FOULKES, Maj Gen Charles Howard (1875-1969)

Diaries, 1901-1968; papers and photograph albums relating to the Boer War and photography in military reconnaissance, including an unpublished manuscript, 1897-1902, service in Northern Nigeria on the Anglo-French Boundary Commission, 1902-1904, West Africa, 1903, West Indies, 1902 and Ordnance Survey of Scotland, 1904-1909; papers relating to the introduction and use of chemical warfare during World War One, 1914-1918, and on the North West Frontier, India, 1919-1920 and photographs taken on the Western Front, 1914-1915 and 1919; articles written as Director of Irish Propaganda during the Anglo-Irish Civil War, 1921; papers concerning appointments as Colonel Commandant and Representative Colonel Commandant, 1937-1944; papers concerning writing and publication of 'Gas!' The story of the Special Brigade (Blackwoods, 1934) and Commonsense and ARP (C Arthur Pearson, 1939) and draft chapters and photographs concerning the unpublished manuscript 'Adventures of an Engineer Subaltern' dealing with military career, 1897-1903; personal correspondence and papers relating to memorial service, 1900-1981; glass and film negatives covering career, 1897-1920.

Born in India, 1875; commissioned into the Army as 2nd Lt, Royal Engineers, 1894; service in Sierra Leone, West Africa, 1897-1899; service in the Boer War, 1899-1900; assistant commander on the Anglo-French Boundary Commission, Northern Nigeria, 1902-1904; service in West Africa, 1903; appointed Capt and married Dorothea Oakey, 1904; command of the Ordnance Survey of Scotland, 1904-1909; command of 31 (Fortress) Company, Ceylon, 1909-1912; command of L Company at RE Depot, Chatham, 1913; appointed Major, 1914; service on the Western Front, World War One, 1914-1918; appointed Gas Adviser, 1915; command of Special Brigade, and Director of Gas Services, 1917; President of the Chemical Warfare Committee, 1918; service in North West Frontier Province, India, 1919-1920; appointed Lt Col, Commander, Royal Engineers in Fermoy, Ireland and Director of Irish Propaganda, 1921; Commander, Royal Engineers in Northumbria, 1922; appointed Col and Deputy Chief Engineer, Southern Command, 1924; Chief Engineer, Aldershot Command, 1926-1930; ADC, 1928; appointed Maj Gen, 1930; publication of Gas! The Story of the Special Brigade (W Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London, 1934); Colonel Commandant, Royal Engineers, 1937-1945; publication of Commonsense and ARP, a practical guide for householders and business managers (C Arthur Pearson, London, 1939); awarded Gold Medal of the Institution of Royal Engineers, 1964; died in Hampshire, 1969.

The original order of the papers within the files themselves has not been altered. However, the collection has been rearranged chronologically into sections according to military service, apart from the diaries, personal correspondence and glass and film negatives, which are grouped together. A concordance comprising the original list number and corresponding new number is included at the end of the list.

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

Placed in the Centre by the family in several accessions between 1981 and 1987.

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

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.

Biographical notes following his death by Thomas Foulkes in the Royal Engineers Journal (Sep 1969).