6/1-33 General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, India and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, North Western Army in India, 1945-1946

Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives

Copyright: The texts of the detailed catalogues are the copyright of King's College London and are made available for private research only.

OCONNOR: 6/1-33 General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, India and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, North Western Army in India, 1945-1946

OCONNOR: 6/1 1944 Nov 28

Signal message from 2 Army HQ, informing O'Connor of his appointment as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command in India. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/2 1944 Nov 28-1944 Nov 29

Letters including those to Maj Gen G H A MacMillan, Lt Gen B G Horrocks, Lt Gen Sir John Crocker, Lt Gen N M Ritchie, Lt Gen G G Simonds, Brig M S Chilton referring to his transfer and regrets at leaving 8 Corps. 9pp

OCONNOR: 6/3 1944 Nov

Letter from Montgomery, informing O'Connor of his scheduled departure on 2 Dec to take up the post of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command in India. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/4 1945 Jan 7

Poem by A P Herbert in memory of Adm Sir Bertram Ramsay, who died 2 Jan 1945. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/5 1945 Jan

Invitation to the Viceroy's House in New Delhi for dinner on 7 Jan. Including list of guests and seating arrangements. With luncheon plan for seating arrangements on 8 Jan. 5p

OCONNOR: 6/6 1945 Mar 16

Letter from Maj J A Roberts at District HQ, Rawalpindi referring to mutual acquaintances and his work in India. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/7 1945 Apr

Letters congratulating O'Connor on his appointment as General, from Lt Gen Sir Edmund Herring and Maj Gen Douglas Stuart. 2pp

OCONNOR: 6/8 1945 May 14

Letter from Lt Gen Sir Charles Henry Gairdner at General HQ, Southwest Pacific Command, referring to his meeting with Gen MacArthur and diminishing power of the Japanese forces. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/9 1945 May 15

Letter from Lt Gen Sir William Slim, referring to his removal from command of 14 Army. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/10 1945 May

Text of order of service for Thanksgiving for Victory ceremony, held by 10 Indian Div on 13 May. 3pp

OCONNOR: 6/11 1945 Jul

Message from Mountbatten to Richard Casey, Governor of Bengal, concerning possible appointment of an Interservice Commander-in-Chief for Burma in connection with planned use of Burma as a military base after the resumption of civil government (a system previously employed in the Middle East, with Casey as Minister of State and Chairman). With Casey's reply, detailing the structure and responsibilities of the Defence Committee in the Middle East. 3pp

OCONNOR: 6/12 1945 Aug 12

Letter from Lt Gen Sir Montagu Stopford, referring to 'Break Out' operations on the Sittang, and resulting Japanese casualties. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/13 1945 Sep 21

Letter from Lady Finnis, referring to the death of her husband Gen Finnis, formerly General Officer Commanding, North Western Army and O'Connor's appointment to the post. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/14 1945 c Sep, 1946 Jun

Newspaper cutting, source unidentified, detailing appointment as General Officer Commanding, North Western Army, India. With cutting, listing senior military personnel appearing in the Victory Parade on Jun 8 1946. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/15 1945 Nov 19

Letter from Brig Gen W D Croft, referring to his son John and asking whether O'Connor can find him an appointment on his staff. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/16 1945 Nov-1945 Dec

Letters from Gen Sir Claude Auchinleck, referring to training of infantry in NWF and lack of amenities in North Western Army, and concerning attitudes of the Indian Army, Burma Army and civil population towards the Indian National Army. Including copy of report by Col Malik, Deputy Director of Public Relations and conductor of a tour (not specified) by the National Defence Council of Malaya and Burma, recording attitudes to Indian National Army. 5pp

OCONNOR: 6/17 1945 Dec 23

Letter from Gen Sir John Coleridge, referring to Hindu-Muslim hostilities. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/18 1946 Jan 1

Letter from FM Alexander, thanking O'Connor for his recent letter and news from India. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/19 1946 Jan 12

Letter from Lt Col M Ayub Khan at HQ 16/15 Punjab Regt in Landi Kotal thanking O'Connor for his letter of congratulations following Khan's appointment as battalion commander. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/20 1946 Jan 15

Letter from Lt Gen Sir John Swayne, Chief of General Staff in India, referring to his imminent transfer to England as Adjutant General and his opinion of the importance of Northern Command. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/21 1946 Jan 25

Letter from Richard Casey, Governor of Bengal referring to communal disturbances in Calcutta and meetings with the Working Party of the Indian National Congress. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/22 1946 Jan 26

Letter from Montgomery, referring to enclosed copy of his book, and asking O'Connor whether he would like to be Military Secretary at the War Office. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/23 1946 Apr 15, 1946 Apr 24

Letter from FM Lord Alanbrooke, informing O'Connor of his selection to appear in the Victory March on 8 Jun and enclosing plan of formation of the columns. With copy of letter to the War Office from Commander-in-Chief in New Delhi, confirming attendance of O'Connor and Auchinleck. 3pp

OCONNOR: 6/24 1946 Apr 25

Letter from the French Ambassador in London, informing O'Connor of his award of the Legion d'Honneur with the rank of Commander; and the Croix de Guerre. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/25 1946 Apr, [1946]

Letters to Lady O'Connor from 'Robin' Cunningham, at the Presidency in Indore and at Government House in Bombay, referring to her husband Sir George, mutual acquaintances and imminent return to England. With letter to Sheila, wife of Maj Gen Harry MacDonald, referring to Lady O'Connor (Lady O'Connor and Sheila MacDonald were sisters). 4pp

OCONNOR: 6/26 1946 May 15

Letter from Auchinleck, referring to O'Connor's transfer and detailing staff replacements. 2pp

OCONNOR: 6/27 [1946] Aug 4

Letter from Sir George Cunningham, Governor of North West Frontier Province enclosing text of a speech concerning likely developments in Indian Army and the government of India following Independence. Including use of the selection board process to choose officers for commissions, position of Army officers and British Service Officers and likely changes in salary. 10pp

OCONNOR: 6/28 1947 Sep 25

Letter from Maj Gen C H Boucher in Quetta, referring to communal riots. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/29 1947 Nov 15

Letter from Maj Gen Thomas Rees, Head of Military Emergency Staff in New Delhi, referring to communal violence and Indian attitudes towards British officers and the Punjab Boundary Force. 2pp

OCONNOR: 6/30 [1948] Apr 2

Letter from Maj Gen L G Whistler, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, British Troops in India referring to his transfer as General Officer Commanding to Sudan. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/31 1948 Apr 25

Letter from Lt Gen Sir Harold Briggs in Cyprus referring to his departure from Burma where he had been General Officer Commanding-in-Chief. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/32 1948 Apr 27

Letter from Gen Sir John Coleridge referring to resignation of Sir George Cunningham from his post in North West Frontier Province and threat of war between India and Pakistan. 1p

OCONNOR: 6/33 1948 May 4

Letter from Sir George Cunningham, referring to negotiations between the Muslim League, Indian National Congress and British Government at Simla. 1p