DSA ARCHIVE

HERITAGE & HISTORY

We’re not a heritage or historical society per se, but we are interested in the heritage of the British Military Surveyor through the ages. The Ranger has many articles relating to heritage and history.

Here, we’ve collected an eclectic range of articles, documents, maps, and materials that may be of interest.

18th CENTURY
19th CENTURY
20TH CENTURY
GREAT WAR

ARTILLERY SURVEY IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR

Authors: Bragg, Dowson and Hemming

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REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE 6TH FIELD COMPANY IN ITALY

Report on the Work of the Sixth Field Survey Company in Italy . November 1917 to November 1918

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SURVEY IN EGYPT AND PALESTINE – 7 FD COY RE

The account is taken from “A Brief Record of the Advance of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force under the command of General Sir Edmund H.H. Allenby GCB, GCMG, July 1917 – Oct 1918”, H.M.S.O. 1919.

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SURVEY IN EGYPT, SINAI, PALESTINE AND SYRIA – 7 FD COY RE

Report on the work of the Seventh Field Survey Company RE. Egypt, Sinai, Palestine and Syria. December 1916 to October 1918

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MAPS AND ARTILLERY BOAD PAMPLETS

Reprinted from pamphlet issued by the British General Staff 1916. Edited at the Army War College, Washington, D.C., May 1917

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WW1 HEAVY ARTILLERY BOARDS

3rd Field Company R.E.

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NOTES ON SOUND RANGING

Issued by General Staff I (c), G.H.Q.; No 38.- Notes on Ranging our Own Guns. 24 July 1918

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4TH SURVEY FIELD SURVEY BATTALION

History of the 4th Field Survey Battalion RE. by Lt Col M N Macleod DSO MC RE, Commanding Officer

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SURVEY ON THE WESTERN FRONT

PROVISIONAL. Winterbotham’s preliminary report. This was consulted and largely used in preparing the official report.

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SOUND RANGING 1917

Paper on Sound Ranging

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8 FD SVY COY RE

British Salonika Force from 1 January 1917 to 10 April 1919

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INTER-WAR PERIOD

MANUAL OF ARTILLERY SURVEY

Part 1 – 1924

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EARLY AERONAUTICAL CHARTS AND THE DEPARTMENT THAT NEVER WAS

Author: M.N. MacLeod, Lt Col R.E.

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SECOND WORLD WAR

SPECIAL CHARTS AND PUBLICATIONS

Maps and Survey records the work of the Geographical Section, General Staff in World War 2. C.B. 3200A similarly records the work of the Hydrographic Department in producing special operational charts and diagrams additional to its normal work of producing Fleet navigational charts.

NOTE: The detailed documents referenced here are currently not available on the website due to a technical error.  They will be restored as soon as possible.

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NOTES ON GSGS MAPPING IN WW II

In preparation for the invasion of Sicily, which took place in July 1943, the Geographical Section, General Staff, War Office, London produced an illustrated guide to the to the mapping situation in the Central Mediterranean theatre of operations entitled “Notes on the G.S.G.S. Maps of Italy, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica, 1 May 1943”.  There are a couple of parts missing due to a technical error.  these will be made available as soon as possible.

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EVACUATION OF MALAYAN SURVEY DEPARTMENT

The Evacuation of Malayan Survey Department Military Maps and Mapping Material from Singapore to Australia February 1942

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BURMA 101

The Survey Service Eastern and 14 ARMY 1942 – 1945. Report by Col. G. Bomford.

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Z LOCATION SURVEY IN WAR

The story of 4th (Durham) Survey Regt RA

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A FALKLAND ISLANDS VETERAN REMEMBERS

Surveying the Falklands during WW II

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VISIT BY KING HAAKON OF NORWAY

Photographs of visit

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CLOUGH 'MAPS AND SURVEYS'

FULL DOCUMENT

Maps and Surveys by Brig AB Clough

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TITLE PAGE

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CONTENTS AND PRELIMINARIES

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CHAPTER 1

Basic Survey Organizations in the United Kingdom

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CHAPTER 2

France and Belgium 1939 -40

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CHAPTER 3

Home Defence and Preparation for Offensive Operations 1940 – 1944

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CHAPTER 4

British American Mapping Policy

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CHAPTER 5

The Middle East

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CHAPTER 6

Italian East Africa

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CHAPTER 7

Persia and Iraq

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CHAPTER 8

South East Asia

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CHAPTER 9

North West Africa

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CHAPTER 10

Italy

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CHAPTER 11

France, Belgium, Holland and Germany 1944-45

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CHAPTER 12

Miscellaneous Theatres

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CHAPTER 13

Dominion and Colonial Survey Units

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CHAPTER 14

Miscellaneous Notes

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INDEX

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APPENDIX 1

S.H.A.E.F. Operation Memorandum “Artillery and Engineer Survey”

