Wood, Alan (Historian Services Reconnaissance Department, AIF) Wallet 1 of 22

Collection compiled by Alan Wood in preparation to write the history of Services Reconnaissance Department (SRD) commissioned by the Z Special Unit Association.
This wallet consists of correspondence June 1981 - August 1985 related to source material available for the preparation of the Services Reconnaissance Department (SRD) history, including extracts from a history of the Allied Intelligence Bureau (AIB) and accounts of Operations Jaywick, Rimau and in Timor.

Wallet 1 includes:
-Letter from Alan Wood to Mac McCann reporting research progress from history volumes on SWPA, including 252 pages of 'Official History of Special Operations Australia' Deakin, ACT, 3 July 1981
-Note headed 'History of AIB?' asking members of Z Special unit association to advise of any publications on Allied Intelligence Bureau (AIB), draft article advising members of the proposed history of the AIB and asking for their service details and information useful for the history
-Letter from Mac McCann to Alan Wood mentioning material on Operation Rimau and suggesting a newsletter request for members service details. Ashfield, NSW, 26 July 1981.
-Letter from A. D. Stevenson to Alan Wood thanking him for locating his (Stevenson's) report, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 14 March 1985
-Letter from A. D. Stevenson to Alan Wood thanking him for the report on Operation Sunlag, noting inaccuracies in Operation Lagarto material, Jim Ellwood, Frank Cashman, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 25 January 1985
-Letter from A.D. Stevenson to Alan Wood asking for a copy of the Sunlag Party Report, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 29 October 1984
-Letter from A.D. Stevenson to Alan Wood asking Wood to ascertain the name and owner of the vessel which carried the Krait from Trincomalee, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 25 January 1984
-Letter from A.D. Stevenson to Alan Wood referring to Cashman and Ellwood reports, Locke's narrative and inaccuracy about Operation Lagarto and Operation Cobra, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 9 August 1983
-Letter from A.D. Stevenson to Alan Wood regarding Operation Lagarto and Jim Ellwood and Frank Cashman being compromised, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 1 June 1983
-Letter from A.D. Stevenson to Alan Wood requesting Wood obtain copies of the reports of Jim Ellwood and Frank Cashman and advising interest in Sunlag, Suncob and Sunable operations, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 27 April 1983
-Letter from A. D. Stevenson to Alan Wood thanking Wood for advice on the condition of Roddy's [Roderick Gordon Dawson VX58450] grave, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW. 7 May 1982
-Letter (copy) from Max [Wood] to Gruff [Colonel Godfrey Basil Courtney VB58298 ] responding to request for information on H. B. Manderson a civilian employee of SRD and describing his exploits including lock-picking, disguises, breaking into German Naval attaché office and stealing code, printing Sarawak notes, role in Timor, Deakin ACT, 1 June 1985.
-Letter from Warwick Rowell to Alan Wood regarding a letter from Captain Timothy Daniel to the Secretary of the NSW Commando Association seeking views about an expedition to retrace the Rimau survivors escape route, Lakemba, NSW
-Letter from Warwick Rowell to Alan Wood covering a Guinea Gold newspaper clipping about the court martial of Captain John Joseph Murphy, Guinea Gold newspaper Vol 4, No 63, Lakemba, NSW 27 May 1982.
-Letter from Harold Lander, Story Editor, South Australian Film Corporation, to Alan Wood referring to a proposed film by Lee Robinson and inaccuracies in a film clip by Bill Escott relating to Rimau, Longueville, NSW, 7 September 1981
-Letter from Dick (Withers) and Joan, Z Special Association of NSW, to Alan Wood about Association matters - mailing list, refers to Brisbane National Reunion in 1986 and possible need for Wood's back-up for 75th Anniversary of RAN in Canberra Eastwood, NSW 1 August 1985
-Letter from Rowan [Waddy] to alan Wood about the Semut IV origins and plan for a children's playground in Mukah from 'Z' to be opened in June 1985, Point Piper, NSW, 16 March 1984
-Letter from A.D Stevenson to Alan Wood thanking him for photographs of Rod’s [Roderick Gordon Dawson] grave and enclosing a story by 'Syd' O'Dwyer, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW 20 July 1982
-Narrative account by C.J. O'Dwyer titled ‘Timor Incident - 1945’ of the Krait's attempt to extract a Z Special party from Timor in June 1945, Ringwood East, Vic, 11 November 1984
-Jack Sue's advertising brochure Follow the Sun Diving Safaris 2
