Guide to the Papers of Stuart Braga
MS Acc10.087
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Stuart Braga
- Title
- Papers of Stuart Braga
- Date Range
- 1998-2004
- Collection Number
- MS Acc10.087
- Extent
- 1.65 metres (11 boxes)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- National Library of Australia
Introduction
Scope and Contents
Comprises papers relating to the research, writing and publication of ANZAC doctor: the life of Sir Neville Howse, Australia's first VC. Includes correspondence, photographs, copies of articles and other research material.
Conditions Governing Access
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn4700539).
Conditions Governing Use
Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
Preferred Citation
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Stuart Braga, National Library of Australia, MS Acc10.087, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Biographical / Historical
Teacher and writer. Stuart Braga's publications include ANZAC doctor: the life of Sir Neville Howse, Australia's first VC (2000), A century preaching Christ: Katoomba Christian Convention, 1903-2003 (2003), Kokoda commander: a life of Major-General "Tubby" Allen (2004), and John Paton, VC: hero of Lucknow (2007).
Item Descriptions
Class MS Acc09.058. Consignment Received 2009
MS Acc09.058 comprises papers relating to the research, writing and publication of ANZAC doctor: the life of Sir Neville Howse, Australia's first VC. Includes correspondence, photographs, copies of articles and other research material (2 boxes).
Class MS Acc10.087. Consignment Received 2010
The Acc10.087 instalment comprises papers relating to Braga's book Kokoda commander, including research notes on A.S. Allen, the New Guinea campaign, the Northern Territory Force; copies of primary source material held by the Australian War Memorial, State Library of Victoria, and held in private ownership; annotated extracts from published books and journals; working files including correspondence; publication arrangements; drafts and proofs of the book. Also included are papers relating to Braga's research on Sir Neville Howse VC, including World War I dossier, copies of Howse papers held at the Australian War Memorial, press cuttings, photographs, articles, and administrative material (9 boxes).
Series 1. 'Kokoda Commander'
Subseries 1.3. PRIMARY Sources, World War II
16th Infantry Brigade War Diary, January – April 1940, January – February 1941. AWM, 8/2/16 (File 1) - Box 1-3
Report on Jungle warfare. Australian War Memorial 54 553/3/2 – Allen and Berryman (File 2) - Box 1-3
Allen Papers , Australian War Memorial 3DRL 2381 and 3DRL 4142 – Owen Stanley Campaign – annotated copies of various official papers, especially the ADC's diary on 7th Division operations (File 3) - Box 1-3
Allen Papers, Australian War Memorial 3RDL 2381 (File 4) - Box 1-3
Copies made in 1993 for Richard James Allen, son of General Allen, who had contemplated writing a biography. Copies handed to Stuart Braga in August 2000 when the project commenced, resulting in publication of 'Kokoda Commander' in October 2004. It is a different selection of the Allen Papers in the Australian War Memorial, leaning more heavily on the details of the Kokoda Campaign, specially the 'Sitreps' (situation reports), giving details of each day's activities. There is some overlap with the material on No. 4, but there is important additional material, especially reports by Chester Wilmot. A MS listing made by Stuart Braga introduces this material. Many documents are annotated for use in writing the book.
Fenton Diary, 24 -29 September 1942. 3 pp. Sole surviving fragment of an important diary, kept by Lt Col. A.G. Fenton. Throws new light on the dismissal of General Rowell by General Blamey on 28 September; specifies in exact terms why Rowell held such contempt for Blamey. The rest of the diary was burnt by Fenton's widow. Held (2010) by Mr Tim Fenton, Beecroft, New South Wales. (File 10) - Box 1-3
Hudson et al, eds, Documents on Australian Foreign Policy, Vol. VI. Various documents, notably exchanges between Curtin and MacArthur. (File 11) - Box 1-3
Subseries 1.4. NOTES - Box 2-3
Notes on system cards, 20 cm by 12.5 cm, from a variety of sources. The most important of these are from the Northcott Papers, SLNSW, closed until 2000. Northcott's main concern on being appointed as Lieutenant General was to secure a large pay increase. This is not referred to in the book 'Kokoda Commander'.
