Diaries as Military Adviser, Colonial Office, concerning India, Mauritius, East Africa and Palestine, 1899-1965; with index and ten volumes of intelligence reports, despatches and memoranda, 1902-1924, four ornithological note books, 1891-1895, and photographic material.
The diaries contain references to personal acquaintances and members of the Meinertzhagen family, as well as ornithology and botany, aviation [1911-1940s], Winston Churchill [1921-1945], Colonial Office [1920s], War Office 1907-[1942], Communism 1918-[1952], World War One and the East Africa Campaign 1914-1918, The Paris Peace Conference c1919, World War Two, London and the Home Guard 1939-1945, Israel and Zionism 1917-[1953], Army lists, life and training [20th century], the Royal Fusiliers [1899]-1956, politics and the TUC 1909-[1954], General Jan Christian Smuts 1907-[1949], as well as the USA, India, Egypt, Palestine and the Middle East, and various European states.
Dates
- Creation: 1899-1965
Extent
76 Volumes
Language of Materials
- English
Preferred Citation
Oxford, Bodleian Libraries [followed by shelfmark and folio or page reference, e.g. MSS. Meinertzhagen].
Full range of shelfmarks:
MSS. Meinertzhagen
Collection ID (for staff)
CMD ID 5623
Biographical / Historical
Richard Meinertzhagen (1878-1967), naturalist and intelligence officer, spent much of his childhood near Romsey, Hampshire, where he began his lifelong interest in birds. After an education at Harrow and a few months at his father's City office, he spent a term in Göttlingen, learning German. He gained a subaltern's commission in the Hampshire Yeomanry, 1897-1898 and in 1899 was comissioned into the Royal Fusiliers. From 1902 to 1906 he was attached to the King's African Rifles, serving in Kenya, where he discovered the Giant Forest Hog (Hylochoeros meinertzhageni), was wounded, mentioned in dispatches and promoted captain. He passed the Staff College in Quetta, Baluchistan and in 1914 was made Intelligence Officer to the Tanga expeditionary force, gaining promotion in 1916 to the DSO. He then served as Chief Intelligence Officer to the Egyptian expeditionary force into Palestine. After a short period at the War Office, he was seconded to the intelligence branch of GHQ in France, though an attempt to see the battle front in person led to severe wounds. He recovered in time to join A.J. Balfour's staff at the Paris Peace Conference, then worked as Chief Political Officer in Palestine and Syria. From 1921 to 1924 he was Military Adviser to the Colonial Office, sharing a room with his friend T.E. Lawrence. He resigned from the Army in 1925, spending most of the rest of his life travelling (chiefly in western and central Asia) and studying birds - partly as cover for observing international politics. He returned to the War Office 1939-1940, was wounded aiding in the rescues from Dunkirk, and spent the remainder of World War Two in the Home Guard. A convinced Zionist, he was an active eyewitness in the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. His published works include his journals, Kenya Diary 1902-1906 (London, Edinburgh, Oliver & Boyd, 1957), Middle East Diary 1917-1956 (London, Cresset Press, 1959), Army Diary 1899-1926 (London, Edinburgh, Oliver & Boyd, 1960) and Diary of a Black Sheep (London, Edinburgh, Oliver & Boyd, 1964), as well as Nicoll's Birds of Egypt (London, Hugh Rees, 1930), Birds of Arabia (London, Edinburgh, Oliver & Boyd, 1954) and Pirates and Predators. The piratical and predatory habits of birds (London, Edinburgh, Oliver & Boyd, 1959). In 1951 he received the Goodman Salvin medal of the British Ornithologists' Union and was appointed CBE in 1957 for services to ornithology. He was married twice, to Armorel le Roy-Lewis in 1911, and in 1921 to Anne Constance Jackson, with whom he had a daughter and two sons (the elder of which was killed in action in World War Two).
Other Finding Aids
Listed as No. 88 and 228 in Manuscript Collections of Africana in Rhodes House Library, Oxford, compiled by Louis B. Frewer (Oxford, Bodleian Library, 1968), and as No. 271 and 400 in Manuscript Collections (excluding Africana) in Rhodes House Library, Oxford, compiled by Louis B. Frewer (Oxford, Bodleian Library, 1970).
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The diaries were donated to the library on 17th February 1965.
Accruals
Typescript copy of a letter from Meinertzhagen to Lloyd George, 1919, concerning the political situation in Palestine and recommending the annexation of Sinai, privately donated, 12th February 1997.
Bibliography
- Duty, honour, empire: the life and times of Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen, by John Lord (London, Hutchinson, 1971); Warriors. the legend of Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen C.B.E., D.S.O., by Peter Hathaway Capstick (New York, St. Martin's Press, 1998)
Geographic
- Africa -- History -- 20th century
- Asia -- History -- 20th century
- Europe -- History -- 20th century
- Great Britain -- Armed Forces -- 20th century
- Great Britain -- Politics and Government -- 20th century
- Israel -- History -- 1948-1967
- United States -- History -- 20th century
Topical
- 19th century
- 20th century
- Aeronautics -- History -- Personal narratives
- Botany
- Communism -- History -- 20th century
- Labor unions -- Great Britain -- Congresses
- Ornithology
- Paris Peace Conference (1919-1920)
- World War, 1914-1918
- World War, 1914-1918 -- Africa, East
- World War, 1939-1945
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Great Britain -- London
- Zionism -- History -- 20th century
Subject
- Meinertzhagen | Richard | 1878-1967 | colonial administrator ornithologist (Person)
- Great Britain | Army | Royal Fusiliers (Organisation)
- Great Britain | Colonial Office (Organisation)
- Great Britain. War Office (Organisation)
- Churchill | Winston Leonard Spencer | 1874-1965 | Sir | Knight Statesman and Historian (Person)
- Smuts | Jan Christian | 1870-1950 | Statesman (Person)
- Title
- Papers of Richard Meinertzhagen
- Status
- Published
- Author
- Paul Davidson
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom
specialcollections.enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk