Skip to main content

Royal Air Force

 Organization

Found in 16 Collections and/or Records:

 File

Literary: "The Second World War", Volume 2 "Their Finest Hour": Notes and comments by Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Pownall., 02 Mar 1941 - 16 Jun 1949

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHUR 4/196A-C
Scope and Contents Includes notes and comments by Pownall on subjects including: factual and printing errors throughout Volume 2; the build-up to the German attack on the Soviet Union; the build-up to "Dynamo" [codename for the evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk, France]; the British Expedition Force; the meeting between 6th Lord Gort [Commander-in-Chief of British Field Force, earlier John Vereker] and General Maxime Weygand [Commander-in-Chief, French Army], May 1940; British casualties; the defence of...
Dates: 02 Mar 1941 - 16 Jun 1949
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Official: War Cabinet: Chiefs of Staff Committee: weekly resumes., 30 May 1940 - 01 Aug 1940

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 23/5
Scope and Contents

Printed reviews of the naval, military and air situation, including: the evacuation of Dunkirk [France]; minelaying and minesweeping; Scandinavia; Italy; the Balkans; air defence; air attacks on Germany and Britain; losses of shipping; the Western Front; the Mediterranean; the North Sea; enemy naval intelligence; the French fleet; Africa; the German and Italian Air Forces.

Dates: 30 May 1940 - 01 Aug 1940
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Official: War Cabinet: Chiefs of Staff Committee: weekly resumes., 01 Aug 1940 - 03 Oct 1940

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 23/6
Scope and Contents

Printed reviews of the naval, military and air situation, including: home waters; the Mediterranean; attacks on shipping; enemy shipping; minelaying; minesweeping; Germany; the Middle East; Africa; air defence; air attacks on Germany and Italy; enemy intelligence; the Balkans; home security; economic warfare; Italy; the North Sea; the United States; the Soviet Union.

Dates: 01 Aug 1940 - 03 Oct 1940
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Official: War Cabinet: Chiefs of Staff Committee: weekly resumes., 14 Nov 1940 - 26 Dec 1940

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 23/8
Scope and Contents

Printed reviews of the naval, military and air situation, including: home waters; the Mediterranean; enemy intelligence; shipping losses; enemy shipping; minelaying and minesweeping; Germany; the Balkans; the Middle East; air attacks on enemy territory; air attacks on Britain; Italy; Africa; air intelligence; home security.

Dates: 14 Nov 1940 - 26 Dec 1940
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Speeches: House of Commons: speech notes and other material., 08 Oct 1940 - 19 Dec 1940

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/142A-B
Scope and Contents Notes for WSC's speech (8 October) on the Battle of Britain, the Home Guard and the Home Front, Hitler's threat to invade Britain, events at Dakar [Senegal], the desertion of Vichy France, the Burma road [between Burma, later Myanmar, and China] and events in Spain. Published: Complete Speeches VI, pp 6284-94.Notes for WSC's statement (17 October) on Robert Boothby [Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Food] and Czechoslovak claims.Notes for WSC's speech (5 November) on the war situation,...
Dates: 08 Oct 1940 - 19 Dec 1940
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Speeches: House of Commons: Speech notes and source material., 27 Jul 1943 - 13 Oct 1943

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/192A-C
Scope and Contents Speech notes for WSC's speech (27 July) on the fall of Mussolini including an assessment of his regime and the principles to be used in negotiations with Italy; and also on events and operations in the Soviet Union and the bombing of Germany. Also includes correspondence from 1st Lord Halifax [earlier Edward Wood and Lord Irwin, British Ambassador to the United States]; Francis Keenlyside [Assistant Secretary in charge of Shipping Policy]; Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the Cabinet]; and...
Dates: 27 Jul 1943 - 13 Oct 1943
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Speeches: speech notes and other material., 09 Jan 1941 - 27 Apr 1941

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/150A-B
Scope and Contents Notes for WSC's speech (9 January, Pilgrim's Society Luncheon, Savoy Hotel, London) entitled "United States co-operation" proposing a toast to Lord Halifax [earlier Edward Wood and Lord Irwin] on his appointment as British Ambassador to the United States and on the death of [11th] Lord Lothian [earlier Philip Kerr]. Also includes cutting from the Times reporting WSC's speech. Published: Complete Speeches VI, pp 6327-9. Various cuttings reporting WSC's speech (17 January, Glasgow [Scotland])...
Dates: 09 Jan 1941 - 27 Apr 1941
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 28 Jun 1942

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/77/34-36
Scope and Contents Telegram from the Minister of State in the Middle East [Richard Casey] to WSC marked "personal and most secret" reporting on the battle in North Africa: States that General Claude Auchinleck [Commander in Chief Middle East] is telegraphing him directly and regularly from Eighth Army Headquarters; comments on Auchinleck's plan of campaign ; states that the battle will be a mobile one fought between Matruh [Egypt] and El Alamein [Egypt] and southwards to the Qattara depression [Egypt];...
Dates: 28 Jun 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the Fonds: The Churchill Papers are made available to researchers using Churchill Archives Centre and worldwide in digital format. The digital edition of the Churchill Papers is published by Bloomsbury Academic and is available online to subscribing institutions at churchillarchive.com. The Churchill archive is freely available in our reading rooms and onsite at Churchill College (via the Churchill College wireless network). Researchers can download images of documents directly from churchillarchive.com and so are encouraged to consider bringing a laptop or other device for this purpose. For conservation reasons, the fragile originals are no longer issued to researchers. This digital edition is open to researchers unless otherwise marked in the catalogue. Some material has been closed by the Cabinet Office or by Churchill Archives Centre in accordance with data protection legislation.
 Item

(Untitled), 30 Jun 1942 - 01 Jul 1942

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/77/49
Scope and Contents

Telegram from General Jan Smuts [Prime Minister of South Africa] to WSC suggesting that the Royal Air Force concentrate its maximum bombing force against the German army and ports in North Africa instead of bombing towns in Germany.

