From the Estate of Alfred Dilwyn 'Dilly' Knox - Scholar, Pap...

Estimate

£3,000 - £5,000

From the Estate of Alfred Dilwyn 'Dilly' Knox - Scholar, Papyrologist and WWI / WWII Codebreaker - a selection of items from his estate, including an autograph book filled with laid-in signatures of Knox's colleagues at 'ID25', July 1920 - likely given on the occasion of his wedding to Olive Roddam (with whom he worked). The book is filled with autographs of colleagues from 'Room 40' (later ID25) - special codebreaking department of the Admiralty in the First World War.  Autographs within the book include; Alastair Guthrie Denniston (appointed head of GC&CS 1919-1942, including work with Alan Turing in Bletchley Park), WF Clarke, Joan Harvey, Professor J. B. Henderson, Harold E. Boulton, Mary Jenkin, Ruth Page, Rev. William Montgomery (deciphered the famous Zimmermann Telegram), Richard Keigwin, Violet Hudson, Captain C. W. Hardisty, Victoria Down, Margaret Bayley, Dorothy Holcroft, Henry R. Ford, John Hooper, and others. All those named were known employees of ID25 / Room 40 and can be found on official staff lists. The first page of the book has a well detailed cartoon of Knox working in his bath (which was installed in his office), drawn and signed by 'GPM'. The fly leaf is dedicated 'To Mr Knox and Miss Roddam with best wishes from their Old Colleagues of ID25, July 1920.' Roddam and Knox married in that month. 

Also included within the collection is Olive Roddam's personal vanity set, with gilt 'Olive' to the top corner. filled with various bottles, and sundry items. Knox's Barclay's Bank book from 1922 to 1931 is present, along with a wealth of correspondence relating to him, his wife Olive and their children / extended family - these documents appear more of 'personal' interest rather than relating to anything code-breaking related.

A unique archive of effects relating to one of the most famous code-breakers of both the First and Second World Wars. 

Provenance; all items belonged to the late Joanna Knox, granddaughter to Dilly and Olive Knox. The items were stored in a poor state and will show signs of damp / water damage in places.