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Telegram from WSC to General Jan Smuts [Prime Minister of South Africa] expressing a high opinion of General Sir Claude Auchinleck [Commander-in-Chief, Middle East].

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Telegram from Major-General Sir Claude Auchinleck [Commander- in-Chief, Middle East] to WSC requesting transfer of Major- General Alan Cunningham [General Officer Commanding East Africa Forces] from East Africa to Libyan Desert.

Scope and Contents Copy of a telegram from [?] Captain R F Gore Browne forwarded to Commodore Horace Norman, Brigadier Francis de Guingand [Chief of Staff to 8th Army], Group Captain A J Rankin and Director CBME, giving [an Enigma decrypt] of a report on the battle strength of the German Army in North Africa by divisions, showing personnel, tank strengths, guns and transports, with the same information also given in an attached table (originally separated and given to Lieutenant-General Sir Wilfrid Lindsell...

Scope and Contents Letter from King George VI to WSC about his concern for the political situation in North Africa: stating that since the launch of Torch [Allied invasion of French North Africa] the situation has grown worse blaming the "underhand dealings" of Robert Murphy [United States Political Representative in North Africa] with the Vichy Regime [France] for dividing the two French sides; that little can be done to strengthen the position of General Sir Harold Alexander [later Lord Alexander of Tunis]...

Scope and Contents Letter from WSC to King George VI about the situation in North Africa stating that: he is not seriously worried by the events in North Africa and does not doubt the loyalty of Robert Murphy [United States political representative in North Africa]; that the divisions between the French are due to General de Gaulle's hostility to Britain and that his refusal to make a friendly settlement at Casablanca [Morocco] angered the United States; that Husky [capture of Sicily] is due to commence in...

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Letter from WSC (Anfa Camp, Casablanca, Morocco) to Lieutenant-General Brehon Somervell [Commanding General of the Services of Supply, United States Army] marked "Secret" regarding the monthly figures for the loss rates of dry cargo ships for 1942, stressing that these figures included the heavy losses of Torch [Allied Invasion of French North Africa] and estimated that the rate for the next four months would be about two percent Signed in typescript.

Scope and Contents Letter from WSC to Sir Alexander Hardinge [King's Private Secretary] marked "Secret" stating: that he had heard that General Dwight Eisenhower [Commander in Chief of North African Theatre of Operations, United States Army] was "rather hurt" that King George VI's message to the troops before the battle had not gone through him and that WSC took responsibility for this; that Torch [Allied Invasion of West North Africa] which was supposed to be a United States operation had now fallen into the...

Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, August 1940. Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the War Cabinet]; members of the Cabinet and other government ministers; the Chiefs of Staff, General Sir Hastings Ismay [Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence], and other senior military figures; F A Lindemann [later 1st Lord Cherwell, Prime Minister's Personal Assistant]; a press statement by WSC; and a minute...

Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, November 1940.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: members of the Cabinet and other government ministers; the Chiefs of Staff; senior civil servants including Sir James Grigg [Permanent Under-Secretary of State for War] and Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the War Cabinet]; General Sir Hastings Ismay [Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence].Subjects covered by the minutes include: air force plans...

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Letter from WSC to General [Claude] Auchinleck [Commander-in-Chief Middle East] criticising [Air Marshal Sir Arthur] Tedder's [Air Officer Commanding in Chief, RAF, Middle East] estimate of strength; looking forward to receiving news of Operation Crusader as "the whole immediate future of the war" depends on it; and suggesting that although troops are preparing for Norway they could easily be diverted to Africa if necessary. [copy].

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...

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Letter from WSC to Max, [1st] Lord Beaverbrook [earlier Sir Max Aitken, Minister of Supply] on efforts to conceal "Crusader" [British North African operation] and let "Ajax" [a planned landing at Trondheim, Norway] become public; refuses to allow him to resign from the Defence Committee. [carbon, annotated by WSC].

Scope and Contents Letter from WSC to Lieutenant-General Sir Claude Auchinleck [Commander-in-Chief, Middle East] discussing many topics: an unnamed campaign which is being kept secret from the Soviet Union, the United States and domestic enquirers but which it was hoped would bring military success [? "Crusader", operation in North Africa]; hoping to acquire Bizerta [Tunisia]; regretting having to give up operation "Whipcord" [codename for a British plan for the invasion of Sicily] as "a task beyond the...

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Telegram from WSC to Major-General Sir Claude Auchinleck [Commander-in-Chief, Middle East] hoping that operation "Supercharge", [? codename for the evacuation of Australians from Tobruk, Libya] will not impede "Crusader" [codename for major British North African operation].

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Telegram from Major-General Sir Claude Auchinleck [Commander- in-Chief, Middle East] to WSC explaining that relief of Australian troops in Tobruk [Libya] started, but that operation Cultivator will not impede operation Crusader [codename for major British North African operation].

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Telegram from WSC to Major-General Sir Claude Auchinleck Commander-in-Chief, Middle East] asking what factors could impede progress of operation Crusader [codename or major British North African operation].

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Telegram from Major-General Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander- in-Chief, Middle East, to WSC welcoming Air Chief Marshal Sir Wilfrid Freeman's visit; threats to Crusader [codename for major British operation in North Africa] include air reinforcements for enemy in Libya; suggests sending reassurance to New Zealand.

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Telegram from Major-General Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander- in-Chief, Middle East, to WSC advising on Brigadier John Whiteley's departure; "I cannot accept that any important changes have been made in plans agreed upon without warning or reason" and on the date for [Crusader, codename for major British operation in North Africa].

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Telegram from WSC to Major-General Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, accepting new dates for campaign [Crusader, codename for major British operation in North Africa], querying unloading times taken and comparisons with enemy divisions.

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Telegrams from Major-General Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, to WSC explaining operation [Crusader, major British operation in North Africa] postponed for 3 days due to need for training of South African division in desert warfare.

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Telegram from Minister of State, Middle East [Oliver Lyttelton, later 1st Lord Chandos] to WSC explaining the reasons of Major- General Sir Claude Auchinleck [Commander-in-Chief, Middle East], with which he personally disagrees, for delaying the attack [Crusader, major British operation in North Africa].

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Telegram from WSC to Major-General Sir Claude Auchinleck [Commander-in-Chief, Middle East] with a message of confidence from King George VI to all ranks participating in the coming battle [Crusader, codename for major British operation in North Africa]; includes Ministry of Defence note on copying the telegram.

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Telegram from WSC to Major-General Sir Claude Auchinleck [Commander-in-Chief, Middle East] advising that upon success of Crusader [codename for major British operation in North Africa] an operation could mounted to move 2 and a half divisions into Tunis [Tunisia], Algiers [Algeria] or Morocco at French invitation.

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Telegram from Major-General Sir Claude Auchinleck [Commander-in-Chief, Middle East] to WSC "no definite news of progress" of Crusader [codename for major British operation in North Africa].

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Telegram from Major-General Sir Claude Auchinleck [Commander- in-Chief, Middle East] and Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder [Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Middle East] to WSC: Crusader [codename for major British operation in North Africa] satisfactory despite bad weather; they believe Field Marshal Erwin Rommel does not yet appreciate scale of operations.