IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0099 KCLMA Davidson F H N
Held at: Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London
Title: DAVIDSON, Maj Gen Francis Henry Norman (1892-1973)
Date(s): Created 1935-1972
Level of description: Collection (fonds)
Extent: 1 box or 0.01 cubic metres
Name of creator(s):
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
Born 1892; educated at Marlborough and Royal Military Academy, Woolwich; commisioned into the Royal Regt Artillery 1911; served World War One, 1914-1919 (wounded, despatches four times, MC and bar, DSO); Brevet Maj, 1929; Maj 1929; Brevet Lt Col, 1933; Col, 1938; Maj Gen 1941; General Staff Officer Grade 2, Army Headquarters India, 1925-1927; Bde Maj 12 Indian Infantry Bde, 1927-1929; General Staff Officer Grade 2, War Office, 1930-1934; Imperial Defence College Course, 1935-1936; General Staff Officer Grade 2 Staff College, Camberley, 1937-1938; General Staff Officer Grade 1, Division 2, Aldershot, 1938-1939; Commander Corps of Royal Artillery 1 Corps BEF (British Expeditionary Force) 1939-1940; Brig Gen Staff 10 Corps, 1940; Director of Military Intelligence, War Office, 1940-1944; Maj Gen, General Staff British Army Staff, Washington, USA, 1944-1946; retired pay, 1946. Col Commandent Intelligence Corps, 1952-1960; died 1973.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
The collection consists of pamphlets written by Davidson, papers relating to his part in the Allied Military Mission to Moscow, USSR, 1939 and papers relating to his career in World War Two as Commander in the Royal Artillery and as Director of Military Intelligence. The World War Two material includes maps used in the retreat of the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) to Dunkirk, France, maps used as Director of Military Intelligence to illustrate the progress of the war to Queen Mary, mother of George VI and a personal diary kept while Director of Military Intelligence. There is also a file containing correspondence with E E Thomas of the Cabinet Office Historical Section relating to aspects of Military Intelligence during World War Two.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English, with some French.
System of arrangement:
The papers are arranged chronologically in sections.
Conditions governing access:
Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.
Conditions governing reproduction:
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.
Physical characteristics:
Finding aids:
Detailed catalogue available on-line at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/top.htm, and in hard copy in the Centre's reading room.
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:
Accruals:
Archival history:
Immediate source of acquisition:
Presented to the Centre in two accessions, by Davidson in 1969 and by E E Thomas of the Cabinet Office Historical Section in 1988
ALLIED MATERIALS
Existence and location of originals:
Existence and location of copies:
Related material:
Davidson's medals are in the Intelligence Corps Museum, Templer Barracks, Ashford, Kent.
Publication note:
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Note:
Decorations: CB, DSO, MC
Date(s) of descriptions: Mar 1999