-Letter from Jack Sue to Alan Wood thanking him for help on 'Borneo Death Marches 1945' book and including information sheet on his diving tours to WWII battle ground of S.E. Asia and S. W. Pacific, Kalamunda, W.A. 27 March 1984
-Newspaper cutting 'Destination Death' by Jack Sue, Australasian Post. October 6 1983, p 7-9 about the Sandakan death march
-Letter from A.D. Stevenson to Alan Wood thanking him for letter of 1 February and enlightening the P & O boys about transport of the Krait, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW
-Newspaper article (copy) 'Tony Bonner's Singapore showdown', January 20, 1982 p 94 - actor Bonner's thoughts on the film 'Southern Cross' dealing with the Krait raids and Rimau, Lee Robinson's project, 20 January 1982
-Letter from W. Johnson(Bill), Secretary of Ripcord Australia, to Alan Wood seeking information on Z Special parachute operations for a parachuting history index before the advent of sport parachuting Eastwood, NSW 21 May 1984
-Letter from Russell H. G. Porter to Alan Wood asking about Wood's history of Z Special Force and for opinions on the value of the Dutch forces, the subject of his own book, Tiptree, Essex, England 7 January 1985
-Letter from Bob [Long?] to Alan Wood about Veteran's Affairs Submissions for Allen Wheelhouse (NX88264) and Philip Henry (NX84226) and Tom Harrisson's book, East Lindfield, NSW, 13 May 1985
-Letter from W. Johnson (Bill), Secretary of Ripcord Australia, to Alan Wood thanking him for the very informative letter on Z Special parachute operations, Eastwood, NSW, 7 June 1984
-Photocopied page from Salt, 31 January 1944, p.40 of poem 'Sleep Soundly, Soldier' 31 January 1944
-Letter (copy) from D.B. Latimer, Hon Secretary, NSW Commando Association, to C. H. Finlay replying letter from Finlay, visiting Japanese ex-submariners, Blacktown NSW 31 September 198
-Letter from Mac McCann to Alan Wood on Z Special Association matters, including request for information on Henry Oswald Anderson, Ashfield NSW, undated
-Letter from Mac McCann to Alan Wood thanking him for Anderson information, 13 July 1982
-Letter from June [McCann] to Alan Wood asking about release of Mick's file from top secret, Ashfield NSW, 10 January 1983
-Letter from M. G. (Pat) Lees to Alan Wood asking opinion on an aircraft wreck found near Hollandia being Graham Pockley's Liberator, Seaforth, NSW, 25 March 1983
-Note written on a prescription pad sheet about war and post-war activities of John Gilmore DCM, 9 July 1984
-Letter from Don [Harlem] to Alan Wood thanking him for information about AKQ, Farquharson and Operation Robin party, Sandy Bay, Tasmania, 30 May 1984
-Letter from Don [Harlem] to Alan Wood refers to sending list of operatives and method of insertion for Wood's list and queries some having two service numbers, for example Don [Harlem] Harlem had AK42 and 348, Sandy Bay, Tasmania undated
-Letter from Sylvia and Charlie Hardy (Charles McPherson Hardy VX75857) to Nancy and Alan (Wood) regarding, Fred Sanderson (QX11361), Wally Rippin (WX16878), Bob Long (WX16705), Tom Harrisson (VB300861), Seddon, Victoria, 24 Jun 1982
-Letter from Alan Wood to Philip Henry (NX84226) and reply from Henry on same page, Deakin ACT 19 December 1984
-Letter from Hugh Ellis to Alan Wood Letter advising that he served with Crocodile and Semut IV, Stafford, Queensland 17 August 1981
-Compliments slip from Richard Summerrell, Executive Officer, Archives and Historical Studies, Department of Defence, to Alan Wood attached to a letter from the Office of Australian Defence Staff, Australian Embassy, Washington, entitled Whereabouts of Records, Special (Secret Intelligence - Australia). Washington D.C. 3 November 1983
-Letter from H.J. W. Stokes, Chief Executive Officer, Archives and Historical Studies Section, Department of Defence, to Alan Wood about Allied documents held referring to operations Jaywick and Rimau and location of AIB records, Canberra, 10 August 1982
-Letter from H .J. W. Stokes, Chief Executive Officer, Archives and Historical Studies Section, Department of Defence, to Alan Wood about locating NEFIS interrogation reports, Canberra 15 November 1982
-Letter from H. J. W. Stokes, Chief Executive Officer, Archives and Historical Studies Section, to Alan Wood, attaching Far Eastern Liaison Organisation (FELO) files list, Canberra 15 February 1983
-Letter from K.F. McDonald, Director of Australian War Graves, to Lee Robinson replying to his letter of 27 May 1981 about death dates and locations for a film on Z Special Force raids on Singapore Harbour, Woden, ACT 18 June 1981
-Letter from Lee Robinson to Office of Australian War Graves, Department of Veterans' Affairs, asking for information on death dates and locations of operatives for film on Operations Jaywick and Rimau, Willoughby, NSW, 27 May 1981