MADOC, Maj Gen Reginald William (1907-1986)

Scope and Content

Papers relating to Madoc's service in the Royal Marines and his imprisonment in Germany as a POW, 1941-1945, including letter and postcard to his wife, Rosemary Madoc, from Crete, Apr 1941; letter to Rosemary Madoc from Maj Gerald Larsen, Royal Marines, Middle East Forces, relating to Madoc's capture, Aug 1941; two hundred and sixty five letters and postcards from Madoc to his wife, as a POW, 1941-1945; letters and postcards received by Rosemary Madoc from captured officers and troops relating to Madoc's bravery in Crete and to life in captivity, 1941-1944; manuscript account by Madoc of his service in the Royal Marines from embarkation with the MNBDO (Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation), his capture in Crete and subsequent imprisonment in Germany, 1941-1942, written on reverse of register of parcels received by prisoners, 1942; newspaper cutting of locations of POW camps in Germany [1943]; Madoc's POW identity card, with photograph of Madoc and negative, 1941.

Administrative / Biographical History

Born 1907; educated at King William's College, Isle of Man; commissioned into the Royal Marines, 1926; served at Deal, Kent, 1926-1927; Lt, 1929; served on HMS RODNEY, 2 Battle Sqn, Atlantic Fleet, 1929-1931; served at Chatham, Kent, 1932; HMS ROYAL OAK, 1932-1934; Aide de Camp to the Governor of Madras, India, 1934-1938; Capt, 1936; HMS COURAGEOUS, 1938-1939; served in World War Two, 1939-1945; Royal Marines Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation 1 (MNBDO 1), UK, Egypt and Crete, 1940-1941; POW, 1941-1945; Instructor, Officers' School, Royal Marines, 1946; attended Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, 1947; local Lt Col, 1948; Instructor, School of Combined Operations, 1948; HMS VANGUARD, 1948-1949; Lt Col, 1950; Commanding Officer, 42 Commando, Royal Marines, Malaya, 1950-1951; awarded OBE, 1951; Commanding Officer, Commando School, Royal Marines, Lympstone, Devon, 1952-1953; Col, 1953; Chief Instructor, School of Amphibious Warfare, Fremington, Devon, 1953-1955; Aide de Camp to HM Queen Elizabeth II, 1955-1957; acting Brig, 1956; commanded 3 Commando Bde, Royal Marines, Malta and Cyprus, 1955-1957; commanded 3 Commando Bde, Royal Marines, during assault on Port Said, Suez Crisis, Egypt, 1956; awarded DSO, 1957; Maj Gen, 1957; Maj Gen, Plymouth Group, Royal Marines, 1957-1959; awarded CB, 1959; Maj Gen, Portsmouth Group, Royal Marines, 1959-1961; retired, 1961; Col Commandant, Royal Marines, 1967-1968; Representative Col Commandant, Royal Marines, 1969-1970; died 1986.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in nine files as outlined above.

Access Information

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

Acquisition Information

Presented to the Centre by the family in 1987 and 1989.

Note

Date of compilation: Jun 1999

Other Finding Aids

Summary guide available on-line at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/top.htm, and detailed catalogue available in hard copy in the Centre's reading room.

Conditions Governing Use

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.

Additional Information

Date of compilation: Jun 1999