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
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
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.
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
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
WW1 HEAVY ARTILLERY BOARDS
3rd Field Company R.E.
NOTES ON SOUND RANGING
Issued by General Staff I (c), G.H.Q.; No 38.- Notes on Ranging our Own Guns. 24 July 1918
4TH SURVEY FIELD SURVEY BATTALION
History of the 4th Field Survey Battalion RE. by Lt Col M N Macleod DSO MC RE, Commanding Officer
SURVEY ON THE WESTERN FRONT
PROVISIONAL. Winterbotham’s preliminary report. This was consulted and largely used in preparing the official report.
SOUND RANGING 1917
Paper on Sound Ranging
8 FD SVY COY RE
British Salonika Force from 1 January 1917 to 10 April 1919
INTER-WAR PERIOD
MANUAL OF ARTILLERY SURVEY
Part 1 – 1924
EARLY AERONAUTICAL CHARTS AND THE DEPARTMENT THAT NEVER WAS
Author: M.N. MacLeod, Lt Col R.E.
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.
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.
EVACUATION OF MALAYAN SURVEY DEPARTMENT
The Evacuation of Malayan Survey Department Military Maps and Mapping Material from Singapore to Australia February 1942
BURMA 101
The Survey Service Eastern and 14 ARMY 1942 – 1945. Report by Col. G. Bomford.
Z LOCATION SURVEY IN WAR
The story of 4th (Durham) Survey Regt RA
A FALKLAND ISLANDS VETERAN REMEMBERS
Surveying the Falklands during WW II
VISIT BY KING HAAKON OF NORWAY
Photographs of visit
CLOUGH 'MAPS AND SURVEYS'
FULL DOCUMENT
Maps and Surveys by Brig AB Clough
TITLE PAGE
CONTENTS AND PRELIMINARIES
CHAPTER 1
Basic Survey Organizations in the United Kingdom
CHAPTER 2
France and Belgium 1939 -40
CHAPTER 3
Home Defence and Preparation for Offensive Operations 1940 – 1944
CHAPTER 4
British American Mapping Policy
CHAPTER 5
The Middle East
CHAPTER 6
Italian East Africa
CHAPTER 7
Persia and Iraq
CHAPTER 8
South East Asia
CHAPTER 9
North West Africa
CHAPTER 10
Italy
CHAPTER 11
France, Belgium, Holland and Germany 1944-45
CHAPTER 12
Miscellaneous Theatres
CHAPTER 13
Dominion and Colonial Survey Units
CHAPTER 14
Miscellaneous Notes
INDEX
APPENDIX 1
S.H.A.E.F. Operation Memorandum “Artillery and Engineer Survey”
APPENDIX 2
S.H.A.E.F. Operation Memorandum – “Map Co-ordinates”
MAP PLATES
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”
14 MAP REPRODUCTION SEC RE
Author: B.B. Titchener, Capt. R.E.
14 FD SVY SQN RE
Author: Captain C.O.S. Robbins RE 1975
19 TOPOGRAPHIC SQN RE
Transcribed from the “Souvenir Programme 150th Anniversary 19 Topographic Squadron Royal Engineers 1827-1977”
512 FD SVY COY RE
Author: Alan Gordon
512 FD SVY COY RE
Author: Mike Nolan
515 FD SVY COY RE
Author: Mike Nolan
516 FD SVY COY RE
Author: Mike Nolan
517 FD SVY COY RE
Author: Mike Nolan
518 FD SVY COY RE
Author: Mike Nolan
519 FD SVY COY RE
Author: Mike Nolan
520 FD SVY COY RE
Author: Mike Nolan
521 FD SVY COY RE
Author: Mike Nolan
521 FD SVY COY RE – LOADING TABLE
Compiled by: W.E. Browne, Major R.E., O.C. 521 (Corps Fd. Svy.) Coy., R.E.
522 FD SVY COY RE
Author: Mike Nolan
523 FD SVY COY RE
Author: Mike Nolan
22 MAP PRODUCTION COY RE
A Short History of 22 Map Production Squadron 1849 – 1976
FIELD SURVEY COMPANY, FEDERATED MALAY STATES VOLUNTEER FORCES
Written by I.C. Booth, Major, Officer Commanding
COMMAND AND CONTROL
ORDNANCE SURVEY
BIOGRAPHIES
SIR W de W ABNEY
Sir William de Wiveleslie Abney (1843-1920)
MAJ S ANDERSON
Maj Samuel Anderson (1839 – 1881)
BRIG G BOMFORD
Brig Guy Bomford (1899-1996)
MAJ GEN T COLBY
Maj Gen Thomas Colby (1774 – 1852)
MAJ C J DARRAH
Maj Charles John Darrah (1835 – 1871)
MAJ C J DRUMMOND
Major Charles John Drummond (1835-1871)
MAJ GEN R C A EDGE
Major-General R C A “Joe“ Edge the former Director General of Ordnance Survey (1912-1999)
CAPT J M GRANT
Captain John Marshall Grant (1822-1902)
WG CDR T H HAMSHAW
Wg Cdr Thomas Hugh Hamshaw RA RFC RAF (1885-1962)
GEN SIR J S HAWKINS
General Sir John Summerfield Hawkins (1812-1895)
BRIG M HOTINE
Brigadier Martin Hotine CMG CBE (1898-1968)
REAR ADMIRAL SIR E IRVING
Address given by Rear Admiral Ritchie – 24 February 1991
MAJ GEN SIR H JAMES
Major-General Sir Henry James FRS MRIA (1803–1877)
MAJ GEN SIR T LARCOM
Maj Gen Sir Thomas Larcom Bt FRS MRIA (1801-1879)
MAJ GEN R C MOODY
Major General Richard Clement Moody (1813-1887)
H S PALMER
Henry Spencer Palmer (1838-1893)
MAJ GEN R M PARSONS
Major General Robert Mann Parsons (1829-1897)
BRIG A PRAIN
Brigadier Alexander (Sandy) Prain CBE BSc (1894-1987)
MAJ GEN SIR C WILSON
Major General Sir Charles Wilson (1836-1919)
LT COL W YOLLAND
Lieutenent Colonel William Yolland CB FRS (1810-1885)
