Sidey, John Murray, 1911-2007: Papers relating to military career in World War Two

Folder of correspondence, photographs, certificates, typescript journal entries, newspaper clippings, ephemera, programmes, banknotes, and a pencil sketch. Documents and recounts Sidey's military activities during World War Two.

Features telegram from Freyberg to Sidey dated 14 June 1951, mounted on inside of back cover.

Includes portraits of military personnel in uniform at Upper Hutt and Papakura in 1941.

Locations depicted include Galle Face Hotel in Colombo, Almaza air base near Cairo in November 1941, the temples of Bacchus and Jupiter at Baalbek in Lebanon, Sea of Galilea in Palestine [now Israel], Syria in 1942, Tripoli, Tunis, Carthage, Fayoum [Faiyum], and the Italian towns of Monte Cassino, Positano, Firenze [Florence], and Venezia [Venice], including the Piazza di San Marco.

Newspaper clippings, include 'Evening Star', 2 October 1940, 'NZEF Times', 11 May 1942, 'Hawke's Bay Herald Tribune', 1 October 1942, 'The Press', 24 September 1988, and 'Otago Daily Times', 26, 27 and 28 June 1952, 25 March 1995, and 23 September 1999.

Banknotes laid in and mounted include:

- Egyptian currency note, 1940, with portrait of King Farouk - 5 piastres

- British Military Authority [1943] - 1 shilling

- Italian, 1 lira, 1943 Allied Military currency; 2 lire, 5 lire banknotes, 1940

- Austrian "Alliierte Militärbehörde" five "Schilling", 1944

Pencil sketch of military vehicle.

Ephemera items include:

- Printed "1942 4th N.Z. Field Regiment" Christmas card inscribed by "Murray" with message to his mother

- "New Zealand Artillery" Christmas card for 1943

- Printed Christmas card with mounted photographic prints, signed by Freyberg, Italy, 1943

- Programmes of athletic meetings, 1943, with results annotated in pencil, and "2NZ Div Athletic Meeting at The Farouk Stadium and Alamein Club, Gezira, Wed 11 Aug 1943".

- Dance invitation and programme for ball held at Castello di Miramare, Venice, 16 June 1945

Manuscript and typescript material includes:

- Copy of "Alamein Decisive Victory of the British Commonwealth" dated 31 December 1992.

- Typescript "Staff List 2 NZ Division" dated 19 December 1943, and "Staff List - NZ Corps as at 1600 hrs 16 Feb 44".

Also includes greeting card to Sidey, dated 7 April 1986, correspondence and copies of correspondence between Sidey and Paul Freyberg, dated 1992, and letters from Margaret Calder, Chief Librarian, Alexander Turnbull Library, dated 27 March 2001 and 19 April 2001.

Title supplied by Library.

Sidey was an officer (Captain) of the New Zealand Divisional Artillery in Italy and served as Lieutenant General Freyberg's aide-de-camp.

Quantity: 1 folder(s).

Physical Description: Green folder with disbound typescripts and manuscripts, correspondence, photographs, certificates, newspaper clippings, ephemera, pencil sketch, banknotes, and programmes. Some material mounted on inside of back and front cover of folder.

Conservation assessment by paper conservator, access needs staff supervision because of fragile items, and photographs need gloves to handle. Includes both mounted and loose photographic prints.