MS 8963 Papers of Russell Braddon (1921-1995)
- Papers
- 1949-1990
- 1.4 m (10 boxes)
- Available for reference
The papers of Russell Braddon were donated to the Library by his estate
in 1995-96.
They contain 47 volumes of manuscript drafts of his works, a small
amount of correspondence, including letters from Joan Sutherland, Lord
Beaverbrook, the second Lord Thomson and General A.E. Percival, as well as
photographs of Braddon at book launchings, of Joan Sutherland, and other
photographs.
Russell Braddon was born in Sydney in 1921 and educated at the
University of Sydney. He was imprisoned in Changi for four years during World
War II, and his controversial book, The naked island, describing his
experiences as a prisoner, sold more than a million copies. He wrote
biographies, novels, histories and TV scripts. He lived in Britain from 1949
until 1993, and died in NSW in 1995.
His books included:
- 1952 - Piddington
- 1952 - Naked Island
- 1954 - Those in peril
- 1956 - Nancy Wake
- 1956 - Out of the storm
- 1958 - End of a hate
- 1958 - Gabriel comes to 24
- 1960 - Proud American boy
- 1961 - Naked Island (play)
- 1962 - Joan Sutherland
- 1964 - Year of the angry rabbit
- 1965 - Roy Thomson of Fleet Street
- 1966 - Committal chamber
- 1968 - When the enemy is tired
- 1968 - Inseparables
- 1969 - Will you walk a little faster
- 1969 - Siege
- 1971 - Prelude and fugue for lovers
- 1972 - End play
- 1973 - Suez: splitting of a nation
- 1974 - Hundred days in Darien
- 1977 - All the Queen's men
- 1977 - Finalists
- 1980 - Predator
- 1983 - The other hundred years war: Japan's bid for supremacy
1941-2041
- 1984 - Murray River (TV)
- 1985 - Burma Railway (TV)
- 1986 - Thomas Baines
- 1988 - Images of Australia
- 1989 -Woman in arms
- 1990 - Funnelweb
- 1990 - Knife edge (play)
Series 1. Literary Drafts
Bound volumes (or for items 3-7, notebooks) containing the original
drafts of Braddon's published works. The titles used are not always the same as
the published title. Braddon's title-page annotations are given where
applicable. Dates in square brackets indicate date of publication.
Volumes
1 The Piddington broadcasts, "Piddington scripts, written June
1949 onwards in London for BBC, Johannesburg radio, Sydney 2GB,
BBC TV".
2 Reminiscences, "notes taken Sydney - London - Berlin -
Johannesburg - Austria - Music hall tour - also ponies!",
1949-52.
3-7 The naked island, notebooks.
8 The naked island, "published, the day King George VI died, by T.
Werner Laurie", 1950-51, letter from Lieutenant-General
Percival, 1952.
9 Those in peril, 1953.
10 Odds and ends, "journalistic articles, mainly for the Express",
1953-54.
11 Cheshire V.C., The Seekers, "articles for Everybodys and Picture
Post", 1954.
12 Cheshire V.C., "the story of Group Captain Leonard Cheshire,
Victoria Cross, DFC, DSO and two bars", 1954; includes 9 loose
pages.
13 Out of the storm, "novel of postwar Austria and Australia -
comparison of the old world and the new, of pessimism and
weariness with optimism and vigour", 1954-55.
14 Short stories and articles, "articles for Express, Everybodys
and nobody much except me - also letters from Cheshire,
Christiansen, etc.", 1954-55.
15 Newspaper and magazine articles, including 'VJ Day - ten years
after', 'Film treatment of The Naked Island', 'Why I am [not] an
expatriate', 'Imprisonment', 'Psychiatric ward', 'Sutherland',
ca 1955-62.
16 Nancy Wake G.M., "the story of Nancy Wake - George Medal, Croix
de Guerre with two palms and silver star, Resistance Medal,
United States Freedom Medal", 1955-56; some loose notes.
17 Nancy Wake: an adaptation for a musical in collaboration with
Gale and Slavin; 12 loose pages in back, n.d.
18 The end of a hate, 1958.
19 Gabriel comes to 24, [1958].
20 Shock treatment: a television play in four acts adapted from
'Gabriel comes to 24'; includes a loose note.
