Special Collections

Undated letter: draft of poems 'Embarkation' and 'Island for Sale'

Manuscript letter proving an insight into everyday life on board of the troopship. Also including the poems 'Embarkation' and 'Island for Sale'.

Tags: Second World War, war, war poetry

Letter dated 21 July 1942: draft of poems 'Sleeping on Deck', 'Flying Fishes' and 'Yone May'

Manuscript letter including the poems 'Sleeping on Deck', 'Flying Fishes' and 'Yone May' and references to his life in the army and Capetown.

Tags: Africa, Cape Town, Second World War, war, war poetry

Airgraph dated 9 October 1942: draft of poem 'Bivouac'

Manuscript letter including a draft of the poem 'Bivouac'.

Tags: Africa, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Letter dated 11 October 1942: draft of poems 'Bivouac' and 'Mirage'

Manuscript letter including drafts of the poems 'Bivouac' and 'Mirage', Jarmain's reflections on his poetry and a structure for a book. Also providing an insight into the practicality of living in the desert, including sketches of his dugout, a…

Tags: Africa, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Aerogram dated 13 October 1942: draft of poem 'Mirage'

Manuscript lettercard including a draft of the poem 'Mirage' and references to everyday life in the army camps.

Tags: Africa, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Airgraph dated 28 October 1942: amendment to poem 'Bivouac'

Manuscript letter mentioning the acceptance of some of Jarmain's work by the 'Daily Telegraph' and including an amendment to the poem 'Bivouac'.

Tags: Battle of El Alamein, Desert War, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Letter dated 28 October 1942: draft of poem 'Tel El Eisa'

Manuscript letter including a draft of the poem 'Tel El Eisa' and references to life in the desert near El Alamein and the battle field. Also mentioning the publication of some of his work in the 'Daily Telegraph'.

Tags: Africa, Battle of El Alamein, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Aerogram dated 2 November 1942: draft of poems 'Tel El Eisa' and 'Sandbags'

Manuscript lettercard including a draft of two more poems to be included in the collection 'Poems in the Western desert': a revised version of 'Tel El Eisa' and 'Sandbags'.

Tags: Africa, Battle of El Alamein, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Letter dated 9 November 1942: draft of poem 'Orchids'

Manuscript letter written after the battle of Al Alamein including a draft of the poem 'Orchids/Song in the Desert' and references to the battle and the retreat of the Germans and Italians.

Tags: Africa, Battle of El Alamein, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Aerogram dated 13 November 1942: draft of poem 'Ring Plover at El Alemein [Alamein]'

Manuscript lettercard written after the battle of Al Alamein including a draft of the poem 'Ring Plover at El Alemein'.

Tags: Africa, Battle of El Alamein, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Letter dated 14 November 1942

Manuscript letter from the desert including references to the war news and reports of battles and life in the desert. Also discussing his poetry and the poems 'Soldiers' Prayer' and 'Orchids'.

Tags: Africa, Battle of El Alamein, Cyrenaica, desert, Desert War, Egypt, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Letter dated 19 November 1942

Manuscript letter including references to the life in the desert, the Sahara desert, with flies and dust storms and Benghazi, Libya.

Tags: Africa, Cyrenaica, desert, Desert War, Egypt, Libya, North African Campaign, Sahara, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Aerogram dated 8 December 1942: draft of poems 'For Alemein [Alamein]' and 'Soldiers' Prayer'

Manuscript lettercard probably written from Cyrenaica, Libya, including a draft of the poems 'For Alemein' and 'Soldiers' Prayer'.

Tags: Africa, Battle of El Alamein, desert, Desert War, Libya, North African Campaign, Sahara, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Aerogram dated 16 December 1942: draft of poem 'Tobruk' and revisions of 'Sandbags' and 'For Alemein [Alamein]'

Manuscript lettercard from the Lybian desert including a draft of the poem 'Tobruk' and revisions to the poems 'Sandbags' and 'For Alemein'.

Tags: Africa, Battle of El Alamein, desert, Desert War, Libya, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Aerogram dated 18 December 1942: draft of poem 'Your Peace'

Manuscript lettercard from the Lybian desert including a draft of the poem 'Your Peace'.

Tags: Africa, desert, Desert War, Libya, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Letter dated 19 December 1942

Manuscript letter including references to the life in the desert with the army, Libya, Alexandria, supplies and postal service and Cape Town.

Tags: Africa, desert, Desert War, Egypt, Libya, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Letter dated 31 December 1942: draft of poems 'Soldiers' Prayer' and 'For Alemein [Alamein]'

Manuscript letter including drafts of the poems 'Soldiers' Prayer' and 'For Alemein' and references to the life in the desert with the army.

Tags: Africa, Battle of El Alamein, Christmas, desert, Desert War, Libya, North African Campaign, Sahara, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Aerogram dated 4 January 1943: draft of poem 'New Year 1943 Agheila'

Manuscript lettercard including a draft of the poem 'New Year, 1943, Agheila'' and references to the life in the desert with the army

Tags: Africa, desert, Desert War, Libya, North African Campaign, Sahara, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign

Aerogram dated 11 January 1943: draft of poem 'Fear'

Manuscript lettercard from the Lybian desert including drafts of the poem 'Fear' and references to the battle of El Alamein, air raids and Tavistock in Devon.

Tags: Africa, Battle of El Alamein, Desert War, Devon, Libya, North African Campaign, Second World War, war, war poetry, Western Desert Campaign