GRACIE, Lt Col Archibald Leslie (b 1896)

Typescript account, 'The Second Battalion in the battle of the 100 days in 1918'; letters home, Western Front, 1917-1918; four manuscript signal messages relating to an attack by 1 Div, Western Front, 17-19 Oct 1918; photograph album, 1918-1922, including captioned photographs of individuals, Western Front and Germany, 1918-1919; letters home from British Army on the Rhine, 1919-1920; edition of The story of the Fourth Army in the Battles of the Hundred Days, August 8th to November 11th, 1918 (Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1920) by Maj Gen Sir Archibald Armar Montgomery (known as Montgomery-Massingberd from 1926), General Staff, 4 Army, with volume of related published maps and panoramic photographs. Papers relating to Gracie's service in World War Two, 1939-1945, including manuscript notes on postings and pay details, 1942-1945; letters relating to the award of the OBE, and promotion to the rank of honorary Lt Col, 1945.

Born 1896; educated at School for the Sons of Missionaries, Blackheath, Eltham College, Mottingham, Kent, and Jesus College, Oxford; served in World War One, 1914-1918; joined Inns of Court Regt, Dec 1915; trained with Officers Cadet Bn, Lichfield, Staffordshire, 1916; commissioned into The King's Royal Rifle Corps, Nov 1916; posted to 5 (Reserve) Bn, The King's Royal Rifle Corps, Dec 1916; served with 2 Bn, The King's Royal Rifle Corps, 1 Div, BEF (British Expeditionary Force), Western Front, 1917-1918; awarded MC, 1917; Lt, 1918; service with 2 Bn, The King's Royal Rifle Corps, British Army on the Rhine, 1918-1919; posted to 20 Bn, The King's Royal Rifle Corps, British Army on the Rhine, 1919-1920; demobilised, 1920; joined 2 Bn, Queen Victoria's Rifles, The King's Royal Rifle Corps, Territorial Army, Apr 1939; served in World War Two, 1939-1945; commissioned as War Service Capt, Jul 1939; served in UK with 8 Bn, The King's Royal Rifle Corps, 1940-1942; second in command, 70 (Young Soldiers) Bn, The King's Royal Rifle Corps, UK, 1942; Camp Commandant, Allied Forces Headquarters (British Section), North Africa and Italy, 1942-1945; awarded OBE, 1945; honorary Lt Col, 1945; retired, 1945.

The collection is arranged in sections as above.

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

Presented to the Centre by the family in 1995.

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.

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.