The collection has an unbroken series of diaries from 1904-1920. These include descriptions of naval actions during the First World War and Buckley's gunnery duties in the English Channel, North Sea, Scapa Flow, Mediterranean and Black Sea. They also record his personal responses, episodes of shore leave and family events. In addition, there are midshipman's journals covering his service on the Cape of Good Hope station in 1904-1907. A smaller part of the collection consists of memoranda, reports and signals relating to the bombardment of targets on the Gallipoli peninsular in 1915, the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet in 1918, hostilities against Bolshevik forces in 1919 and demonstrations against British rule in Cyprus in 1931.

Administrative / biographical background
Buckley was born at Southport in Lancashire in 1887 and entered the Royal Navy as a cadet on HMS BRITANNIA in 1903. He was a midshipman on the cruiser HMS CRESCENT (1892) on the Cape of Good Hope station in 1904-1907. During the First World War he was a gunnery officer on the battleship HMS VENERABLE (1899), taking part in the bombardment of the Belgian coast and operations at Gallipoli. His war service continued when the battleship HMS EMPEROR OF INDIA was part of operations against Bolshevik forces in 1919-1920. He served on the battlecruiser HMS HOOD (1918) as gunnery officer of the Special Service Squadron during the world cruise in 1923-1924. His appointments during the 1930s included command of the cruiser HMS SHROPSHIRE (1928) and the battleship HMS MALAYA (1915), both on the Mediterranean station. During the Second World War he was commanding officer of the training establishment HMS Royal Arthur at Skegness and then the landing craft base HMS Porcupine at Portsmouth. His wartime services to Belgium and Norway were recognized by the award of the Order of Leopold II and the King Haakon VII Liberty Cross. Buckley died at Southwick in Hampshire in 1952. Further items relating to his naval career are held by the Historic Photographs Section, see the albums numbered ALB1511-1516. His service record can be found under the references ADM 196/51/186, ADM 196/92/34 and ADM 196/127/61 at The National Archives.