Scope and Contents Correspondents include: Edward Marsh on an expression used by WSC; Cyril Alington, Headmaster of Eton College, on the education of Randolph Churchill (2); [1st] Lord Beatty on subjects including criticism of an obituary of Admiral Franz Hipper (5); Julian Amery; Nancy, Lady Astor on a disagreement with WSC; John Astor; Wilfrid Bailey; Stanley Baldwin, Prime Minister, on subjects including WSC's "Marlborough: His Life and Times", WSC's health, Free Trade, India and political affairs (14);...

Scope and Contents Correspondents on defence issues include: Sir Thomas Inskip [Minister for Co-ordination of Defence, later 1st Lord Caldecote]; Harry Sellar, Private Secretary to Inskip (2); Leslie Hore-Belisha, Secretary of State for War, on subjects including the arming of the Guards Battalions; Sir Kingsley Wood, Secretary of State for Air, on showing WSC [air construction graphs]; 1st Lord Swinton [former Secretary of State for Air, earlier Philip Cunliffe-Lister and Philip Lloyd-Greame] on the formation...

Scope and Contents Correspondents include: Sir Philip Gibbs on the inefficiency of the RAF; Sir Eustace Tennyson d'Eyncourt [former Vice-President of the Tank Board] (2); Sir William Beveridge [Director of London School of Economics and Political Science]; Oswald Frewen on working with German and Italian sailors, German fanaticism, Italian aid to Franco and how the policies of Neville Chamberlain [Prime Minister] encourage Germany and Italy; Leo Amery; Basil Liddell Hart; Vice-Admiral Sir Reginald Henderson...

Scope and Contents Statement by WSC (23 May) on fighting in France. Also includes relevant extract from Hansard. Published: Complete Speeches VI p 6223.Hansard copy of statement by WSC (28 May) on the fall of Belgium. Published: Complete Speeches VI pp 6223-4.Notes for WSC's speech (4 June) entitled "Wars are not won by evacuations" on the fall of Belgium, the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk [France] and the successes of the RAF. Speech includes the phrase "We shall fight on the...

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,...

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...

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,...

Scope and Contents Speech notes for WSC's speech (22 February) on the progress of the war and the international situation including: the strength of the forces of Germany; successes in the Soviet Union and through bombing attacks on Germany; the importance of the role played by the Royal Navy and the RAF; a prediction of increased attack in 1944; events and operations in Italy, Yugoslavia [later Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia] and Greece; the...

Scope and Contents Speech notes for WSC's statement (2 August) on the war situation including: successes against Germany and Japan world-wide including the Far East; decisions made at the Quebec [Canada] conference; the Normandy landings; RAF losses; the tanks supplied by the United States and praise for the Sherman and Churchill tanks; the progress of General Sir Harold Alexander [Commander in Chief of the Allied Armies in Italy]; his hopes of victory; flying bombs and the evacuation of London; improved...

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...

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])...

Scope and Contents Notes for WSC's speech (18 June) entitled "Their Finest Hour" on subjects including: fighting in France; the importance of unity and respect for government Ministers; preparations, defence and forces for fighting invasion by Germany, the strength of the Royal Navy; the campaign in Norway; forecasting the Battle of Britain and the determination of the RAF; support from the Dominions. He ends "Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and...

Scope and Contents Telegram from WSC to the President of the United States [Franklin Roosevelt]: states that he has not yet heard from Australia and New Zealand but that in principle there are great merits resulting from the United States controlling the Pacific sphere and Britain controlling the Indian sphere; comments on the need for the American and British navies to work to a common strategy; describes British naval force in the Central Indian Ocean; comments on the need to co-ordinate all naval commands...

Scope and Contents Telegram from WSC to Sir Stafford Cripps [Lord Privy Seal] (India) regarding fighters for the defence of India: comments on the numbers of Hurricanes in India; states that nothing sent from Britain could affect the situation for at least two months; comments on suggestions for diverting fighters from Ceylon [later Sri Lanka] or the Middle East; refers to remarks by General Sir Archibald Wavell [Commander-in-Chief, India] regarding the inability of the Eastern Fleet to respond to a sea-borne...

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Page proofs for a supplement to the London Gazette entitled "Fleet Air Arm Operations Against Taranto [Italy] on 11th November 1940", reprinting contemporary despatches and reports from individuals including Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean (16 January 1941) and [Denis] Boyd, Commanding Officer, HMS Illustrious (13 November 1940), with later Admiralty footnotes. [annotated by ?Kathleen Hill, WSC's secretary].

