| Title |
The Papers of Sir Andrew Graham Gilchrist |
| Reference |
GBR/0014/GILC |
| Creator |
Gilchrist, Sir Andrew Graham, 1910-1993, Knight, diplomat |
| Covering Dates |
1937–1993 |
| Extent and Medium |
30 archive boxes |
| Repository |
Churchill Archives Centre |
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| Content and context |
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Sir Andrew Gilchrist was born near the Clyde in Scotland in 1910 and educated at Edinburgh Academy and Exeter College, Oxford.
In 1933 he entered the Consular Service and was posted to the Thai Embassy in Bangkok until 1937. He then had temporary placements in France, including Consulate General in Paris (in connection with the Paris Exhibition) and Consulate General in Marseilles (in connection with service to the Royal Navy in relation to the Spanish Civil War and the escort of British shipping).
He had a second tour of duty in Bangkok (1938-41), being captured and interned in Bangkok for 8 months in 1941; worked at the Ministry of Information (1942); was Second to the Minister in Charge of the Consulate General in Rabat, Morocco (1942-3); and worked for "Force 136" Special Operations Executive in India, organising undercover resistance force in Thailand (1944-45) and was involved in the repatriation of prisoners of war and humanitarian aid to Japanese indentured (slave) labour from Malaya, Sumatra, Java and Singapore.
After World War Two he acted as Assistant Political Advisor to the General in Charge of the Occupying Force, Thailand (1945); First Secretary, British Embassy Bangkok (1946); worked at the Foreign Office General Department, thereafter Second-in-Command German Political Department, London (1947-51); Consul General in Stuttgart (1951-3); Counsellor to The British Commissioner-General, South East Asia, Singapore (1954-55); Ambassador to Iceland (1956-59); Consul General, Chicago (1960-62); Ambassador to Indonesia in Djakarta (1962-66); served in the Commonwealth Office London, Rhodesia Sanctions section (1966); and was Ambassador to Ireland (1966-70)
He was made KCMG in 1964. After his retirement he served as Chairman of the Highlands and Islands Development Board, 1970-6.
His publications include: Memoirs- "Bangkok Top Secret" (1970); "Cod Wars and How to lose them" (1978); History- "Malaya 1941: the fall of a Fighting Empire" (1991); Novels- "The Russian Professor" (1984), "The Watercress File" (1985), "The Ultimate Hostage" (1986), "South of Three Pagodas" (1987), "Death of an Admiral" (1988), "Did Van Gogh paint his bed?" (1991): and Poetry- A posthumous collection edited by J Rayner, 1994.
He died in 1993.
Military, diplomatic and literary papers, 1937-93.
The papers were presented to Churchill Archives Centre by James Rayner (Gilchrist's son-in-law) in January 1994.
This collection is owned by Churchill College, Cambridge.
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Access and Use
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The collection is mostly open for consultation by researchers using Churchill Archives Centre, Churchill College, Cambridge. Churchill Archives Centre is open from Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm. A prior appointment and two forms of identification are required.
Researchers wishing to publish excerpts from the papers must obtain prior permission from the copyright holder and should seek advice from Archives Centre staff.
Please cite as Churchill Archives Centre, The Papers of Sir Andrew Graham Gilchrist, GILC
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| Further information |
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A copy of this finding aid is available for consultation at Churchill Archives Centre, Cambridge, the National Register of Archives, London and on the Janus website, http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk/.
The collection has been catalogued and copies of a more detailed catalogue are available at Churchill Archives Centre.
This collection (fonds) level description was prepared by Andrew Riley of Churchill Archives Centre in August 2004. Information was obtained from Gilchrist's entry in "Who Was Who" (A&C Black) and from the original catalogue produced by the Archives Centre.
