Special Collections

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

Airgraph dated 26 November 1942

Manuscript letter including references to Tobruk and the following journey through the desert and the Nile. John Jarmain and his anti-tank unit were probably somethere between Tobruk and Mersa Brega.

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

Airgraph dated 5 December 1942

Manuscript letter including references to life in the desert.

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

Manuscript letter including references to the battle of El Alamein, the life in the desert, birds, his finances, banks, hotels and Cairo. Also discussing good books including mentions of James Elroy Flecker, Thomas Hardy, Virginia Woolf, 'A…

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

Old Library

Exterior view of the Old Library building. The University Library (now the Old Library) was completed in 1965, replacing the Roborough Library.

Tags: 1980s, library, Old Library

Old Library issue desk

Photograph of the issue desk and library staff in the Old Library. The building was completed in 1965.

'...a gypsy's warning not to have any truck with electronically operated blinds, or turnstiles, and do not have your issue desk within 15 feet…

Tags: 1970s, library, Old Library