Skip to main content

Armed forces

 Subject
Subject Source: UK Archival Thesaurus

Found in 991 Collections and/or Records:

 Item

(Untitled), 13 May 1935

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/243/83-85
Scope and Contents

Letter from Desmond Morton to WSC, commenting on memorandum by Norman Macmillan on German Air Strength [CHAR 2/243/68-77].

Dates: 13 May 1935
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 14 May 1935

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/243/86
Scope and Contents

Letter from WSC to H A Gwynne, on his comments in the Morning Post on German re-armament. Stating that there was no doubt that Germany was considerably stronger that Britain in the aim, and had the power to add to that lead indefinitely [carbon].

Dates: 14 May 1935
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 16 May 1935

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/243/91
Scope and Contents Letter from WSC to H A Gwynne, The Morning Post, Tudor Street, London, EC4, on British and German air strength. Stating that there was no doubt that the German air force was already substantially stronger than the Royal Air Force at home, and that Britain was falling further and further behind every month. Also commenting on the definition of "first line air strength" and "military machines", and stating that by both tests the German strength in numbers and modernity was already greater...
Dates: 16 May 1935
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 01 Jun 1935

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/243/103-104
Scope and Contents

Letter from Lord Rothermere, (Stratton House, Piccadilly, London) to WSC, sending article from "Marianne" [not retained] summarising the German air position. Describing it as a modest statement, and stating that according to his sources German air preparations were much greater. Commenting that in air preparations the influence of Hermann Goering was decisive, and that at a meeting with journalists he had stated that he would build aeroplanes against a constellation of the powers.

Dates: 01 Jun 1935
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 05 Jun 1935

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/243/110-111
Scope and Contents Letter from Desmond Morton, (21 Queen Anne's Gate, London, SW1) to Violet Pearman, Private Secretary to WSC, thanks for book "Hitler's Luftflotte" edited by Dorothy Woodman. Stating that there was no English translation of the book. Describing Woodman as being "very red" in her views, though she was more interested in hating Germany than hating capitalism. That her London house was a meeting place for a "gang of young communists from London University, and that she was one of the London...
Dates: 05 Jun 1935
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 21 Jul 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/5-6
Scope and Contents

Letter from Air Commodore Peregrine Fellowes, Chester Street, London SW1 to WSC, on forthcoming debate in the House of Commons on the Air Estimates. Asking for meeting to discuss the state of the RAF [signature cut out, with covering note from Violet Pearman].

Dates: 21 Jul 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 26 Jul 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/7-15
Scope and Contents Letter from Air Commodore Peregrine Fellowes, Chester Street, London SW1 to WSC, on the state of civil and military aviation and the RAF. Complaining that British aviation had been in the hands of a "non flying ring", complaining that the Air Council and most of the senior officers in the RAF had not flown as pilots for many years. Stating that there was dissatisfaction in junior ranks because of the "practical ignorance" of their seniors. Praising the efforts of the Secretary of State for...
Dates: 26 Jul 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 31 Jul 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/16
Scope and Contents

Letter from Sir Abe Bailey, Bryanston Square, London, W1 to WSC, congratulations on "air speech", defending the Government's decision to increase the size of the RAF, in the House of Commons, also praising Stanley Baldwin's speech in the same debate.

Dates: 31 Jul 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 01 Aug 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/17-18
Scope and Contents

Letter from Lord Rothermere, Burghfield House, Dornoch, Sutherland, to WSC, on his speech in air debate in the House of Commons. Asking where he obtained the information that Germany would only have "a few hundred aeroplanes" by the end of 1935. Stating that his information was that they would have a force of around 20,000 aircraft by that date "Is everybody in this country blind?".

Dates: 01 Aug 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 06 Aug 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/19-22
Scope and Contents Letter from WSC to Lord Rothermere, on his sources of information for the size of the German air force. Stating that he believed that the Germans had a regular military air force, in violation of the treaty, of 300 aircraft, against Britain's home defence force of 350 aircraft, and that the Germans were increasing this total to 500 by the end of 1935. These figures took no account of German civil aviation, which was five times the size of Britain's, a large part of which was rapidly...
Dates: 06 Aug 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 10 Aug 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/23
Scope and Contents Letter from Lord Rothermere, Burghfield House, Dornoch, Sutherland to WSC, on the size of the German air force. Confirming that his sources had stated that German air preparations far exceeded anything accomplished by any of the belligerents during the War, and that within two months the Junkers Works at Dessau would be as large as the Bethlehem Steel Works in Pennsylvania and three times as large as the Fords Works at Dagenham. Stating that pilots were being "trained by the thousand", and...
Dates: 10 Aug 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 11 Aug 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/24
Scope and Contents Letter from Lord Rothermere, Burghfield House, Dornoch, Sutherland, to WSC, asking if the publication of his supposition that Germany had between 10,000 and 20,000 aircraft would lay WSC open to "grave criticism". Stating that all of his information "corroborates my belief that Germany is building aeroplanes in series just like sewing machines or motor cars. We are not an air minded people and quite fail to comprehend that there is very little difference between the manufacture of an...
Dates: 11 Aug 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 14 Aug 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/25
Scope and Contents

Letter from WSC to Lord Rothermere, on the size of the German air force. Stating that his figure of 500 aircraft related purely to military aircraft and did not take into account conversion from civil aviation. Hoping that Rothermere would publish his information in the Daily Mail. "Even at my figures, which I gather the Government do not dispute, the prospect is most alarming, and their measures hopelessly inefficient" [carbon].

