MS 999
Reference code
MS 999
Title
Papers of Ion Melville Calvocoressi
Level
Sub-fonds
Administrative / Biographical history
Major Ion Melville Calvocoressi MC, MBE (1919–2007) was born in Calcutta, India, the son of Matthew John Calvocoressi (1873–1939), a director of the East India branch of the Anglo-Greek firm Ralli Brothers, and Agnes Hermione Melville (1881–1968). He spent his early childhood in India before his family moved to England in 1922. He was educated at Eton College (1932–1938) and at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he began his studies in 1938.
Calvocoressi joined the Officers’ Training Corps at Oxford. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, he initially volunteered for the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry but later transferred to the Scots Guards, with which his mother’s family had connections. He entered the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in January 1940 and was commissioned into the Scots Guards in May 1940. After training at Pirbright he joined the Scots Guards Holding Battalion at the Tower of London, undertaking duties connected with the defence of London before and during the Blitz.
In March 1941 he joined the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards and was posted to the Middle East. Following training in Egypt and Palestine, he served in the Western Desert campaign against German and Italian forces as commander of a platoon of the Battalion’s anti-tank company.
During fighting in June 1942 at Bir er Rigel in Libya, his position was overrun by tanks of the 21st Panzer Division. He was taken prisoner but escaped the same night and rejoined his regiment. The following month he was wounded in action while engaging enemy guns and rescuing the crew of one of the Battalion’s forward observation posts under fire. For his bravery and devotion to duty he was awarded the Military Cross.
After recovering from his wounds, Calvocoressi was appointed Aide-de-Camp to Lieutenant-General Sir Oliver Leese, commander of XXX Corps in the Eighth Army. In this capacity he undertook a range of staff and liaison duties during the later stages of the North African campaign and subsequently during the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943 and the Italian campaign.
When Leese succeeded General Bernard Montgomery as commander of the Eighth Army in Italy, Calvocoressi continued to serve on his staff at tactical headquarters.
In September 1944 Leese was appointed Commander-in-Chief of Allied Land Forces South-East Asia and Calvocoressi accompanied him as Personal Liaison Officer. He later served as Military Assistant to General George Walsh. Promoted to Major in January 1945, he was appointed MBE for his wartime service. He returned to Britain later in 1945 and was subsequently demobilised and transferred to the Army Reserve.
After the war Calvocoressi pursued a career as a stockbroker in London. He remained closely associated with the Scots Guards and with veterans of the North African and Italian campaigns, organising and taking part in regimental gatherings and taking part in commemorations of the anniversaries of the battles of El Alamein and Monte Cassino. He also supported several Guards charitable initiatives, including the Guards Widows’ Appeal and served as Chairman of the Guards Museum Appeal. He also served as High Sheriff of Kent from 1978 to 1979.
In 1947 he married Katherine Kennedy; they had three sons and a daughter. Ion Melville Calvocoressi died in 2007.
Calvocoressi joined the Officers’ Training Corps at Oxford. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, he initially volunteered for the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry but later transferred to the Scots Guards, with which his mother’s family had connections. He entered the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in January 1940 and was commissioned into the Scots Guards in May 1940. After training at Pirbright he joined the Scots Guards Holding Battalion at the Tower of London, undertaking duties connected with the defence of London before and during the Blitz.
In March 1941 he joined the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards and was posted to the Middle East. Following training in Egypt and Palestine, he served in the Western Desert campaign against German and Italian forces as commander of a platoon of the Battalion’s anti-tank company.
During fighting in June 1942 at Bir er Rigel in Libya, his position was overrun by tanks of the 21st Panzer Division. He was taken prisoner but escaped the same night and rejoined his regiment. The following month he was wounded in action while engaging enemy guns and rescuing the crew of one of the Battalion’s forward observation posts under fire. For his bravery and devotion to duty he was awarded the Military Cross.
After recovering from his wounds, Calvocoressi was appointed Aide-de-Camp to Lieutenant-General Sir Oliver Leese, commander of XXX Corps in the Eighth Army. In this capacity he undertook a range of staff and liaison duties during the later stages of the North African campaign and subsequently during the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943 and the Italian campaign.
When Leese succeeded General Bernard Montgomery as commander of the Eighth Army in Italy, Calvocoressi continued to serve on his staff at tactical headquarters.
In September 1944 Leese was appointed Commander-in-Chief of Allied Land Forces South-East Asia and Calvocoressi accompanied him as Personal Liaison Officer. He later served as Military Assistant to General George Walsh. Promoted to Major in January 1945, he was appointed MBE for his wartime service. He returned to Britain later in 1945 and was subsequently demobilised and transferred to the Army Reserve.
After the war Calvocoressi pursued a career as a stockbroker in London. He remained closely associated with the Scots Guards and with veterans of the North African and Italian campaigns, organising and taking part in regimental gatherings and taking part in commemorations of the anniversaries of the battles of El Alamein and Monte Cassino. He also supported several Guards charitable initiatives, including the Guards Widows’ Appeal and served as Chairman of the Guards Museum Appeal. He also served as High Sheriff of Kent from 1978 to 1979.
In 1947 he married Katherine Kennedy; they had three sons and a daughter. Ion Melville Calvocoressi died in 2007.
Date
1929-2026
Extent & medium
10 boxes
Content description
Papers of Major Ion Melville Calvocoressi (1919–2007), Scots Guards officer and ADC to Lieutenant-General Sir Oliver Leese, relating to his Second World War service in North Africa, Italy and South-East Asia and to his later involvement in regimental commemorations and veterans’ activities.
Provenance
Created by Ion Melville Calvocoressi, passed to his family and added to by his son Richard, who gifted them to Eton.
Arrangement
An artificial arrangement has been imposed by the archivist. The archive has been divided into 4 series:
01 Papers relating to Eton College
02 Papers relating to World War II
03 Papers relating to World War II commemorative events
04 Obituaries
01 Papers relating to Eton College
02 Papers relating to World War II
03 Papers relating to World War II commemorative events
04 Obituaries
Location of this record in the archive hierarchy
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Number 126 of 129 at this Level
Beneath this record in the archive hierarchy
- Papers of Ion Melville Calvocoressi: Papers relating to Eton College, MS 999 01, (1929-1937)
- Papers of Ion Melville Calvocoressi: Papers relating to World War II, MS 999 02, (1939-1946)
- Papers of Ion Melville Calvocoressi: Post-war papers, MS 999 03, (1950-1995)
- Papers of Ion Melville Calvocoressi: Obituaries, MS 999 04, (2000)