Papers of Lieutenant-General Sir George MacMunn
MSS 021

Collection Description

This collection comprises Lieutenant-General Sir George MacMunn's manuscript drafts, correspondence, printed pamphlets, proofs and two scrapbooks which pertain to his military career and his published and unpublished works.

Administrative / Biographical history

Lieutenant-General Sir George Fletcher MacMunn, KCB, KCSI, DSO, was a British general, scholar, and Warden of Sackville College, East Grinstead. He was born 14 August 1869 in Chelsea, England, and died at Sackville College, East Grinstead, Sussex on 23 August 1952. He married Alice Emily Watson in 1893, and had one son and one daughter. He was educated at Kensington Grammar School.

He entered the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich as a 2nd Lieutenant on 27 July 1888; promoted to Lieutenant 27 July 1891; Captain 5 December 1898, Brevet Major 29 November 1900; Major 1 April 1904; Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 10 May 1913; Lieutenant-Colonel 30 October 1914; Brevet Colonel 1 April 1915; Temporary Brigadier-General 23 November 1915 to 27 March 1916; Temporary Major-General 16 April to 31 December 1916; Major-General 1 January 1917. He graduated from the Staff College in 1903.

He served in Upper Burma on the Irrawaddy Column, 1892; at the defence of Sadon he was slightly wounded and mentioned in despatches; recommended for the Victoria Cross; awarded the DSO (medal with clasp) 1892, for services during the recent operations in connection with the defence of Sadon; Sima column, 1893 (clasp); Kohat Field Force, 1897 (medal and clasp); Tirah Expedition, 1897-1898; in command of Imperial Service mountain battery (2 clasps); South Africa with Artillery and on Staff, 1899-1902, he was slightly wounded and twice mentioned in despatches (Queen's medal with three clasps and King's medal with two clasps); placed on the list of 'Officers considered qualified for Staff employment, in consequence of services on the Staff in the field'.

He was Station Staff officer, South Africa, 1 April to 8 May 1900; APM, South Africa, 27 May to 12 September 1900; DAAG, South Africa, 11 April to 24 September 1902; DAAG, India, 1 November 1904 to 22 April 1908; DAQMG, Headquarters, India, 23 April to 31 October 1908; GSO 2nd grade, HQ, India, 1 May 1910 to 13 February 1912; DAD of Remounts, War Office, 7 March 1912 to 19 June 1914; AD of Remounts, War Office, 20 June 1914 to 6 July 1915; AQMG, Lines of Communication, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, 7 July to 22 November 1915; DA and QMG, Dardanelles Army, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, 23 November 1915 to 17 January 1916; DA and QMG, 15th Army Corps, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, 18 January to 27 March 1916; Inspector-General of Communications, Indian Expeditionary Force 'D' and Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force, 16 April 1916 to 11 August 1919; GOC-in-C Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force, 2 May 1919 to 11 August 1919; GOC-in-C (2nd Cl.) Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force, 12 August 1919 to 23 January 1920; QM India, 18 February 1920 to 17 February 1924. He retired in 1925.

For his services in the European War at the Dardanelles and in Mesopotamia, 1914-1918, he was mentioned in despatches 10 times; created a CB in 1916; a CSI in 1918; a KCB in 1917, and a KCSI in 1919; was made Officer, Legion of Honour 4th Class. He was one of three signatories on the November 16, 1915 outline of a plan for the evacuation of the whole army from the Gallipoli Peninsula. He retired in 1925 and was Colonel Commandant of the Royal Artillery, 1927 to 1939; Comr, The Royal Hospital, Chelsea, 1932-1938; served in the Home Guard, 1940-1942.

He was awarded the Royal Artillery Institution Duncan essay silver (1896) and gold (1900) medals, and the gold medal of the United Service Institution of India (1904).

MacMunn's first published military related articles for journals, and later authored numerous historical works, primarily on India and military history and figures. MacMunn also wrote novels and short stories based on his experiences in the British Army and in India. He also wrote numerous articles, short stories, reviews and letters which were published in many journals. He was one of the founders of the Kipling Society and their Honorary Treasurer for a number of years.

References:
Great Britain The Army list, January 1925
Who was who, 1951-1960, p. 717-718
Scrapbooks
Behind the scenes in many wars : being the military reminiscences of Lieut-General Sir George MacMunn, K.C.B., K.C.S.I., D.S.O., Colonel Commandant The Royal Artillery , by Sir George MacMunn (1930).
Always into battle : some forgotten Army sagas, by MacMunn (1952), p. 206.

Acquisition Details

Scope and Content

This collection comprises MacMunn's manuscript drafts, correspondence, printed pamphlets, proofs and two scrapbooks which pertain to his military career and his published and unpublished works.

The scrapbooks contain newspaper and magazine clippings including reviews of MacMunn's works; printed copies of articles and short stories written by him; letters and telegrams; manuscript maps showing British military plans, original pen and ink sketches and watercolours by E.A.P.(Ted) Hobday and MacMunn, as well as other illustrations and various personal and military mementos. Both scrapbooks are fine sources of material on MacMunn's military career.

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