Dates: 14 Aug 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 18 Nov 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/31-33
Scope and Contents

Letter from WSC to David Margesson, Government Chief Whip, sending House of Commons Amendment to the Address representing that the strength of British Air defences was "no longer adequate to secure the peace, safety and freedom of Your Majesty's faithful subjects" signed by WSC, Sir Robert Horne, Leo Amery, Frederick Guest, Lord Winterton and Robert Boothby.

Dates: 18 Nov 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 20 Nov 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/34
Scope and Contents Letter from H A Gwynne, The Morning Post, London, to WSC, on his Amendment to the Address on the inadequacy of Britain's air defence. Stating that it was very unfair that the Labour Party should be allowed to pose as pacifists when the question of building of defences was discussed. Suggesting that he "call their bluff", and ask them directly "Are you in favour of Hitler and all he stands for, or are you not? If you are not, then you must support my Amendment. If you are, then have the...
Dates: 20 Nov 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 20 Nov 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/35
Scope and Contents

Letter from Desmond Morton to WSC, on the radius of action of Germany's new bomber, and on Archambaud's Statement on the French Chamber of Deputies on the number of pilots in Germany.

Dates: 20 Nov 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 22 Nov 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/36
Scope and Contents

Letter from Desmond Morton to WSC, on statement by the French Air Minister, Victor Denain, in which he claimed that the Germans had 1100 aircraft capable of immediate use or rapid conversion as service aircraft, and between 3500 and 4000 fully qualified pilots. His own estimate was slightly lower at 1000 military aircraft and over 3000 pilots.

Dates: 22 Nov 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 24 Nov 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/39
Scope and Contents

Letter from WSC to David Lloyd George, confirming that he had sent him a copy of precis he had given to Stanley Baldwin for the Air debate, mentioning that he had done the same for LLG before debate in Secret Session in 1917. Hoping that he would come to lunch to discuss the air situation, commenting that his Amendment to the Address had caused much disturbance in Government circles [carbon].

Dates: 24 Nov 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 03 Nov 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/42-43
Scope and Contents

Letter from Michael von Saint-Obyn, Newport, Kentucky, United States to WSC, on German air expansion. Stating that the Germans were "working feverishly" to bring out a more formidable military aircraft, powered by a gas turbine engine. Also on their use of light magnesium alloys for the instruction of aircraft and weapons. "The next war will be decided in the air but it will not be done by the number of planes engaged, but by the size, speed, and silence of those in operation".

Dates: 03 Nov 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 26 Nov 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/44
Scope and Contents

Letter from Desmond Morton to WSC, commenting on abusive anonymous letter from "An Austrian but a German" [CHAR 2/228/45-46].

Dates: 26 Nov 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 28 Nov 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/47
Scope and Contents

Letter from Lord Winterton, Eccleston Square, London SW1 to WSC, stating that he had been told "on high authority" that the Government were going to announce that they would "concertina" the five year RAF expansion into two years. Suggesting that a shorter period and a greater extension was necessary.

Dates: 28 Nov 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 29 Nov 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/48-51
Scope and Contents

Letter from Desmond Morton, Beaufort Gardens, London SW3 to WSC, congratulations on "masterly" speech in the Air debate in the House of Commons. Expressing relief that Stanley Baldwin had pledged not to allow the strength of the RAF to fall below that of Germany. Commenting on Baldwin's statements on the relative strength of the two air forces.

Dates: 29 Nov 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 29 Nov 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/52
Scope and Contents Letter from Colin Coote, The Times, to WSC, congratulations on speech on defence in the House of Commons. Commenting on the absence of any official comment on German dual-purpose aircraft, stating that he disliked the easy assumption that it took months to turn a civilian pilot into a military one "the professional bunkum to which regular officers are all too prone". Stating that during the War he used to be told that it took months to make a machine gunner "but in point of fact anyone of...
Dates: 29 Nov 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 03 Dec 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/53
Scope and Contents

Letter from WSC to Colin Coote, The Times, commenting on the Air Debate in the House of Commons, particularly the anxiety of the Government to classify the 127 territorial Air Force machines with the best front line aircraft. Commenting that these were the oldest, had no reserves, and only weekend pilots. [carbon].

Dates: 03 Dec 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open
 Item

(Untitled), 09 Dec 1934

 Item
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/228/56-57
Scope and Contents Letter from F A Lindemann, (later Lord Cherwell), Christ Church, Oxford, to WSC, commenting on letter from a Mr Pollock [which has not survived]. Stating that Pollock's ideas for "aerial sentries" were well intentioned, but that there were many practical difficulties. Also stating that he had ideas for locating aircraft without sound, which would be worth exploring, and that he hoped that Britain would not be compelled to rely on fighters picking up and destroying enemy bombers. Although...
Dates: 09 Dec 1934
Conditions Governing Access: Open