MCCUTCHEON, Col William Melville (1911-1983)

Scope and Content

Papers relating to his life and career, 1935-1982, dated 1911-1982, principally comprising administrative papers relating to his Army career, 1938-1971, including postings in India, Iraq, Persia, Egypt, Cyprus and Singapore; papers relating to his attendance at the 'Buffalo' British nuclear weapons tests, Maralinga, Australia, 1956; course syllabuses, lecture summaries and associated papers, [1935-1966], notably concerning tropical medicine, entomology, public health, malaria and encephalitis; unsigned report, photographs and other papers relating to flood relief operation, Vientiane, Laos, Sep 1966; photographs, 1942-1961, mainly relating to his service in Malaya, 1958-1961; official War Office and Government of India publications concerning army regulations, training and health and medical services; Bulletins of the Ross Institute, School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, 1956, 1959-1962; personal and family correspondence, 1938-1982.

Administrative / Biographical History

Born in 1911; studied Medicine and Surgery at University of Glasgow; Lt, Indian Medical Service, 1939; posted to Indian Medical Hospital, Rawalpindi, India, 1939; appointed Anti-Malaria Officer, Rawalpindi, 1940; Medical Officer-in-Charge, Indian Medical Hospital, Abbottabad, 1941; Deputy Assistant Director of Hygiene, Iraq, 1941-1942; Deputy Assistant Director of Hygiene, Kermanshah, Persia, 1942-1943; Deputy Assistant Director of Hygiene, Persia, 1943-1944; Deputy Assistant Director of Hygiene, Iraq, 1944; Assistant Director of Hygiene, later Deputy Director of Hygiene, Agra, India, 1944-1945; Maj, 1945; Assistant Director of Hygiene, South East Asia Command, 1945; Assistant Director of Hygiene, General HQ, India, 1945-1946; Deputy Assistant Director of Medical Services, Delhi District, India, 1946-1947; transferred to Royal Army Medical Corps, 1947; Deputy Assistant Director of Army Health, South West District, UK, 1947-1949; posted to HQ Canal South District, Egypt, 1949; posted to HQ 17 Infantry Bde District, 1949-1952; Lt Col, 1954; Assistant Professor in Army Health, Royal Army Medical College, 1954-1957; attended 'Buffalo' British nuclear weapons tests, Maralinga, Australia, 1956; entomologist, School of Health, Far East Land Forces, Singapore, 1957; Senior Instructor, Army School of Health, Ashvale, 1961; Col, 1961; Consultant in Army Health, 1963; Chief Medical Officer, Cyprus, 1964; Deputy Director of Army Health, Far East Land Forces, Singapore, 1965; Assistant Director of Army Health, Ministry of Defence, 1967; retired, 1971; died in 1983.

Arrangement

Arranged in the following sections: papers relating to his career; medical notes and reports; personal correspondence; miscellaneous personal papers; photographs; printed material.

Access Information

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

Acquisition Information

Presented to the Centre by the family in 1984 and 1985.

Other Finding Aids

Summary guide entry on-line at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/iss/archives/cats/, and detailed catalogue available in hard copy in the Centre's reading room.

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.

Corporate Names