The Occupation of Constantinople

[Dust Jacket Collector]

Having spent many years collecting the Official History of the War in its original state ( some 109 volumes plus a few subsidiary ones), I’d thought my task complete when up pops this one. The N & M Press published a version of this in 2010 which I thought constituted its first appearance but it now seems that a version was circulated just after it was written. According to the seller, Peter Harrington, 51 copies of this reproduced typescript were produced, most of which seem to have ended up in the IWM. With their usual cavalier disregard for valuable books this seems to have been ‘deacquisitioned’. Hopefully other copies may turn up as the £4750 being asked for this one is, sadly, a little out of reach.

Edited 28 November , 2022 by Dust Jacket Collector
Posted too soon by mistake

[Derek Black]

Just he 109 or so eh, have you got around to reading them all?

The IWM really have turned into poor custodians.

Derek.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

5 minutes ago, Derek Black said:

Just he 109 or so eh, have you got around to reading them all?

The IWM really have turned into poor custodians.

Derek.

There’s a thought. No, more for dipping into now and then. I always try to read at least a little of every book I buy, but with over 2500 it’s a losing battle!

[charlie2]

That is eye watering, I‘ll be sticking with my N&M edition.

Charlie

[MartH]

Like all the other Official Histories produced by Edmonds, this is a draft "provisional" circulated by Edmonds for people involved for comments about the draft.

The responses exist in CAB 45/109 with a copy:, "The Occupation of Constantinople, 1918-1923: Miscellaneous enquiries and additions, with notes for a draft chapter,..., The Occupation of Constantinople, 1918-1923: Miscellaneous enquiries and additions, with notes for a draft chapter, by Field Marshal Lord Milne. Processed (see CAB 44/39)." CAB 44/39 has a copy.

Field Marshal Lord Milne after Salonika became responsible for the British military administration an area around the Black Sea, and had toured the whole area extensively.

It was decided not to publish it shortly after the provisional copies were issued.

Draft copies of most GW Official histories exist in NA, with comments, and quoted numbers of draft copies circulated for some volumes exceed the number published (hard to belive I know).

Certainly draft chapters of East Africa Vol II were circulated and maybe a whole copy.

Draft copies of the Orders of Battle are extant (with comments) in Woolwich in the Becke Archive and explain the differences between it and the Battlefield Nomenclature Committee name which was the source for it, but I have yet to ascertain who was the source for the Battlefield Nomenclature Committee, which I suspect was the Historical Section internal Diary and principal events.

Fortescue's efforts were also circulated for comments, who knows if typescript versions of those exist anywhere.

The Historical Section worked up on other volumes, such  as the Gas, and one on Tanks, which were eventually privately published, and there are others such as the Railway one.

I also seem to recall that work was done on a Heavy Artillery Volume mirroring the German plans.

The N&M one Neil complied is a copy of one in the NA, I know because I sent a photocopy to him of the one that Dick Gardner had given me, long long ago. So it too is a provisonal one and the exactly same as the photostated typescript one inculding the "obscured" words.

 

 

 

[Dust Jacket Collector]

1 hour ago, MartH said:

Like all the other Official Histories produced by Edmonds, this is a draft "provisional" circulated by Edmonds for people involved for comments about the draft.

 

 

 

 

Thanks Martin. I knew you’d know about it. As it’s clearly one of many such ‘provisional’ accounts I think I can in all good conscience ignore it. Going down that rabbit hole might lead to my bank card being confiscated!

[MartH]

9 minutes ago, Dust Jacket Collector said:

Thanks Martin. I knew you’d know about it. As it’s clearly one of many such ‘provisional’ accounts I think I can in all good conscience ignore it. Going down that rabbit hole might lead to my bank card being confiscated!

The Great War OH's are complex, not least because the later period of writing by Edmonds were marred in nastiness to him, and they did not want his advice for the Second World War ones. I think there may be 10 UK WW2 ones drafted but not completed, including the 2 volumes on Education.....