Rifles, Waziristan, India, 1923; Staff College, Camberley, 1924-1925; Brevet Major, 1930; Brevet Lieutenant Colonel, 1935; Brigadier General Staff, Northern Command, India, 1940; Deputy Quartermaster General, General Headquarters, India, 1942; Major General in charge of administration, Central Command, India, 1943; temporary Lieutenant General, 1945; Quartermaster General, India, 1945-1947; retired 1947 with honorary rank of Lieutenant General; died 1965.
Presented by the family, May 2007
Papers relating to the career and publications of Lieutenant General Cyril Durnford, 1914-1956, notably correspondence including letters of thanks and congratulations from colleagues, government officials and industry figures; progress reports and testimonials; official notices regarding promotion, awards and transfers; sailing orders; leave arrangements; mess arrangements and pay information, 1914-1947. Administrative papers including minutes, memorandums and reports including: "Summary of the Principal Military Reasons for the Urgent Construction of the Tauda China - Wana Road", 1930; "Passage of troops via the Imphal Road", 1942; "Despatching Stores along the Imphal Road", 1942; "Reorganisation of Command in Deccan District and Sind Area", 1943; "Report on Operations on Shatt Al Charraf (Sharaf) by 34 Brigade Column"; minutes of extraordinary meeting of the War Projects Coordination and Administrative Committee to consider Inter-Branch Subjects, 18-20 May, 1943; file regarding coordination of administrative functions at General Headquarters, India, 1943. Papers relating to Durnford's publications, including copies of articles "Imperial Organisation in Relation to Imperial Defence" and "The Arab Insurrection of 1920-21", [1924-25]; copies of The Journal of the United Service Institute of India, Vol LX, No 261, Oct 1930, including Gold Medal Prize Essay by Durnford on the subject of assisting economic development of tribal territories and finding employment for tribesmen; copies of The Journal of the United Service Institute of India, Vol LXIX, No 294, Jan 1939; including Highly Commended Essay by Durnford on modern army strategy and tactics; correspondence with Edward Machie of The Statesman newspaper, Mar-Sept 1947, regarding a series of articles by Durnford on The Foundations of India's Security', with drafts of the articles entitled:
A Strong Man Armed Keepeth His House', Threats to India's Security',
Can an Independent India Stand Alone?', The Bases of Defence Planning' and
Internal Unity'; draft of article, Forgotten Men', Jan 1949, about the officers of the Indian Army; copy of
Planning, Development and Operation of the Assam Lines of Communication, 1941-45', by Maj Gen George Neville Russell and Brig Richard Gardiner, 1951, with annotations by Durnford and related memo from Quartermaster General's Branch regarding maintenance of troops in Kalewa, Burma, 1942; correspondence with the Observer newspaper regarding Durnford's review of Defeat into Victory by FM Sir William Joseph Slim and correspondence with others regarding the review, 1956. With portrait photograph of Durnford, July 1943.
6 files arranged chronologically.
Open, subject to signature of Reader's undertaking form, and appropriate provision of 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
A detailed box-list is available in hard copy in the reading room.
The National Army Museum has material relating to Durnford's career, including certificate of service in 1Vol Bn Gloucestershire Regt, 1907-1908; commission certificates, 1915 and 1917; Home Guard service certificate, 1952-1956; letters from the War Office regarding Home Guard commission, 1956-1957 (ref. 1967-05-71).
CB, CIE, Cravat of the Cloud and Banner (China)
Entry 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. May 2007 Wars (events) Armed forces Asian history British Army China Colonial forces Durnford , Cyril Maton Periam ('Tirpitz') , 1891-1965 , Lieutenant General East Asia Imphal India Indian history International conflicts Military organizations Myanmar National history Organizations Slim , William Joseph , 1891-1970 , 1st Viscount Slim , Field Marshal x Slim , 1st Viscount South Asia South East Asia State security War World wars (events) World War Two (1939-1945)
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Presented by the family, May 2007
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Papers relating to the career and publications of Lieutenant General Cyril Durnford, 1914-1956, notably correspondence including letters of thanks and congratulations from colleagues, government officials and industry figures; progress reports and testimonials; official notices regarding promotion, awards and transfers; sailing orders; leave arrangements; mess arrangements and pay information, 1914-1947. Administrative papers including minutes, memorandums and reports including: "Summary of the Principal Military Reasons for the Urgent Construction of the Tauda China - Wana Road", 1930; "Passage of troops via the Imphal Road", 1942; "Despatching Stores along the Imphal Road", 1942; "Reorganisation of Command in Deccan District and Sind Area", 1943; "Report on Operations on Shatt Al Charraf (Sharaf) by 34 Brigade Column"; minutes of extraordinary meeting of the War Projects Coordination and Administrative Committee to consider Inter-Branch Subjects, 18-20 May, 1943; file regarding coordination of administrative functions at General Headquarters, India, 1943. Papers relating to Durnford's publications, including copies of articles "Imperial Organisation in Relation to Imperial Defence" and "The Arab Insurrection of 1920-21", [1924-25]; copies of The Journal of the United Service Institute of India, Vol LX, No 261, Oct 1930, including Gold Medal Prize Essay by Durnford on the subject of assisting economic development of tribal territories and finding employment for tribesmen; copies of The Journal of the United Service Institute of India, Vol LXIX, No 294, Jan 1939; including Highly Commended Essay by Durnford on modern army strategy and tactics; correspondence with Edward Machie of The Statesman newspaper, Mar-Sept 1947, regarding a series of articles by Durnford on The Foundations of India's Security', with drafts of the articles entitled:
A Strong Man Armed Keepeth His House', Threats to India's Security',
Can an Independent India Stand Alone?', The Bases of Defence Planning' and
Internal Unity'; draft of article, Forgotten Men', Jan 1949, about the officers of the Indian Army; copy of
Planning, Development and Operation of the Assam Lines of Communication, 1941-45', by Maj Gen George Neville Russell and Brig Richard Gardiner, 1951, with annotations by Durnford and related memo from Quartermaster General's Branch regarding maintenance of troops in Kalewa, Burma, 1942; correspondence with the Observer newspaper regarding Durnford's review of Defeat into Victory by FM Sir William Joseph Slim and correspondence with others regarding the review, 1956. With portrait photograph of Durnford, July 1943.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
6 files arranged chronologically.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open, subject to signature of Reader's undertaking form, and appropriate provision of 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
A detailed box-list is available in hard copy in the reading room.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
The National Army Museum has material relating to Durnford's career, including certificate of service in 1Vol Bn Gloucestershire Regt, 1907-1908; commission certificates, 1915 and 1917; Home Guard service certificate, 1952-1956; letters from the War Office regarding Home Guard commission, 1956-1957 (ref. 1967-05-71).
Publication note
CB, CIE, Cravat of the Cloud and Banner (China)
Notes area
Note
CB, CIE, Cravat of the Cloud and Banner (China)
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
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