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| Index Terms |
| Diplomacy |
| Gilchrist, Sir Andrew Graham (1910-1993) Knight, diplomat |
| Churchill/GILC contains: |
|
1
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Writings, including drafts and versions of his autobiography. Three sections have been published: "Malaya, 1941" (being an account of the fall of Singapore and Malaya and the events leading up to 1941 from his perspective in the Bangkok Embassy); "Bangkok Top Secret" (being an account of his work with the Special Operations Force 136, 1945-6); "Cod Wars and How to Lose them" (being an account of his service as Ambassador to Iceland 1956-59). |
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2
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Unpublished novels. Gilchrist wrote a number of novels, six of which were published (see GILC 4). These are the ms of those which were not accepted by the publisher. |
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3
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"Malaya, 1941". Various drafts of the ms which was eventually published as "Malaya 1941 - Fall of a Fighting Empire". This repeats some of the material previous used as autobiography (see GILC 1). |
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4
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Correspondence re- Gilchrist's writings. In the 1980s after his retirement Gilchrist took up novel writing as a more or less full time occupation - this correspondence relates to his various publications and is all from the late 1980s and early 1990s. |
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5
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Unpublished articles. Gilchrist wrote a large number of articles and recycled earlier materials, especially sections of his autobiography. Some were published, mostly in newspapers. These do not appear to have been published, or at least not in this form. These are all concerned with more general issues rather than with the specific issues of his various postings, although they may draw on his experiences. |
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6
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Published articles. These may be similar or shortened version of unpublished articles (GILC 5) . See also press cutting collections. |
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7
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Poetry. Gilchrist wrote a great deal of poetry. Most of it is scattered in the collection. His literary executor made a collection of some of the poems which were published posthumously by J Rayner - 1994. |
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8
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Librettos. Gilchrist was himself a musician and a keen opera-goer. He also tried his hand at writing opera. Neither of these has been performed. |
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9
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Speeches. Speeches given by Gilchrist in an unofficial or personal capacity. |
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10
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Papers relating to Gilchrist's published novel, "Did Van Gogh paint his bed?". |
ca. 1991– |
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11
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Papers relating to Gilchrist's diplomatic posting in Chicago. |
ca. 1960-ca. 1962 |
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12
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Papers relating to Gilchrist's diplomatic posting in Reykjavik, Iceland. |
1956–1959 |
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13
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Papers relating to Gilchrist's diplomatic posting in Jakarta, Indonesia, 1963-66. Includes his diaries and material relating to the riots and destruction of the Embassy (1963). |
1963–1966 |
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14
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Papers relating to Gilchrist's diplomatic posting in Dublin, Ireland, 1967-70. Includes official reports, telegrams and correspondence. |
1967–1970 |
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15
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Papers relating to Gilchrist's role as Chairman of the Highlands and Islands Development Board. |
1970–1976 |
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16
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Papers relating to devolution in Scotland. Includes press cuttings, letters and articles by Gilchrist. |
ca. 1976-ca. 1983 |
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17
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Papers relating to Highland land use, 1970s. |
ca. 1970-ca. 1979 |
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18
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Letters to the press, 1990s. |
ca. 1990-ca. 1999 |
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19
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Correspondence relating to Marseilles. In 1937-8 AG had a temporary placement in Marseilles. These letters are from A H Ballantyre his colleague in Valencia about their mutual problems with the Navy. 2 letters, typed transcripts and a letter from Ballantyre about the content (1970). |
1937–1970 |
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20
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Correspondence relating to Bangkok, ca. 1938. With explanatory note by Gilchrist, 1990s. |
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21
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Correspondence relating to Morocco. Consists of two letters - one from T S Eliot, one from Andre Gide about Gide's translation of Eliot and help which Gilchrist gave. |
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22
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Correspondence relating to Rhodesia. Letters relating to Gilchrist's posting to the Commonwealth Office, Economic Division on Rhodesia in 1966 and a press cutting on the same subject. |
1966 |
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23
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Personal correspondence, 1976-93. |
1976–1993 |
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24
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"Correspondence Yukta", correspondence and other papers re the death of Gilchrist's servant in Bangkok. |
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25
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Miscellaneous correspondence, undated. |
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26
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Press cutting relating to Gilchrist's grandfather and the tomato growing industry. |
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27
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Poems. Consists of scraps and drafts, handwritten and copies of poems by others. |
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28
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Handwritten trip diary of Gilchrist's trip to Germany in 1989. |
1989 |
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29
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Receipt for payment for Gilchrist's interview with BBC Radio Scotland - "Portrait", 1986. |
1986 |
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30
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Doodles, undated. |
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