Scope and Contents Speech notes and extract from Hansard for WSC's speech (6 November, House of Commons) for the debate on the address, on subjects including: the political divisions in the country; the charge of war-mongering laid against the Conservatives, and the need for steady government; the restoration of university representation in Parliament; the repeal of the Iron and Steel Nationalization Act; future parliamentary business, including the defence debate; keeping the Minister of Education out of the...

Scope and Contents Speech notes for WSC's speech (1 July, House of Commons) entitled "The Korean War" on subjects including the early demoralization of Communist forces in Korea, then the success of their negotiations and rebuilt forces; the heavy costs suffered by Britain and the United States during the armistice; harm caused by anti-American feeling in Parliament; the treatment and exchange of prisoners of war, including forcing anti-Communist soldiers to return to China or North Korea; Labour's motion of...

Scope and Contents Notes for WSC's speech (21 February) on the defence loan, aircraft production, delays in rearmament, creating a Ministry of Supply, co-operation with France, and mobilisation in the event of a war. Also includes relevant extract from Hansard. Published: Complete Speeches VI pp 6064-71.Notes for WSC's speech (14 March) on the army estimates, German war preparedness, arming the territorial army, and numbers assigned for possible overseas service. Also includes relevant extract from Hansard....

Scope and Contents Notes for WSC's speech (22 January) entitled "A dark and deadly valley" on the structure of government during wartime, the roles of the Minister of Defence and the Minister for Reconstruction, the needs of the army and military production. Also includes copy of Hansard containing the text of WSC's speech and others in the debate on production, supply and manpower. Published: Complete Speeches VI, pp 6331-8. Hansard copy of the debate on the conduct of Robert Boothby (28 January) including...

Scope and Contents Notes for WSC's speeches (28 and 29 July, Secret Defence Deputation to the Prime Minister [Stanley Baldwin]) on the relative strengths of the British and German air forces, the war making capacity of British and German industry, British air training facilities, and German power to bomb British cities.Notes for WSC's speech (5 November) on supporting the League of Nations, collective security, and policy towards Germany and Italy. Published: Complete Speeches VI pp 5800-4.Notes for WSC's...

Scope and Contents Speech notes for WSC's speech (22 January) entitled "A dark and deadly valley" on the structure of government during wartime, the roles of the Minister of Defence and the Minister for Reconstruction, the needs of the army and military production. Source material includes correspondence from: Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the Cabinet] (5), Charles Hendriks, Clement Attlee [Lord Privy Seal], William Beveridge, Ernest Bevin [Minister of Labour and National Service] and notes from Eric Seal...

Scope and Contents Statement by WSC (20 March) entitled "Report of the Dardanelles Commission" pointing out the report's inaccuracies and defending his own actions as First Lord of the Admiralty. Published: Complete Speeches III pp 2524 - 2539.Speech notes by WSC on the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service, and the need to develop their role against zeppelins at home and at sea, and against submarines.Speech notes by WSC [? April] on the Corn Production Bill.Speech notes and typescript of a statement...

Scope and Contents Speech notes for WSC's statement (11 March) on the union of the Air and War Ministries, and building up the RAF. Published: Complete Speeches III pp 2965 - 2974.Speech notes and typescript for WSC's statement (23 June) on the need for forces in the Middle East, the situation in the Caucasus, the Crimea [Soviet Union] and Constantinople [later Istanbul, Turkey], and the need for more Territorial and regular army recruitment.Speech notes and typescript for WSC's statement (23 June) on army...

Scope and Contents Speech notes and typescript for WSC's statement (23 February) on the abolition of conscription, the need for an increase in the army, development in the Air Force and in tanks, the Territorial Army and troops for Ireland. Source material includes: an extract from the Naval, Military and Air Force Service Act, 1919; memoranda by WSC on estimates, and reliefs for foreign garrisons; [?] Francis Acland on estimates; [Lieutenant-General Sir George MacDonogh] Adjutant-General, on reliefs for...

Scope and Contents Speech by WSC (2 January, Ministry of Munitions, Ponder End Shell Factory deputation) entitled "Real Comradeship" on the success of munitions production and adjustment to peacetime. Published: Complete Speeches III pp 2661 - 2663.Report of the speeches (16 January, American Society in London dinner for John Davis, United States Ambassador to Great Britain), including a speech by WSC entitled "Comrades in War and Peace" on the common task of Britain and the United States in keeping world...