Dates: 30 Jun 1942 - 01 Jul 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the Fonds: The Churchill Papers are made available to researchers using Churchill Archives Centre and worldwide in digital format. The digital edition of the Churchill Papers is published by Bloomsbury Academic and is available online to subscribing institutions at churchillarchive.com. The Churchill archive is freely available in our reading rooms and onsite at Churchill College (via the Churchill College wireless network). Researchers can download images of documents directly from churchillarchive.com and so are encouraged to consider bringing a laptop or other device for this purpose. For conservation reasons, the fragile originals are no longer issued to researchers. This digital edition is open to researchers unless otherwise marked in the catalogue. Some material has been closed by the Cabinet Office or by Churchill Archives Centre in accordance with data protection legislation.
 Item

(Untitled), 05 Jul 1942

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/77/71
Scope and Contents

Telegram from Air Marshal Arthur Tedder [Air Officer Commander in Chief Mediterranean] to WSC marked "personal" thanking him for his inspiring message: "All of us are determined to do our utmost and more to help the Army to clear the enemy out of Africa.".

Dates: 05 Jul 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the Fonds: The Churchill Papers are made available to researchers using Churchill Archives Centre and worldwide in digital format. The digital edition of the Churchill Papers is published by Bloomsbury Academic and is available online to subscribing institutions at churchillarchive.com. The Churchill archive is freely available in our reading rooms and onsite at Churchill College (via the Churchill College wireless network). Researchers can download images of documents directly from churchillarchive.com and so are encouraged to consider bringing a laptop or other device for this purpose. For conservation reasons, the fragile originals are no longer issued to researchers. This digital edition is open to researchers unless otherwise marked in the catalogue. Some material has been closed by the Cabinet Office or by Churchill Archives Centre in accordance with data protection legislation.
 Item

(Untitled), 01 Jan 1941 - 31 Jan 1941

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/36/1
Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, January 1941.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the War Cabinet]; General Sir Hastings Ismay [Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence]; Eric Seal [WSC's Principal Private Secretary]; members of the Cabinet and other government ministers; the Chiefs of Staff; F A Lindemann [later 1st Lord Cherwell, Prime Minister's Personal Assistant]; James Stuart [Chief Whip] and...
Dates: 01 Jan 1941 - 31 Jan 1941
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 01 May 1941 - 31 May 1941

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/36/5
Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, May 1941.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the War Cabinet]; Sir Horace Wilson [Permanent Secretary of HM Treasury and official Head of HM Civil Service]; Eric Seal [WSC's Principal Private Secretary]; General Sir Hastings Ismay [Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence]; the Chiefs of Staff; members of the Cabinet and other government ministers; Sir Alexander...
Dates: 01 May 1941 - 31 May 1941
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 01 Jun 1941 - 30 Jun 1941

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/36/6
Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, June 1941.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the War Cabinet]; General Sir Hastings Ismay [Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence]; Desmond Morton and F A Lindemann [later 1st Lord Cherwell, Prime Minister's Personal Assistants]; members of the Cabinet and other government ministers; the Chiefs of Staff.Subjects covered by the minutes include: the defence of...
Dates: 01 Jun 1941 - 30 Jun 1941
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 02 Oct 1942 - 31 Oct 1942

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/67/8
Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, October 1942.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: members of the Cabinet and other government ministers; senior civil servants, including Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the War Cabinet]; General Sir Hastings Ismay [Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence]; the Chiefs of Staff; Lieutenant-Colonel Ian Jacob [Military Assistant Secretary to the War Cabinet].Subjects covered by the minutes include:...
Dates: 02 Oct 1942 - 31 Oct 1942
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 24 Jan 1942

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/69A/33-34
Scope and Contents

Telegram from Commanders in Chief (Middle East) to WSC giving details of German and Allied army strengths at the beginning of "Crusader" [codename for British North African operation], including details of losses on both sides and reasons for Allied success.

Dates: 24 Jan 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 20 Oct 1941

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/20/43-57
Scope and Contents Letter from WSC to President [Franklin Roosevelt] outlining various plans and proposals concerning: attacking the German and Italian armies in Libya; French North Africa; Norway; British contributions to the Soviet war effort; defending Great Britain from a possible German invasion; placing United States forces in Northern Ireland [Ulster]; the command structure in the Middle East and the roles of the Air Force and Navy; the effect of victory in Libya on Italy and Turkey; landing tanks; the...
Dates: 20 Oct 1941
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open