Guide to the Papers of General (Sir) Henry George Chauvel

The focus of the Chauvel collection lies in the numerous correspondence exchanged between himself, Lady Chauvel and other family members, including his mother and children. During the First World War, Chauvel wrote hundreds of letters to his wife describing life and conditions in Egypt, Gallipoli, Beersheeba, Jordon and Damascus. The correspondence is personal, informal and provides an informal insight into his experience of battle and military life. Two letters sent in December 1915 and January 1916 detail the Gallipoli evacuation. Letters to the rest of the family cover the years 1899 - 1945, with the earliest correspondence to his mother describing the war in South Africa where Chauvel served with the 1st Queensland Mounted Infantry.There is very little correspondence or records relating to key military figures with whom Chauvel served in the Boer War and First World War. There are several letters to General Godwin and General Chetwode and a small number of letters sent from Birdwood, however this forms only a small part of the papers. One of the highlights of the collection are the two leather bound, gold embossed 'War books' compiled by Lady Chauvel. These document Chauvel's military engagements during the First World War with photographs, maps, message notes and extracts from his own letters.