BIRD, Lt Col Aylmer Douglas Wilberforce (1908-1972)

Papers relating to his military career, 1937-1972, principally comprising recruitment poster for North Staffordshire Regt, 1937; unsigned account of operations of 2 Bn North Staffs Regt, France, 12 May-1 Jun 1940, written in [1940]; unsigned account of operations of 6 Bn North Staffordshire Regt, France, 1 Jul-31 Aug 1944, written in [1944]; The Battle of Flanders by Kenneth Adam (Hutchinson and Co, London, 1940); papers relating to his service with North Staffordshire Regt in Trieste, 1951-1953, principally comprising press cuttings concerning protests against the Allied Military Government in Trieste, 1953, and official photographs of visit by Adm Louis (Francis Albert Victor Nicholas) Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet, [1952-1953]; copies of letters written to his family during his service in Korea, 1953-1954; press cuttings relating to evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk, France, 1940. Papers relating to Bird's grandfather Gen James Lewis Bird, 1857- 1938, notably including copy of a letter from Gen James Lewis Bird to his sister Pamela, 2 Jun 1857, describing the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny at Meerut, India, May-Jun 1857.

Born in 1908; 2nd Lt, North Staffordshire Regt, 1929; regimental duties, 1929-1940; Lt, 1932; Capt, 1938; held various staff appointments and attended Staff College, 1940-1942; held various staff appointments and commanded 7 North Staffordshire Regt, 1942-1947; seconded to Foreign Office, 1948-1950; commanded 1 North Staffordshire Regt in Trieste, 1951-1953, and Korea General Staff Officer Grade 1 (Training), SHAPE, 1954; retired, 1956; died in 1972.

3 files

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Presented to the Centre by the family in 1997.

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