GRACEY, Gen Sir Douglas David (1894-1964)

Papers including appreciations, reports and battle instructions relating to operations of 20 Indian Division in Burma including the Kabaw Valley and Kyaukchaw, Apr 1942-Mar 1944; Shenam and Kalewa, Apr-Dec 1944; Monywa and the Irrawaddy, including the capture of Kyaukse, Jan-Aug 1945. Papers including reports and operational orders relating to operations of 20 Indian Division in French Indo-China, Aug 1945-May 1947. Typescripts of and related papers for unpublished history of 20 Indian Division, 1944-1958 including accounts of operations of particular units. Translations of Japanese documents on operations in Burma, 1941-1945, including summaries of operations by particular units and war diary of Japanese 15 Army, 1943-1945. Copies of South-East Asia Translation and Interrogation Center Historical Bulletin (Jul 1946-May 1947) including history of particular units of Japanese Army.

Born in 1894; educated at Blundells School and Royal Military College, Sandhurst; commissioned into the Indian Army as 2nd Lt, 1914; service in France with 2 Royal Munster Fusiliers, 1915; service in Iraq, Palestine, Syria and Egypt with 1 Gurkha Rifles, 1916-1920; instructor, Royal Military College, Sandhurst, 1925-1927; student at Staff College, Quetta, India, 1928- 1929; General Staff Officer Grade 2, General HQ, India, 1930-1934; General Staff Officer, Grade 2, Western Command, 1936-1937; Brigadier General Staff, Western Command, 1938; commandant, Queen Alexander's Own Gurkha Rifles, 1939-1940; served on North West Frontier, India, 1939; assistant commandant, Staff College, Quetta and appointed Col, 1940-1941; commander of 17 Indian Infantry Brigade and service in Iraq and Syria, 1941-1942; commander of 20 Indian Division, 1942-1946; commander of Allied Land Forces, French Indo-China,1945-1946; officiating General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, India, 1946; commander of 1 Indian Corps, 1946-1947;Chief of Staff, Pakistan Army, 1947-1948; Commander-in-Chief, Pakistan Army, 1948-1951; retired in 1960; Chairman of Royal Hospital and Home for Incurables, Putney, London, 1960-1964; died in 1964.

Arranged chronologically within sections according to military service in Ceylon, Burma and Indo-China, apart from papers relating to the unpublished history of 20 Indian Division, translations of Japanese documents on operations in Burma, and copies of South-East Asia Translation and Interrogation Center Historical Bulletin, which have been grouped together.

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

Placed in the Centre by the family in 1978.

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

Southampton University Library holds the papers of AF Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, including correspondence with Gracey relating to South East Asia Command from 1945 to 1946.

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.

The papers of Gen Hasting Lionel Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay of Wormington include official correspondence with Gracey relating to India from 1946 to 1951 (re: Ismay 3/7/1-68).