Skip to main content

Royal Navy

 Organization

Found in 85 Collections and/or Records:

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
 File

Public and Political: General: Defence., 06 Nov 1936 - 20 Jan 1942

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/371A-B
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...
Dates: 06 Nov 1936 - 20 Jan 1942
Conditions Governing Access: Open.
 File

Public and Political: General: Personal Office: Correspondence L - Q., 28 Jul 1939 - 20 May 1940

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/366
Scope and Contents Correspondents, mainly congratulating WSC on his appointment as First Lord of the Admiralty, and on his broadcasts (1 October ["The first month of war"] and 12 November ["Ten weeks of war"]) include: George Lambton; Sir Walter Layton on reactions to WSC's description of the Germans as Huns; Frederick Leathers; "Charley" [7th Lord Londonderry, earlier Lord Castlereagh] on subjects including his differences with [Neville Chamberlain], Prime Minister, on foreign policy, the results of WSC's...
Dates: 28 Jul 1939 - 20 May 1940
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Public and Political: General: Political: correspondence and papers on the naval command in the Atlantic., Feb 1951 - May 1951

 File
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
 File

Public and Political: General: Royal Navy and Fleet Air Arm., 11 Feb 1936 - 21 Dec 1936

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/272
Scope and Contents Correspondents include: 1st Lord Lloyd [of Dolobran, President of the Navy League] on WSC speaking to the League (2); Sir John Thornycroft [President and Director, J I Thornycroft and Company Limited] on his firm's designs for an aircraft carrier and anti-submarine craft and cuts in the shipbuilding industry (with a description of the anti-submarine craft); Maitland Boucher [former member of the Naval Air Division] on meeting WSC about the Fleet Air Arm (3); Vice-Admiral Sir Reginald...
Dates: 11 Feb 1936 - 21 Dec 1936
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Speeches: House of Commons and Non-House of Commons: Speech notes and source material., 15 Nov 1949 - 30 May 1951

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHUR 5/41A-C
Scope and Contents Speech notes for WSC's speech (10 April 1951, House of Commons) entitled "Budget Proposals and Economic Survey" on the results of devaluation, the Government's use of high taxation to meet the cost of rearmament instead of curbing spending, and the general mismanagement of the economy. Source material includes notes by "Prof" [1st Lord Cherwell, earlier F A Lindemann] on subjects including the balance of trade, British war debts and the inadvisability of consulting the Empire over the...
Dates: 15 Nov 1949 - 30 May 1951
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

Speeches: House of Commons: speech notes and other material., 20 May 1941 - 25 Jun 1941

 File
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
 File

Speeches: House of Commons: speech notes and other material., 21 Oct 1941 - 11 Dec 1941

 File
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
 File

Speeches: House of Commons: speech notes and source material., 27 Feb 1940 - 13 May 1940

 File
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
 File

Speeches: House of Commons: Speech notes and source material., 05 Nov 1940 - 19 Dec 1940

 File
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
 File

Speeches: House of Commons: Speech notes and source material., 30 Apr 1941 - 10 Jun 1941

 File
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
 File

Speeches: House of Commons: Speech notes and source material., 27 Jan 1942 - 13 Apr 1942

 File
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
 File

Speeches: House of Commons: Speech notes and source material., 23 Apr 1942 - 02 Jun 1942

 File
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
 File

Speeches: Non House of Commons: Speech notes and source material., 09 Jan 1941 - 27 Apr 1941

 File
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
 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
 File

Speeches: speech notes and source material., 31 May 1937 - 20 Nov 1937

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/126
Scope and Contents Notes for WSC's speech (31 May, Caxton Hall [Westminster, Conservative Party meeting]), moving the motion for Neville Chamberlain's [Prime Minister] election to the Conservative Party leadership and praising his achievements as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Published: Complete Speeches VI pp 5856-7.Notes for WSC's speech (11 June, [London] Australia Club Dinner) proposing a toast to the Prime Minister of Australia, Joseph Lyons, and commenting on naval security in the Far East and Singapore....
Dates: 31 May 1937 - 20 Nov 1937
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 File

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

 File
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
 Unknown

"The supremacy of the navy", 10 Feb 1912

 Unknown
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 9/43/41-42
Scope and Contents Article from the Times reporting WSC's visit to Glasgow and relaying the text of WSC's speech [WSC's first major speech as First Lord of the Admiralty] on naval defence, to the Clyde Navigation Trustees, 9 Feb 1912 [Glasgow, Scotland]. Notes that during the visit Annie Grieg of the Suffrage Union smashed the glass of a car she mistakenly thought WSC was travelling in. WSC's speech covered subjects including: the strength of the Royal Navy and plans for the future; the British and German...
Dates: 10 Feb 1912
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), c 1917

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/92/4
Scope and Contents

Note by [Lord Fisher, earlier Sir John Fisher] that if the recent return of British shipping losses is correct Arthur Balfour [later Lord Balfour] [First Lord of the Admiralty] was right to reprimand Admiral Sir John Jellicoe [later Lord Jellicoe] for saying that the German submarine menace had been grappled with effectively.

Dates: c 1917
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), 19 Sep 1933

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/191/21
Scope and Contents

Letter from Lord Lloyd [earlier Sir George Lloyd] (30 Portman Square, London) to WSC urging him to accept an invitation from the Navy League to speak at Gravesend [Kent] on the naval and shipping situation.

Dates: 19 Sep 1933
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), 07 Jul 1942

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/52/76-78
Scope and Contents

Letter and memorandum from Stanley Bruce [High Commissioner for Australia in London] to WSC urging greater defence to maintain convoys to the Soviet Union.

Dates: 07 Jul 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 1947

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/241/218-227
Scope and Contents

Page proofs for a supplement to the London Gazette entitled "The Battle of Sirte [Libya] of 22nd March, 1942", reprinting contemporary despatches and reports from Admiral Sir Henry Harwood, Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Station (2 June), and Rear Admiral Philip Vian, Commanding Fifteenth Cruiser Squadron (31 March), with later Admiralty footnotes. [annotated by ?Kathleen Hill, WSC's secretary].

Dates: 1947
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 1948

 Item
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
 Item

(Untitled), 14 Jun 1948

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/241/163
Scope and Contents

Note from "G R G A" [Commodore George Gordon Allen] to WSC commenting on the despatches concerning Mediterranean convoy operations to Malta, suggesting the most important operation was "Pedestal" in August 1942. [initialled; annotated by WSC's literary assistant Denis Kelly].

Dates: 14 Jun 1948
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), [1948]

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/241/167-210
Scope and Contents Page proofs [for a supplement to the London Gazette] entitled "Mediterranean Convoy Operations", 1941 to 1942, reprinting contemporary despatches from Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Station (19 March 1941) on operation "Excess", Vice-Admiral Sir James Somerville, Flag Officer Commanding Force H (4 August 1941) on operations "Substance" and (9 October 1941) "Halberd", Vice-Admiral Sir Alban Curteis, Senior Officer Force T, (24 June 1942) and Captain C C...
Dates: [1948]
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 31 Jul [1947]

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/241/216
Scope and Contents

Comments by [Commodore George Gordon] Allen on [the proofs of the London Gazette supplement of] "The Battle of Sirte [Libya]" [for the supplement see CHAR 20/241/218-227]. [initialled].

Dates: 31 Jul [1947]
Conditions Governing Access: Open
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4