Cunningham, S.U.
Introduction
St Clair Usher Cunningham M.C.
Arrangement

Catalogue
1. Trek Notes
2. Articles
3. Maps
Reference code: GB-0033-SAD
Title: Cunningham, S.U.
Dates of creation: 1923-1926
Extent: 0.5 box
Held by: Durham University Library, Archives and Special Collections: Sudan Archive
Created by: material relating to service in the Sudan
Language: English

St Clair Usher Cunningham M.C.

(1892 - 1970)

1915 Commission in the Royal Artillery
1915-1918 Service in WW1 at Salonika, the Western Front and Russia
1917 M.C. London Gazette, 4 Jun 1917
1919-1925 Bimbashi in the Egyptian Army, serving as OC Sudanese Machine Gun Co.
1925-1927 Western Arab Corps, Sudan Defence Force

Sultan's Sudan Medal with clasp, ‘Aliab Dinka'
Final British rank: Major


Arrangement

1. Trek Notes
2. Articles
3. Maps

Catalogue
1. Trek Notes
SAD.876/7/1
[1923]
Copy of the first page of a printed route report, Omdurman to El Fasher, by S.U.C., 1923
SAD.876/8/1-134
1923
Notebooks containing notes on a trek from Omdurman to El Fasher undertaken by S.U.C. Details recorded include map bearings, distances, availability of water and provisions, terrain, speed, people encountered en route, villages visited, weather, river crossings and grazing. Each stage of the journey is recorded in a separate notebook, as listed below:
SAD.876/8/1-45
1923 Nov 9 - 19
Omdurman to Safia [Safiya], Kordofan: 171¾ miles
SAD.876/8/46-86
1923 Nov 20 - 29
Safia [Safiya] to Jebel el Homra [Humra], Kordofan: 171 miles. Includes record of pay of camelmen and note of Shaykh `Ali al-Tum's views on when it is appropriate to beat a woman
SAD.876/8/87-134
1923 Dec 1 - 16
Jebel el Homra [Humra], Kordofan to El Fasher, Darfur: 282 miles. Includes note of names and payments to Kabbabish camelmen
SAD.876/9/1-125
1924
Notes on reconnaissance treks in Darfur and on the inspection of Egyptian Army detachments at forts there. Contents similar to above:
SAD.876/9/1-11
1924 Mar 25 - 31
El Fasher to Nyala: 129½ miles
SAD.876/9/12-28
1924 Apr 8 - 12
Nyala to Kubbum: 85½ miles
SAD.876/9/29-41
1924 Apr 12 - 18
Kubbum to Nyala: 130 miles
SAD.876/9/42-58
1924 Apr 21 - 28
Nyala to Zalingei: 125 miles
SAD.876/9/59-74
1924 May 3 - 8
Zalingei to Gineina [Geneina]: 90 miles
SAD.876/9/75-88
1924 May
Notes on inspection of Zalingei fort and machine gun emplacements
SAD.876/9/89-100
1924 May 19 - 24
Gineina [Geneina] to Kebkebia [Kebkabiya]: 125 miles
SAD.876/9/101-107
1924 May
Notes on inspection of Geneina fort and Machine Gun Section
SAD.876/9/108-118
1924 May 29 - Jun 3
Kebkebia [Kebkabiya] to El Fasher: 98 miles
SAD.876/9/119-125
1924 May
Notes on inspection of Kebkabiya fort and Machine Gun Section
SAD.876/10/1-62
1924- 1925
Notes on further reconnaissance treks in Darfur. Contents similar to above:
SAD.876/10/1-10
1924 Sep 22 - 30
Armagei Sara to El Fasher: 116½ miles
SAD.876/10/11-15
1924 Oct 15 - 20
El Fasher to Kebkebia [Kebkabiya]: 100 miles
SAD.876/10/16-26
1924 Dec 17 - 23
Kebkebia [Kebkabiya] to El Fasher via Tina, with No.1 Camel Corps Co.: 97 miles
SAD.876/10/27-38
1924 Dec 31 - 1925 Feb 4
El Fasher to Tina, and Tuma [Toma] Wells to El Fasher, with the Artillery
SAD.876/10/39-43
1925 May 16 - 27
El Fasher to Nahud
SAD.876/10/44-57
Notes on camels and their ailments, with diagrams of their teeth (for determining their age); distribution list of Western Arab Corps; list of medical supplies
SAD.876/10/58-62
Notes on trees
SAD.876/11/1-128
1925 Oct 8 - Nov 25
Notes on a trek from Debba to El Ein, Fung Privince and thence to El Fasher, Darfur: 600 miles. In addition to notes on the route, similar to those in the Omdurman - El Fasher trek, there are notes on game encountered, particularly the mountain sheep, addax, oryx and ril, and on geology. For further details, see extracts from letters home below, 876/7/2- 6
SAD.876/7/2-6
1925 Oct - Nov
Typescript extracts from letters home concerning the trek from Dongola to El Fasher undertaken by S.U.C. partly during summer leave, and covered in 876/11/1-128 above. The main purpose of the trek was to search for addax, mountain sheep, oryx, ril and mountain goat. The party consisted of S.U.C., Maj. Evans, Royal Engineers, five servants, three police, three guides and five camelmen. Most of the descriptions concern hunting exploits
2. Articles
SAD.876/7/7-12
1926 Jan 17
Paper by S.U.C. on “Mountain sheep”, written at El Fasher at the end of his trek from Debba and based on notes made during the trek
3. Maps
SAD.876/7/13[MP]
1914
Map of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan showing the route of S.U.C.'s trek from Debba to El Fasher, 1925
Geographical Section, General Staff No. 2692
scale:   1 to 3,000,000
Size: 100 x 74 cms