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APPENDIX 2

S.H.A.E.F. Operation Memorandum – “Map Co-ordinates”

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MAP PLATES

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POST SECOND WORLD WAR
THE COLD WAR
WITHDRAWAL FROM EMPIRE
THE DIGITAL ERA
THE FALKLANDS WAR 1982

Link to Posters

AFTER THE COLD WAR
WARS 1990 - 2025
INSTRUMENTS
UNIT HISTORIES

13 FD SVY SQN RE

Transcribed from the “Souvenir Programme for the 150th Anniversary of the formation of 13 Field Survey Squadron Royal Engineers”

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14 MAP REPRODUCTION SEC RE

Author: B.B. Titchener, Capt. R.E.

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14 FD SVY SQN RE

Author: Captain C.O.S. Robbins RE 1975

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19 TOPOGRAPHIC SQN RE

Transcribed from the “Souvenir Programme 150th Anniversary 19 Topographic Squadron Royal Engineers 1827-1977”

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512 FD SVY COY RE

Author: Alan Gordon

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512 FD SVY COY RE

Author: Mike Nolan

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515 FD SVY COY RE

Author: Mike Nolan

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516 FD SVY COY RE

Author: Mike Nolan

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517 FD SVY COY RE

Author: Mike Nolan

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518 FD SVY COY RE

Author: Mike Nolan

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519 FD SVY COY RE

Author: Mike Nolan

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520 FD SVY COY RE

Author: Mike Nolan

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521 FD SVY COY RE

Author: Mike Nolan

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521 FD SVY COY RE – LOADING TABLE

Compiled by: W.E. Browne, Major R.E., O.C. 521 (Corps Fd. Svy.) Coy., R.E.

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522 FD SVY COY RE

Author: Mike Nolan

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523 FD SVY COY RE

Author: Mike Nolan

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22 MAP PRODUCTION COY RE

A Short History of 22 Map Production Squadron 1849 – 1976

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FIELD SURVEY COMPANY, FEDERATED MALAY STATES VOLUNTEER FORCES

Written by I.C. Booth, Major, Officer Commanding

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COMMAND AND CONTROL
ORDNANCE SURVEY
BIOGRAPHIES

SIR W de W ABNEY

Sir William de Wiveleslie Abney (1843-1920)

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MAJ S ANDERSON

Maj Samuel Anderson (1839 – 1881)

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BRIG G BOMFORD

Brig Guy Bomford (1899-1996)

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MAJ GEN T COLBY

Maj Gen Thomas Colby (1774 – 1852)

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MAJ C J DARRAH

Maj Charles John Darrah (1835 – 1871)

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MAJ C J DRUMMOND

Major Charles John Drummond (1835-1871)

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MAJ GEN R C A EDGE

Major-General R C A “Joe“ Edge the former Director General of Ordnance Survey (1912-1999)

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CAPT J M GRANT

Captain John Marshall Grant (1822-1902)

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WG CDR T H HAMSHAW

Wg Cdr Thomas Hugh Hamshaw RA RFC RAF (1885-1962)

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GEN SIR J S HAWKINS

General Sir John Summerfield Hawkins (1812-1895)

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BRIG M HOTINE

Brigadier Martin Hotine CMG CBE (1898-1968)

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REAR ADMIRAL SIR E IRVING

Address given by Rear Admiral Ritchie – 24 February 1991

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MAJ GEN SIR H JAMES

Major-General Sir Henry James FRS MRIA (1803–1877)

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MAJ GEN SIR T LARCOM

Maj Gen Sir Thomas Larcom Bt FRS MRIA (1801-1879)

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MAJ GEN R C MOODY

Major General Richard Clement Moody (1813-1887)

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H S PALMER

Henry Spencer Palmer (1838-1893)

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MAJ GEN R M PARSONS

Major General Robert Mann Parsons (1829-1897)

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BRIG A PRAIN

Brigadier Alexander (Sandy) Prain CBE BSc (1894-1987)

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MAJ GEN SIR C WILSON

Major General Sir Charles Wilson (1836-1919)

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LT COL W YOLLAND

Lieutenent Colonel William Yolland CB FRS (1810-1885)

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