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Royal Navy

 Organization

Found in 25 Collections and/or Records:

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Official: War Cabinet: Prime Minister's Directives., 06 Mar 1941 - 12 Dec 1941

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 23/9
Scope and Contents Printed directives by the Prime Minister, WSC, on subjects including: the battle of the Atlantic; food imports; army scales; the naval programme; the Mediterranean; warning Stalin against Germany (including extracts of correspondence between WSC, the Foreign Secretary [Anthony Eden, later 1st Lord Avon] and Sir Stafford Cripps [British Ambassador to the Soviet Union]; policy in Syria; Egypt and the Middle East; security of cabinet papers; the maintenance of forces in the Middle East; the...
Dates: 06 Mar 1941 - 12 Dec 1941
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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Official: War Cabinet: Prime Minister's Directives., 18 Dec 1941 - 30 Dec 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 23/10
Scope and Contents Printed directives by the Prime Minister, WSC, on subjects including: the future conduct of the war; the Pacific and the Japanese fleet; the entry of the United States into the war; the Atlantic Front; the Indian Ocean; the function of the Minister of State in the Middle East [Richard Casey]; Vichy France's co-operation with Germany; the function of the Minister Resident in West Africa [1st Lord Swinton, earlier Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister, earlier Sir Philip Lloyd-Greame]; Fleet Air Arm...
Dates: 18 Dec 1941 - 30 Dec 1942
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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Public and Political: General: Political: correspondence and papers on the naval command in the Atlantic., Feb 1951 - May 1951

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHUR 2/35
Scope and Contents Correspondents include: James Thomas [later 1st Lord Cilcennin, Vice-Chairman of Conservative and Unionist Party]; James Stuart [Chief Opposition Whip]; Vice-Admiral Brian Schofield; [George] Gordon Allen (2); Matthew Drysdale, Chairman of Lloyd's; Admiral of the Fleet 1st Lord Fraser [of North Cape, 1st Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff]; 1st Lord Swinton [earlier Philip Lloyd Greame and Philip Cunliffe Lister]; Commander Harry Pursey; Admiral Sir Percy Noble (3); Admiral Sir Sydney...
Dates: Feb 1951 - May 1951
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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Speeches: House of Commons: speech notes and other material., 20 May 1941 - 25 Jun 1941

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/147A-B
Scope and Contents Hansard copies of WSC's statements (20 May) on victory in Abyssinia [Ethiopia], action at Sollum [Egypt], and the German attack on Crete [Greece]. Also includes cuttings from the Daily Telegraph and the Times reporting WSC's statements. Published: Complete Speeches VI, pp 6401-3.Hansard copy of WSC's statement (21 May) on the attack on Crete.Hansard copy of WSC's statement (22 May) on heavy fighting in the battle for Crete. Published: Complete Speeches VI, pp 6403-4.Hansard copy of WSC's...
Dates: 20 May 1941 - 25 Jun 1941
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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Speeches: House of Commons: speech notes and other material., 21 Oct 1941 - 11 Dec 1941

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/149A-B
Scope and Contents Hansard copy of a debate on visits to Ireland (21 October) including WSC's statement on Defence Regulation 18b [giving the Home Secretary powers to detain people without charge]. Part published: Complete Speeches VI, pp 6497-8.Notes for WSC's speech (12 November) on the parliamentary address, wartime speeches by Ministers, shipping losses, food and rations, food production, fuel and production of munitions. Also includes relevant extract from Hansard and cutting from the Times reporting...
Dates: 21 Oct 1941 - 11 Dec 1941
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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Speeches: House of Commons: speech notes and source material., 27 Feb 1940 - 13 May 1940

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/139A-B
Scope and Contents Notes for WSC's speech (27 February) on supplementary navy estimates, protecting merchant and fishing vessels from U-boats, the strength of the Fleet, and naval losses. Also includes cutting from the Daily Telegraph reporting WSC's speech and relevant extract from Hansard. Published: Complete Speeches VI pp 6194-8.Incomplete notes for WSC's speech (11 April) on the German invasion of Norway and Denmark and the naval battle off Norway. Also includes relevant extract from Hansard. Published:...
Dates: 27 Feb 1940 - 13 May 1940
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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Speeches: House of Commons: Speech notes and source material., 05 Nov 1940 - 19 Dec 1940

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/175
Scope and Contents Speech notes for WSC's speech (5 November) on the war situation including the air battles, the bombing of London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham, the threat posed by U Boats, the possibility of invasion by Germany, civil defence and the Home Guard, affairs in Egypt and the Middle East, and the Italian invasion of Greece. Source material includes correspondence from 1st Lord Beaverbrook [earlier Max Aitken, Minister for Aircraft Production], Henry Strutt [Assistant Under-Secretary of...
Dates: 05 Nov 1940 - 19 Dec 1940
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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Speeches: House of Commons: Speech notes and source material., 30 Apr 1941 - 10 Jun 1941

