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Papers of Noel Howard Eldridge (1918-1944; Balliol 1937; killed in action 1944)

Preliminary listing

The greater part of the Collection comprises letters written by Noel Howard Eldridge (1918-1944; Balliol 1937; killed in action 1944) to his mother and sister. Papers presented to the College by Miss Lilian Eldridge, sister of NHE, in 1991.

The Collection comprises the following.

1. MM Reese to NHE, 4 August 1936, concerning NHE and KN Bell.

2. NHE’s correspondence concerning Scandinavian visits and friends, 1937.

3. NHE’s letter to his mother, August 1937, from the Duke of York’s Camp, with a newspaper cutting and photograph.

4. NHE’s letters (9) of MT 1937 (his Freshman term).

5. NHE’s letters (38) of 1938.

6. NHE’s letters (40) of 1939.

7. NHE’s letters (39) of 1940.

8. NHE’s letters (21) of 1941.

9. NHE’s letters (25) of 1942.

10. NHE’s letters (31) of 1943.

11. NHE’s letters (28) of 1944 (the last is a poem, dated 27 September ‘for 12 October’ 1944 – presumably from context his mother’s birthday; he was killed in action on 29 September 1944).

12. Envelopes separated from nos. 4-11 above.

13. Papers concerning NHE’s wounding and death, 1944-1945.

14. Scroll concerning NHE’s death, in its original envelope, 1944.

15. NHE’s medals, in their original package, addressed to Mrs JB Allregt, ND, post-war.

16. Poems by NHE, 1935, and translations of some French poems, ND; newspaper cuttings concerning the progress of the War, especially in Italy, kept by his mother.

17. Photographs, including two excellent portrait photographs of NHE (1937 and 1942, in uniform).

18. Picture Post, complete issue, 5 November 1938, containing an illustrated article (pp 44-49) on the Oxford by-election.

19. Picture Post, cutting, 17 December 1938, showing Edward Heath speaking at the Oxford Union.

20. The Cherwell, two leaves, 28 October 1939, pp.26-28; an article by FLAVUS (see 21 below).

21. The Cherwell, four complete issues, vol LXVII nos 3-6 (weeks ending 4 November, 11 November, 18 November and 25 November 1939) NHE was joint Editor for these issues. In a number of places the pseudonym FLAVUS is interpreted by NHE as ‘Me’; FM also = NHE.

22. Kingdom Come (‘The Magazine of War-Time Oxford’) two complete issues, vol. 1 nos. 1 and 2, November 1939 and December-January 1939-1940; NHE contributed to no.1.

23. Notes by Lilian Eldridge and correspondence concerning the gift of 1-22 to the College.

24. A copy of Balliol Rhymes (1939) with, interleaved, inter alia, a group photograph (taken at Parsons’ Pleasure?) showing the launching of Kingdom Come, and a letter about the same. presented shortly after 1-22 listed above.

- John Jones and Vanessa Humphreys, 20 August 1991