GB 0099 KCLMA Penney - PENNEY, Maj Gen Sir (William) Ronald Campbell (1896-1964)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0099 KCLMA Penney

Title

PENNEY, Maj Gen Sir (William) Ronald Campbell (1896-1964)

Date(s)

  • Created 1920-1962 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

3 boxes or 0.03 cubic metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Born in 1896; attended Royal Military Academy, Woolwich; commissioned into Royal Engineers, 1914; served in World War One in France and Belgium; Capt, 1917; transferred to Royal Signals, 1921; served in India, 1921-1926; Maj, 1927; Staff College, Camberley, 1928; War Office, 1929-1930; Bde Maj, Shanghai, 1931-1933; Lt Col, 1935; India, 1935-1939; North West Frontier, India, 1937; served in World War Two, 1939-1945; Col, 1939; Maj Gen, 1941; Signal Officer in Chief, Middle East, 1941-1943; commanded 1 Infantry Div, Italy, 1943-1944; Director of Intelligence, HQ Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia, 1944-1945; Assistant Controller of Supplies (Munitions), Ministry of Supply, 1946-1949; Col Commandant, Royal Signals, 1947-1957; employed in London Communications Security Agency, Foreign Office, 1953-1957; died in 1964.

Archival history

GB 0099 KCLMA Penney Created 1920-1962 Collection (fonds) 3 boxes or 0.03 cubic metres

Born in 1896; attended Royal Military Academy, Woolwich; commissioned into Royal Engineers, 1914; served in World War One in France and Belgium; Capt, 1917; transferred to Royal Signals, 1921; served in India, 1921-1926; Maj, 1927; Staff College, Camberley, 1928; War Office, 1929-1930; Bde Maj, Shanghai, 1931-1933; Lt Col, 1935; India, 1935-1939; North West Frontier, India, 1937; served in World War Two, 1939-1945; Col, 1939; Maj Gen, 1941; Signal Officer in Chief, Middle East, 1941-1943; commanded 1 Infantry Div, Italy, 1943-1944; Director of Intelligence, HQ Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia, 1944-1945; Assistant Controller of Supplies (Munitions), Ministry of Supply, 1946-1949; Col Commandant, Royal Signals, 1947-1957; employed in London Communications Security Agency, Foreign Office, 1953-1957; died in 1964.

Placed in the Centre by the family in 1968.

Papers relating to his command of 1 Infantry Div, Anzio, Italy, 1944, dated 1943-1962, principally comprising correspondence and memoranda, 1943-1944; diary and typescript diary entries, 1943-1944; operation orders, tactical notes and maps, 1944; written accounts of operations carried out by 1 Div and individual regiments and battalions, 1944; correspondence relating to historical accounts of the landings, 1945-1962, notably Anzio by Wynford Vaughan Thomas (Longmans, London, 1961). Other papers relating to his life and career, 1920-1958, notably including an article by Penney on his service in Wazaristan, India, 1937, reprinted from the Royal Signals Quarterly Journal, Oct 1938 and Jan 1939; memoranda from General Staff, Shanghai, from the City Government of Shanghai and from W R Connor Green, British Embassy, Tokyo, concerning relations between the Chinese and Japanese, and the role of the British garrison in the protection of Shanghai, 1931-1933; diary, 1932, referring principally to matters affecting British troops in Shanghai; press cuttings, [1932]; anti-Japanese propaganda posters produced by the Shanghai Municipality National Salvation Committee to Resist Japan, [1932]; itinerary of Penney's movements in the Middle East and North Africa, 1941-1943; diary, 1943-1944, including description of Allied Forces HQ, Algiers, and reflections on the differences between US and British signals procedure; official and personal correspondence relating to his service as Director of Intelligence, HQ Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia, [1945].

Arranged in sections as follows: miscellaneous personal papers; Bde Maj, Shanghai; Mediterranean and Middle East; Director of Intelligence, HQ Supreme Allied Commander; papers relating to Anzio landing.

Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.

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 Archive Services.
Mainly English, but some Chinese

Detailed catalogue available on line and also in hard copy in the Centre's reading room.

The papers of Capt Basil Liddell- Hart contain correspondence between Maj Gen (William) Ronald Penney, HQ 8 Army and Maj Gen William Watson Richards, Deputy Quartermaster General (Army Equipment), GHQ, Middle Eastern Forces, on difficulties in distribution of ordnance stores to 8 Army, May 1942 (Liddell-Hart, 15/10/4 1939-1943). Royal Signals Museum holds additional papers relating to his career.

Decorations: KBE, CB, DSO, MC
Mar 1997 Algeria Algiers Anzio Armed forces British Army China Communication process Diplomacy East Asia Europe Foreign relations Green , W R Connor , fl 1931-1933 , diplomat Group communication Humanitarian law India International conflicts International relations Italy Japan Middle East Military communications Military engineering Military intelligence Military organizations North Africa Occupied territories Organizations Pakistan Persuasion Propaganda Shanghai Shanghai Shi South Asia South East Asia State security Thomas , Lewis John Wynford , Vaughan- , 1888-1972 , writer and broadcaster x Vaughan-Thomas , Wynford x Thomas , Wynford , Vaughan- Tokyo War Warfare Waziristan Western Europe World wars (events) World War Two (1939-1945) Wars (events) Military science Social sciences

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Placed in the Centre by the family in 1968.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers relating to his command of 1 Infantry Div, Anzio, Italy, 1944, dated 1943-1962, principally comprising correspondence and memoranda, 1943-1944; diary and typescript diary entries, 1943-1944; operation orders, tactical notes and maps, 1944; written accounts of operations carried out by 1 Div and individual regiments and battalions, 1944; correspondence relating to historical accounts of the landings, 1945-1962, notably Anzio by Wynford Vaughan Thomas (Longmans, London, 1961). Other papers relating to his life and career, 1920-1958, notably including an article by Penney on his service in Wazaristan, India, 1937, reprinted from the Royal Signals Quarterly Journal, Oct 1938 and Jan 1939; memoranda from General Staff, Shanghai, from the City Government of Shanghai and from W R Connor Green, British Embassy, Tokyo, concerning relations between the Chinese and Japanese, and the role of the British garrison in the protection of Shanghai, 1931-1933; diary, 1932, referring principally to matters affecting British troops in Shanghai; press cuttings, [1932]; anti-Japanese propaganda posters produced by the Shanghai Municipality National Salvation Committee to Resist Japan, [1932]; itinerary of Penney's movements in the Middle East and North Africa, 1941-1943; diary, 1943-1944, including description of Allied Forces HQ, Algiers, and reflections on the differences between US and British signals procedure; official and personal correspondence relating to his service as Director of Intelligence, HQ Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia, [1945].

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Arranged in sections as follows: miscellaneous personal papers; Bde Maj, Shanghai; Mediterranean and Middle East; Director of Intelligence, HQ Supreme Allied Commander; papers relating to Anzio landing.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.

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 Archive Services.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

Mainly English, but some Chinese

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

The papers of Capt Basil Liddell- Hart contain correspondence between Maj Gen (William) Ronald Penney, HQ 8 Army and Maj Gen William Watson Richards, Deputy Quartermaster General (Army Equipment), GHQ, Middle Eastern Forces, on difficulties in distribution of ordnance stores to 8 Army, May 1942 (Liddell-Hart, 15/10/4 1939-1943). Royal Signals Museum holds additional papers relating to his career.

Finding aids

Detailed catalogue available on line and also in hard copy in the Centre's reading room.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Decorations: KBE, CB, DSO, MC

Notes area

Note

Decorations: KBE, CB, DSO, MC

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

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area