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/178A-C
Scope and Contents Speech notes for statement by WSC (30 April) on the evacuation of Empire forces from Greece, giving details of casualties. Published: Complete Speeches VI, p 6385.Speech notes for WSC's speech (7 May) on the war situation including: a Vote of Confidence in parliament; events and operations in Greece, the Balkans, and Libya including the defence of Tobruk against forces under Field Marshal Erwin Rommel; a comparison of Hitler with Napoleon; production of tanks; the Battle of the Atlantic and...
Dates: 30 Apr 1941 - 10 Jun 1941
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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Speeches: House of Commons: Speech notes and source material., 27 Jan 1942 - 13 Apr 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/183A-C
Scope and Contents Speech notes for WSC's speech (29 January) winding up a debate on the war situation and responding to parliamentary questions on subjects including: the vote of confidence in the government; general policy in the Far East; the defence of Singapore and Malaya [later Malaysia]; the scorched earth policy at Penang; the conduct of the war; and troops and supplies in India. Also includes correspondence from Oliver Locker-Lampson; Percy Harris; Sir Arnold Gridley; Colin Thornley [Principal Private...
Dates: 27 Jan 1942 - 13 Apr 1942
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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Speeches: House of Commons: Speech notes and source material., 23 Apr 1942 - 02 Jun 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/184A-C
Scope and Contents Speech notes for WSC's speech (23 April) in secret session on the war situation including: Japan's entry into the war; setbacks including battleship losses; defence of the Admiralty over the escape of the German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau; events and operations in the Far East, the Middle East and the Soviet Union; air battles including the bombing of Germany; and aircraft and ship production. Also includes correspondence from: Maurice Dean [Assistant Under Secretary of State,...
Dates: 23 Apr 1942 - 02 Jun 1942
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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Speeches: Non House of Commons: Speech notes and source material., 09 Jan 1941 - 27 Apr 1941

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/181A-B
Scope and Contents Speech 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]. Published: Complete Speeches VI, pp 6327-9.BBC broadcast by WSC (9 February) entitled "Give us the tools" on the war situation including: the repulsion of the threat of...
Dates: 09 Jan 1941 - 27 Apr 1941
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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Speeches: speech notes and other material., 09 Jan 1941 - 27 Apr 1941

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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
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Speeches: speech notes (by WSC as First Lord of the Admiralty) and other material., 20 Jan 1940 - 29 Feb 1940

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/143
Scope and Contents Notes for WSC's broadcast (20 January, BBC) on the war situation, entitled "A house of many mansions" on the German threat to neutral and allied shipping, to neutral nations, and Finland's stand against the Soviet Union. Also includes cuttings from the Times and the Listener containing the text of WSC's broadcast. Published: Complete Speeches VI, pp 6183-6.Notes for WSC's statement (24 January, House of Commons 1922 Committee) on British naval strength, the U-boat war, pocket battleships,...
Dates: 20 Jan 1940 - 29 Feb 1940
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 1948

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/241/25-81
Scope and Contents Page proofs for a supplement to the London Gazette entitled "Convoy and anti-submarine warfare reports" reprinting contemporary despatches on: the passage of convoys "HX 90" (December 1940), "HX 112" (March 1941), "HG 76" (December 1941), "SC 104" (October 1942), "ONS 5" (April to May 1943), "ONS 18 and ON 202" (September 1943), and "Anti-U-boat operations of second support group" (January-February 1944) and "Operations of 21st Escort Group" (March-April 1945); with later Admiralty forewords...
Dates: 1948
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 01 Jul 1943 - 31 Jul 1943

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/104/1
Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, July 1943.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: General Sir Hastings Ismay [Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence]; the Chiefs of Staff; senior civil servants, including Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the War Cabinet]; members of the Cabinet and other government ministers; "C" [Major General Sir Stewart Menzies, Head of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service].Subjects covered by the minutes...
Dates: 01 Jul 1943 - 31 Jul 1943
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 04 Sep 1939 - 30 Sep 1939

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 19/3/1
Scope and Contents First Lord of the Admiralty's printed minutes, September 1939.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (sometimes annotated with additional printed information) to: various naval directors; the Sea Lords, particularly 1st [Sea Lord, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound] and [3rd Sea Lord and] Controller [Rear-Admiral Bruce Fraser]; [Permanent] Secretary [Sir Archibald Carter]; Deputy Chief of Naval Staff [Rear-Admiral Tom Phillips]; Prime Minister [Neville Chamberlain]; other senior officers and...
Dates: 04 Sep 1939 - 30 Sep 1939
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open
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(Untitled), 01 Dec 1939 - 31 Dec 1939

