WADE, Maj Gen (Douglas) Ashton (Lofft) (1898-1996)

Scope and Content

32 captioned photographs of the British Military Mission to Russia, Odessa Detachment, 1919-1920. Typescript 'Interim report by No 1 War Crimes Review of Sentences Board on Italian War Criminals', Apr 1949. Typescript 'Report and recommendations by No 1 War Crimes Review of Sentences Board on German and Austrian War Criminals', Aug 1949. Typescript notes on ten prisoners held at Karlau prison, Graz, Austria, 1949. Typescript lists of 295 male and 27 female War Criminals held at Werl prison, British Zone of Germany [1949]. Typescript lists of 30 male War Criminals held at Hameln prison, British Zone of Germany, with manuscript plan of the prison [1949]. Typescript list of 28 male and female War Criminals held in various other prisons, British Zone of Germany, and those transferred into the jurisdiction of other powers [1949]. Typescript 'Report and recommendations by No 2 War Crimes Sentences Review Board on Japanese War Criminals', 1949. Wade's personal file of notes, correspondence and directives as Chairman of No 1 Board, 1949, including manuscript letter, in German, to Wade, by German FM Albert von Kesselring, Feb 1949, with typescript translation.

Administrative / Biographical History

Born 1898; educated at St Lawrence College, Ramsgate, Kent, Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and Clare College, Cambridge; served in World War One, 1914-1918; commissioned into Royal Artillery, 1916; service in France, Italy and South Russia, 1916-1920; Lt, 1917; served with 94 Heavy Artillery Bde, Italy, 1918; awarded MC, 1918; attached to Signal Service, 1918-1920; served with 14 Corps Signals Company, 10 Army, Piave river, Italy, 1918; seconded to Royal Engineers, 1918-1921; served as Signals Officer on British Military Mission to South Russia, Odessa Detachment, 1919-1920; acting Capt, 1919-1920; transferred to Royal Corps of Signals, 1921; Instructor, School of Signals, 1924-1928; Capt, 1927; Royal Engineers Board, 1928-1930; Second Military Member, Royal Engineers Board, 1930-1932; graduated from Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, 1934; Intelligence Staff Officer, India, 1935; Maj, 1936; General Staff Officer 3, Baluchistan and Western District, India, 1936-1937; Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General, 1938-1939; served in World War Two, 1939-1945; General Staff Officer 1, General Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force (BEF), France, and General Headquarters, Home Forces, 1940-1941; temporary Lt Col, 1940-1941; awarded OBE, 1941; Lt Col, 1941; temporary Col, 1941; Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General, 2 Div, India, 1942-1944; Col, 1943; Maj Gen, 1944; commanded Madras Area, India, 1944-1947; awarded CB, 1946; Member of Indian Armed Forces Nationalisation Committee, 1947; General Officer Commanding Malaya District, 1947-1948; member of Nos 1 and 2 War Crimes Review of Sentences Boards, for German, Austrian, Italian and Japanese war criminals, 1948-1949; War Office, 1949; retired 1950; Telecommunications Attach, British Embassy, Washington DC, USA, 1951-1954; Senior Planning Engineer, Independent Television Authority, 1954-1960; Chairman, Council of Royal Signals Institution, 1957-1963; Regional Officer, East Anglia, Independent Television Authority, 1960-1964; National Vice Chairman, Dunkirk Veterans' Association, 1962-1967; Technical Consultant, Inter-University Research Unit, Cambridge, 1965-1969; Chairman, South East Forum for closed circuit television in education, 1967-1973; National Chairman, Dunkirk Veterans' Association, 1967-1974; Technical Consultant, Women's Royal Voluntary Service Headquarters, 1970-1975; died 1996.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into sections as above.

Access Information

Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.

Acquisition Information

Presented to the Centre by Wade in 1981. The photographs relating to the British Military Mission to South Russia, Odessa Detachment, 1919-1920, were placed in the Centre by Wade in 1988. The papers relating to the War Crimes trial of German FM Fritz Erich von Manstein were placed in the Centre by Wade in 1971 and 1988.

Other Finding Aids

Summary Guide available on-line at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/top.htm, and in hard copy in the Centre's reading room.

Separated Material

The Imperial War Museum, London, hold Wade's memoirs on microfilm, entitled 'Four score years and more'. The Royal Artillery Institution, Woolwich, have memorabilia and photographs relating to 94 Heavy Artillery Bde, Italy, 1918 (Ref: MD2131). The National Army Museum, London, have papers by Wade relating to the Indian Forces Naturalisation Committee, 1947 (Ref: 8204-797). The Liddle Collection, Edward Boyle Library, Leeds University, hold papers relating to Wade's service in World War One, 1916-1918.

Conditions Governing Use

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archive Services.

Related Material

The papers relating to the War Crimes trial of German FM Fritz Erich von Manstein, 1949 (Ref: GB 99 KCLMA Von Manstein) were placed in the Centre by Wade in 1971 and 1988. The papers of Capt Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart contain correspondence with Wade relating to the trial for War Crimes of German FM Fritz Erich von Manstein, 1948-1949 (Ref: GB 99 KCLMA Liddell Hart 9/24/179).

Bibliography

Linking Universities by technology: a report prepared for the Working Party on Inter-University Communication by the Inter-University Research Unit, with H D Perraton and J W R Fox (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1969); A life on the line (Costello, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, 1988). Article entitled 'Youthful memories of war', Stand to!, Summer 1989.

Corporate Names