CHATER, Maj Gen Arthur Reginald (1896-1979)

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0099 KCLMA Chater
Held at	: Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.kingscollections.org/catalogues/lhcma ›
Full title	: CHATER, Maj Gen Arthur Reginald (1896-1979)
Date(s)	: 1915-1978
Level of description	: Collection (fonds)
Extent	: 6 boxes or 0.06 cubic metres
Name of creator(s)	: Chater | Arthur Reginald | 1896-1979 | Major General
Detailed catalogue	: Click here to view repository detailed catalogue

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Born 1896; entered Royal Marines as 2nd Lieut, 1913, serves with RM brigade in Flanders, 1914; Gallipoli, 1915 (despatches, French Croix de Guerre); Grand Fleet, 1916-1917; Adjutant of RM Bn which landed from HMS Vindictive at Zeebrugge, 23 Apr 1918; served in Egyptian Army, 1921- 1925; Sudan Defence Forces, 1925-1931; commanded Sudan Camel Corps, 1927- 1930; commanded military operations in Kordofan, 1929-1930; Senior RM Officer, East Indies Station, 1931-1933; Home Fleet, 1935-1936; Commanded Somaliland Camel Corps, 1937-1940; commanded defence of British Somaliland, 1940; Military Governor and Commander troops British Somaliland, 1941-1943; Commander Portsmouth Div Royal Marines, 1943-1944; Director of Combined Operations, India and South-East Asia, 1944-1945; MGGS, 1945-1946; Commander Chatham Group Royal Marines, 1946-1948; one of HM's Body Guard of Honorary Corps of Gentleman-at-Arms, 1949-1966 and Harbinger, 1952-1966; Col Commandant Somaliland Scouts, 1948-1958; Member Berkshire Cricket Club, 1955-1961; Member of Anglo-Somali-Society, 1960-1979; died 1979.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

The papers cover the period 1915-1978, and include papers on his service in World War One, in particular extracts from diary on Galliopoli offensive May 1915 and Allied raid on Zeebrugge, Apr 1918; correspondence, narratives of operations and photographs from service as Officer Commanding Sudan Camel Corps, 1927-1930; reports on defence of British Somaliland and accounts of Italian invasion of Somaliland from service as Officer Commanding Somaliland Camel Corps, 1937-1940; papers on service as Military Governor and Officer Commaning, British Somaliland, 1941-1943; papers on service as Officer Commanding Portsmouth Div Royal Marines, including narrative of Operation OVERLORD, 1943-1944; papers on service as Director of Combined Operations, India and South-East Asia, including notes on Operation LIGHTNING, 1944-1945; papers on service as Commander Chatham Group Royal Marines, including lecture notes1946-1948; unpublished manuscripts on aspects of Allied war effort in British Somaliland; papers on service as Honorary Colonel Somaliland Scouts, 1948-1958, and membership of Anglo-Somali-Society, 1960-1978.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

Arranged chronologically in sections reflecting military service. Maps and photographs are grouped separately.

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.

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

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Placed in the Centre by Chater in 1964 and 1976 and by his executors in 1979.

Allied Materials

Related material:

The Papers of Gen Sir (Alfred) Reade Godwin-Austen cover the period of Chater's service as Officer Commanding, Somaliland Corps. The Imperial War Musuem holds a copy of Chater's 'Galliopoli Memoirs' relating to his service at Galliopoli, Turkey, 1915, and a typescript account by Chater of his service in the Royal Marines 1913-1920. The Royal Marines Musuem, Portsmouth, holds a diary by Chater, 1915; photograph album of Zeebrugge, Belgium, 1918, narrative of his career 1913-1927, diary for 1944, and transcript of interview with Chater from 1958.

National Register of Archives: Click here to view NRA record

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:

Rules or conventions:

Date(s) of descriptions:
Sep 1999