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 19/3/4
Scope and Contents First Lord of the Admiralty's printed minutes, December 1939.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (sometimes annotated with additional printed information) to: the Sea Lords, particularly [3rd Sea Lord and] Controller [Rear-Admiral Bruce Fraser], 1st Sea Lord [Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound], and 4th Sea Lord [and Chief of Supplies and Transport, Vice-Admiral Guy Royle]; Deputy Chief of Naval Staff [Rear-Admiral Tom Phillips]; Prime Minister [Neville Chamberlain]; [Permanent] Secretary...
Dates: 01 Dec 1939 - 31 Dec 1939
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open
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(Untitled), Jan 1940

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 19/6/1
Scope and Contents First Lord of the Admiralty's printed minutes, January 1940.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (sometimes annotated with additional printed information) to: the Sea Lords, particularly 1st [Sea Lord, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound], 2nd [Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel, Admiral Sir Charles Little], and [3rd Sea Lord and] Controller [Rear-Admiral Bruce Fraser]; Deputy Chief of Naval Staff [Rear-Admiral Tom Phillips]; [Permanent] Secretary [Sir Archibald Carter]; various naval...
Dates: Jan 1940
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open
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(Untitled), 01 Mar 1941 - 31 Mar 1941

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/36/3
Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, March 1941.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: General Sir Hastings Ismay [Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence]; members of the Cabinet and other government ministers; the Chiefs of Staff; senior civil servants including Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the War Cabinet], Sir Horace Wilson [Permanent Secretary of HM Treasury and official Head of HM Civil Service], and Sir Alexander Cadogan...
Dates: 01 Mar 1941 - 31 Mar 1941
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 31 Oct 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/54B/182-186
Scope and Contents

Letter from WSC to the President of the United States [Franklin Roosevelt] with major points of joint strategy: expansion of shipping convoys against U-boat attack; increase of food imports in 1943; more American troops to Britain; increasing bombing, night bombing and using aircraft against U-boats.

Dates: 31 Oct 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open
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(Untitled), 03 Jul 1942 - 28 Aug 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/67/6
Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, July and August 1942. Some written by WSC when in the Middle East.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: members of the Cabinet and other government ministers; the Chiefs of Staff; General Sir Hastings Ismay [Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence]; Major-General Leslie Hollis [Military Assistant Secretary to the War Cabinet]; Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the War Cabinet].Subjects covered by the...
Dates: 03 Jul 1942 - 28 Aug 1942
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), Sep 1939-May 1940

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/15/13
Scope and Contents Printed copies of telegrams and letters exchanged between "the Naval Person (WSC) and President (Franklin) Roosevelt": 11 Sept 1939 Letter from Roosevelt to WSC congratulating him on his return to the Admiralty. 5 Oct 1939 Telephone conversation summary of message from WSC to Roosevelt asking if the Iroquois off the west of Ireland has orders to search ships in those waters. 5 Oct 1940 WSC to Roosevelt agreeing to a neutral zone of 300 miles from the United States coast, stresses that if...
Dates: Sep 1939-May 1940
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.
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(Untitled), 07 Jul 1941

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/40/116-119
Scope and Contents

Telegram from WSC to President Roosevelt on plan for the defence of the Atlantic: He comments on implications of U-boat attacks for convoys and escorts, and regrets Senator Wheeler's indiscretion revealing the destination of United States expedition recently departed from Newfoundland [later part of Canada] for Iceland. [Telegram has been bound incorrectly, with first page at back].

Dates: 07 Jul 1941
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.
 Unknown

"War Cabinet: Chiefs of Staff Committee: Weekly Resume (no.56) of the naval, military and air situation from 12 noon September to 12 noon September 26th, 1940", 27 Sep 1940

 Unknown
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 23/6/86-99
Scope and Contents Summary of events including: attempted landing at Dakar by General [Charles] de Gaulle; U boat activity in the North Atlantic and shipping losses; operations by German raiders; information about the disposition of German and Italian troops; events in Greece, Yugoslavia [later Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia], Bulgaria, the Mediterranean and the Middle East; air attacks on Germany (including Berlin) and on invasion ports in France and...
Dates: 27 Sep 1940
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Unknown

War Cabinet Paper, 08 Dec 1940

 Unknown
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 23/4/11
Scope and Contents Printed copy of a letter from WSC to President Roosevelt setting out the prospects for 1941 covering various subjects including: shared interests between Great Britain and the United States; the importance of sea and air power against Germany; reassurance about not requesting a large expeditionary army from the United States; the crucial importance of shipping to feed people and transport munitions and armies; shipping losses; battleship strength; the dangers posed by the Vichy French...
Dates: 08 Dec 1940
Conditions Governing Access: Open