Papers of John Steel concerning the Gulf Peace Team

Archive reference: Cwl JSGPT

This small archive offers a first-hand account of the First Gulf War and gives a unique insight into the issues faced by campaigners in war zones. John Steel (1914-1997) was a teacher and peace activist, who played an essential role in the creation and organisation of the Gulf Peace Team (GPT). The GPT set up a peace camp on the Iraqi-Saudi border to protest against the First Gulf War.

The archive includes John Steel's diaries of the time he spent at the peace camp, correspondence with team members and supporters and publicity material. John Steel's work for the GPT continued after his return home in May 1991, when he took on the challenge of managing the large debts incurred by the group.

‌Anne Worrall, Steel's daughter, donated the archive to Special Collections in 2016. Note that many files in the archive contain personal data and are therefore restricted under the Data Protection Act.