Subseries 1.5. BOOKS. Brief extracts from books, with annotations
Chapman, I. History of the Sydney University Regiment. This very substantial history was not in 2004 to be found in any public collection. I located a copy in the Sydney University Archives, not the library, which is in the same building! Useful notes on the militia during the 1930s. (File 3) - Box 2-3
Graham, A.W. without fear or favour : a History of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, 1928-1978 (File 6) - Box 2-3
Harper, G., 'Penetrating the fog of war: the use of oral history in military history research', in Oral History Association of Victoria Journal, No. 15, 1993 (File 8) - Box 2-3
McDonald, N., 200 shots: Damien Parer, George Silk and the Australians at War in New Guinea (File 15) - Box 2-3
Norris, F.K., 'the New Guinea Campaign., in 'Medical Journal of Australia', 15 December 1945. A particularly eloquent description of conditions. (File 18) - Box 2-3
Norris, F.K., 'The Syrian Campaign', in 'Medical Journal of Australia', 15 January 1944 (File 19) - Box 2-3
Subseries 1.6. VARIED SOURCES, World War II
Some copies of private papers from the Australian War Memorial were included here for convenience of use. Photocopies of relevant portions of books by or about the following. Most relate to Second AIF generals and other senior officers. Some extracts have comments and annotations. There are two university theses included here for convenience of reference. All these were separated in the bibliography of 'Kokoda Commander'.
File marked 'Generals': Blamey. Carlyon, I remember Blamey; Dougherty. Fearnside & Clift, Dougherty – a great man among men; Herring. Sayers, Ned Herring; Mackay. Australian War Memorial 3DRL 6850; Bazley & Long, 'Mackay' in Australian Army Journal, July 1967); Norris. No memory for pain, and Sweeting in 'Australian Army Journal', 1971; Northcott. Beavis, 'Northcott: a wartime Chief of Staff, in Australian Amy Journal, April 1967 (File 1) - Box 4
Robertson. Grey, Australian Brass; Rowell, Full Circle; Savage. Russell, There goes a man
D. Horner, MA thesis, UNSW, 1975, 'Generals in battle'; G.M. Brown, BA thesis, Univ Newcastle, 1971, 'Kokoda Trail – myth and reality' (File 3) - Box 4
D.M. Horner. Extracts from books and articles: Defence Supremo; High Command; Inside the War Cabinet; Staff Corp Versus Militia: the Australian Experience in World War II (File 4) - Box 4
C. Neumann, 'Australia's Citizen Soldiers, 1919-1939: a study of organization, command, recruiting, training and equipment', MA thesis, UNSW, 1978 (File 5) - Box 4
Rowell Papers Australian War Memorial 3DRL 6763; Transcript of interview between David Horner and Sir Sydney Rowell, 26 June 1974, lent by David Horner. (File 6) - Box 4
Vasey. D.M. Horner, General Vasey's War; notes on Vasey Papers National Library of Australia MS 3782. (File 7) - Box 4
File of short notes from Bean, C.E.W. – Diary 3DRL 606 re Pozieres; Hodgson, Dr John – medical references to Allen; Keyes , D. – notes on film Five Bloody weeks; Darling, Gordon – diary, 1942; Long, Gavin – notebook AWM 67 1/9; Long, Gavin – Long Papers, AWWM 67 3/6; Allen Papers 3DRL 4142 – Allen's defence of Rowell, 1951; Wilmot, C. – press cutting, Age; Chief of Army's history conference, July 2003 (File 8) - Box 4
Articles from Australian Dictionary of Biography: Allen, Blamey, Curtin, Lavarack, Morris, Northcott. Herring from Defence Force Journal (Australian Dictionary of Biography not yet available) (File 12) - Box 4
Subseries 1.7. WORKING FILES
Pictorial research and orders – chiefly Australian War Memorial.