Scope and Contents

Page proofs [for a supplement to the London Gazette] entitled "Sinking of the German Battleship Bismarck on 27th May, 1941" reprinting contemporary despatches and reports from Admiral Sir John Tovey, Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet (5 July), and Vice-Admiral James Somerville, Flag Officer Commanding Force H (4 June), with an appendix and later Admiralty footnotes. [annotated by ?Kathleen Hill, WSC's secretary].

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Page proofs for a supplement to the London Gazette entitled "Operations in Eastern Theatre, based on India from March 1942 to December 31, 1942" reprinting a contemporary despatch by Field Marshal [1st] Lord Wavell, [then] Commander-in-Chief, India, dated 27 September 1943, covering Burma [later Myanmar], the defence of India, internal Indian matters, air matters and naval operations. [annotated; flagged "B"].

Scope and Contents Long galley proofs of a despatch by Field Marshal [1st] Lord Wavell, [then] Commander-in-Chief, India, dated 27 June 1944, entitled "Operations in the India Command, covering period 1st January, 1943, to 20th June, 1943" including operations in Burma [later Myanmar] and air operations, with appendices of orders of battle, and communications from Major-General [Aubertin] Mallaby [then Director of Military Operations, GHQ India] (1 April 1943), Air Vice-Marshal [George] Baker, Senior Air Staff...

Scope and Contents

Report to the Combined Chiefs of Staff by the Supreme Allied Commander South-East Asia, 1943-1946, [1st Lord] Mountbatten of Burma [then Viceroy of India], dated 30 July 1947, with sections on strategy and operations, civil affairs in Burma [later Myanmar], post-Japanese surrender tasks, conclusions, and appendices, annexures, and a map tucked into the back flap. [flagged "C"] Manuscript dedication from Mountbatten to WSC on back of front cover.

Scope and Contents Telegram from WSC to the President of the United States [Franklin Roosevelt] concerning "the grave situation" arising from the large Japanese naval presence in the Indian Ocean: suggests alternative plans for moving capital ships to the Indian Ocean; presses for American heavy bombers in India; comments on his meeting with the President's envoys and states that he is sending the 1st Sea Lord [Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound] to see the President and Admiral Ernest King...

Scope and Contents Telegram from WSC to General Sir Archibald Wavell, Commander-in-Chief, India: comments on fighter and bomber strengths in India and Ceylon [later Sri Lanka] and details reinforcements; comments on plans to build up a powerful naval force in the Indian Ocean under Admiral Sir James Somerville [Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Fleet]; comments on the strategic importance of holding Colombo [Ceylon] and preserving the link with China; states that he is sending Wavell extracts of a telegram from...

Scope and Contents Telegram from WSC to the President of the United States [Franklin Roosevelt]: comments on a plan to strengthen the British fleet in the Indian Ocean by using United States ships to reinforce the British Navy at Scapa [Scotland]; states that he is sending a note drafted by Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal [Chief of the Air Staff] regarding air reinforcements for Burma [later Myanmar], India and Ceylon [later Sri Lanka] but welcomes the proposal to use the United States aircraft carrier...

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Telegram from WSC to the Prime Minister of Australia [John Curtin] regarding the naval position in the Far East: describes ship movements and losses between 4 April and 9 April resulting from Japanese raids on Colombo [Ceylon, later Sri Lanka] and Trincomalee [Ceylon]; comments on the relative strengths of Britain, the United States and Japan in aircraft carriers, aircraft and personnel; comments on future policy on the Eastern Fleet.

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Telegram from General Sir Archibald Wavell [Commander- in-Chief, India] to WSC outlining the situation in India, Ceylon [later Sri Lanka] and Burma [later Myanmar]: comments on air strength; comments on the naval situation; comments on the defence of Ceylon; comments on difficulties in Burma and implications with regard to China; "Our tails are well up but not wagging very much as yet.".

Scope and Contents Telegram from WSC to the President of the United States [Franklin Roosevelt]: thanks Roosevelt for his telegram about "Ironclad" [codename for operation against Diego Suarez, Madagascar] and for the use of USS Wasp; comments on the arrival of General Henri Giraud at Vichy [France]; comments on "desperate attacks" on the Tirpitz at Trondheim [Norway] and German retaliation against British towns near the coast; gives details of recent German aircraft losses over Norwich [Norfolk] and York;...