Scope and Contents Speech notes for WSC's speech (10 September, International Congress of Physicians, Guildhall, London) on the medical profession and scientific advances in which he reflects on previous speeches made by Sir Edward Grey and 1st Lord Morley of Blackburn. Also includes a report from the Lancet on WSC's speech and the reply to it made by 1st Lord Moran and papers about the meeting. Published: Complete Speeches VII, pp 7521-3.Speech notes for WSC's speech (27 September, Royal Wanstead Schools,...

Scope and Contents Correspondence between Sir Stafford Cripps [Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons], WSC and Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the Cabinet] on memoranda by Cripps on subjects including: dissatisfaction in Parliament, the vote of censure against the Government and public opinion over progress of war in the Middle East, including leadership, weaponry, research and invention and the RAF; lack of public morale, the direction of the war and need for improved co-operation between the...

Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, April 1942.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.Subjects covered by the minutes include: the Japanese threat to the Falkland Islands; discussion of operation "Ironclad" [code name for British occupation of Diego Suarez, Madagascar]; the British naval...

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...

Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, December 1942.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: members of the Cabinet and other government ministers; the Chiefs of Staff; Director of Movements [War Office, General Noel Holmes]; General Sir Hastings Ismay [Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence]; Colonel Ian Jacob [Military Assistant Secretary to the War Cabinet]; Chief Whip [James Stuart].Subjects covered by the minutes include:...

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Telegram from General Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander-in- Chief, Middle East, to WSC on subjects including a tank encounter to the south of Agedabia [Ajdabiyah, Libya], the accuracy of RAF bombing and the movement of enemy ships from Ras el Aali.

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Telegram from General Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander- in-Chief, Middle East, to WSC regarding the latest situation in North Africa, including the premature action at Benghazi [Libya], positions as known on the evening of 26 January, concern over the condition of 1st Armoured division and the conclusion that British armoured forces have failed to compete with the enemy satisfactorily.

Scope and Contents Telegram from the Minister of State, Middle East [Oliver Lyttelton, later 1st Lord Chandos] to WSC on subjects including: the quietening of the internal political situation in Egypt; the difference of the military situation as compared to when General Erwin Rommel [Commander, Afrika Corps] attacked General Sir Archibald Wavell [former Commander-in-Chief, Middle East]; Benghazi [Libya] only being defensible from the east or south; the comparative ineffectiveness of British tanks, probably due...

Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, July 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; 1st Lord Cherwell [earlier F A Lindemann] and Desmond Morton [Prime Minister's Personal Assistants]; Colonel Ian Jacob [Military Assistant Secretary to the War Cabinet]; senior civil servants including Sir Edward Bridges...

Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, September 1941.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information and in one case later manuscript annotations by WSC) to: Desmond Morton and 1st Lord Cherwell [earlier F A Lindemann, Prime Minister's Personal Assistants]; members of the Cabinet and other government ministers; the Chiefs of Staff; senior civil servants including Sir Alexander Cadogan [Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs] and Sir...

Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, October 1941.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the War Cabinet]; Colonels Leslie Hollis and Ian Jacob [Military Assistant Secretaries 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]; 1st Lord Cherwell [earlier F A Lindemann, Prime Minister's...

Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, November 1941.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: members of the Cabinet and other government ministers; the Chiefs of Staff; 1st Lord Cherwell [earlier F A Lindemann] and Desmond Morton [Prime Minister's Personal Assistants]; General Sir Hastings Ismay [Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence]; Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the War Cabinet]; Chief Whip [James Stuart].Subjects covered by the...

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Telegrams from Major-General Sir Claude Auchinleck [Commander-in-Chief, Middle East] to WSC with news of battle; estimates of German and Italian tank strength; unloading of United States and Cruiser tanks.

Scope and Contents Letters from 1st Lord Beaverbrook [former Minister for Aircraft Production and Minister of Supply, earlier Max Aitken] to WSC, Lord Cranborne [Lord Privy Seal, later 5th Lord Salisbury] and Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the Cabinet] on the aircraft and shipbuilding programme, including the lack of dive-bombers, asking for minutes of the Defence Committee of Supply and on his speech in the House of Lords on anti-tank gun development; also includes a letter from A V Alexander [First Lord of...

Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, December 1940.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; Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the War Cabinet]; Colonel Ian Jacob [Military Assistant Secretary to the War Cabinet]; [Pierre] Dupuy [First Secretary Canadian Legation, Paris]; F A Lindemann [later 1st...