21 The proud American boy, [1960].
22 Joan Sutherland, [1962].
23 The year of the angry rabbit, [1964].
24 Lord Thomson of Fleet [1965].
25 The committal chamber: a play, [1966].
26 The committal chamber: a novel, [1968].
27 When the enemy is tired, 1968.
28 The inseparables (novel), [1968].
29 The inseparables (play), [1968?].
30 The siege: Kut el Amara, [1969].
31 Prelude and fugue for lovers, [1971].
32 End play, 1971.
33 End play: a play in three acts and The jigsaw man: a play, n.d.;
includes some loose pages.
34 Suez, [1973]; includes a loose note.
35 A hundred days of Darien, 1974; includes loose typescript
preface on Buckingham Palace letterhead.
36 All the Queen's men, [1977].
37 The finalists, 1977.
38 Operation shepherd (part of The finalists), n.d.
39 Thomas Baines: artist and explorer, 1986.
40 Funnelweb, [1990].
41 1788 and all that, n.d.
42 A clock striking, n.d.
43 Getaway, n.d.
44 The remarkable progress of Private Lilyworth, n.d.
45 Why is Lydia, n.d.
46 Why is Lydia: a play, n.d.
47 You'll never get off the island: a play in three acts, n.d.
Series 2. Correspondence
Loose correspondence removed from the volumes in Series 1. Names in
italics indicate the original location in that series. Names of persons
indicate the writer of each letter.
Items
The naked island
1 Lt.-Gen. A.E. Percival, 1952.
2 Cliff Whitelocke (Christmas card), 1958.
Gabriel comes to 24
3 Dr Kenneth Farn, 1981.
Shock treatment: a television play in four acts adapted from
'Gabriel comes to 24'
4 J, (pages 2-3 only), n.d.
Joan Sutherland
5 Joan Sutherland, 1965.
Lord Thomson of Fleet
6 Lord Beaverbrook, 1963.
7 Lord Thomson, 1976.
The siege: Kut el Amara
8 John Forward, 1960.
9 G.O. Roberts, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 1969.
10 Hasan Al-Anbari, Iraqi Embassy, 1969.
11 Sir John Mellor, 1969.
12 Zeki Kuneralp, 1969.
13 Professor Turan Onat, 1970.
Prelude and fugue for lovers
14 André de Toth, 1971.
Suez
15 Selwyn Lloyd, M.P., 1964.
16 A. Michael Ramsey, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1971.
17 Sir Robert Turton, 1971.
18 Selwyn Lloyd, M.P., 1971.
19 Douglas Hurd, political secretary to Prime Minister Edward
Heath, 1972.
20 Winthrop Aldrich, 1972.
21 Lord Avon (Anthony Eden), 1973.
All the Queen's men
22 Lt-Col Peter Williams, 1975.
23 Major-Gen. Philip Ward, 1976.
24 John Goring, 1977.
25 Bruce Bell, 1977.
A clock striking
26 Yuzo Hatano, Consul General of Japan, Toronto, 1983.
27 Masao Miyoshi, 1985.
Series 3. Official Documentation
Loose documents removed from the volumes in Series 1.
Items
The inseparables (play)
1 Iraqi press card, 1969.
2 Iraqi [?] disembarkation card, 1969.
All the Queen's men
3 Entry permit to Hyde Park Barracks, London, n.d..
Series 4. Photographs
Loose photographs removed from the volumes in Series 1.
Items
Nancy Wake G.M.
1 Braddon autographing copies of Nancy Wake, ca 1956
2-3 Nancy Wake identity cards
4 M. Comboult and Mme. Sainson
5 Aerial photograph
Joan Sutherland
6-7 Joan Sutherland
8 Joan Sutherland and Franco Zeffirelli
9 Joan Sutherland and This is your life group
Lord Thomson of Fleet
10-12 Braddon and the first Lord Thomson at the launching of Roy
Thomson of Fleet Street, 1965
When the enemy is tired
13-14 Dachau concentration camp museum
The inseparables (play)
15 Strip of three identity photographs of Braddon
16 Negative of a cartoon, n.d.
17 Iraqi [?] street scene, n.d..
All the Queen's men
18 The New Standards (military parade), n.d.
Series Items Box
1 1-6 1
7-10 2
11-14 3
15-19 4
20-23 5
24-28 6
29-33 7
34-38 8
39-42 9
43-47 10
2 1-27 11
3 1-3 11
4 1-18 11
Guide compiled May 1996. Last updated 22 August 1996 |