Scope and Contents Printed directives by the Prime Minister, WSC, on subjects including: War Cabinet arrangements; the brevity of reports; the unlikelihood of invasion from the sea, including a note by Sir Dudley Pound, 1st Sea Lord; draft notes on defence against invasion, including notes by the Chiefs of Staff; the priority of the air force; strengthening the army; munitions; the reinforcement of Malta; relations with Vichy France in the Mediterranean; strengthening the forces in the Mediterranean; the...

Scope and Contents Printed directives by the Prime Minister, WSC, on subjects including: the future conduct of the war; the Pacific and the Japanese fleet; the entry of the United States into the war; the Atlantic Front; the Indian Ocean; the function of the Minister of State in the Middle East [Richard Casey]; Vichy France's co-operation with Germany; the function of the Minister Resident in West Africa [1st Lord Swinton, earlier Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister, earlier Sir Philip Lloyd-Greame]; Fleet Air Arm...

Scope and Contents Includes papers on various subjects including: petrol consumption by the Admiralty; conference papers from the Petrograd [later Leningrad and St Petersburg, Russia] conference on munitions; a paper by WSC on naval war policy; tables comparing the strengths of the navies of the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany; printed correspondence (dating to 1915) between WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, and [Admiral Sir John Jellicoe] Commander in Chief of the Grand Fleet, about the attack...

Scope and Contents Correspondents include: Sir Samuel Hoare [later 1st Lord Templewood], Secretary of State for Air; [1st] Lord Nuffield [earlier William Morris]; Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Forbes, Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet, also on Norway and naval forces; Lieutenant-General Sir William Furse; Lord Stanley of Alderley [later 6th Lord Sheffield, earlier Edward Stanley]; General [Alphonse] Georges; Samuel Hammersley also on tanks; [1st] Lord Greenwood; Austin Hudson [Civil Lord of the Admiralty];...

Scope and Contents Correspondents on defence issues include: 5th Lord Munster [earlier Geoffry FitzClarence] (2); Robert Cary on developments in Japanese naval armaments and the implications for Singapore; Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister, on WSC's notes on aircraft types (2); Sir Henry Strakosch (3); F A Lindemann [later 1st Lord Cherwell] on Strakosch's figures for the air raids on Barcelona [Spain]; [Eric] John Hodsoll [Inspector-General], Home Office ARP Department, on the state of the ARP programme,...

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 Correspondents include: Basil Liddell Hart [Military Correspondent to the Times] on the troop system used in India; "Harold R" [1st Lord Rothermere, earlier Sir Harold Harmsworth] on subjects including 1st Lord Weir's position in defence [as Adviser to the Air Ministry], the likely stop to any battleship programme, pilot training, the likelihood of a quick German victory against Britain and France, German contempt for the British Government, and the Government's refusal to discuss the...

Scope and Contents Correspondents include: Frederick Beaumont-Nesbitt [Military Attache, Paris, France] on WSC's visit to see French military manoeuvres at Aix-en-Provence and the Maginot Line (2); "George L" [1st Lord Lloyd of Dolobran]; Alan Herbert, introducing Major-General Sir Percy Hobart [Inspector, Royal Tank Corps, and Commander, Tank Brigade] (2); Desmond Morton on subjects including meeting the representative of the Spanish Nationalists, the Marques del Moral, Communist atrocities in Spain, the...

Scope and Contents Correspondents on defence inventions and suggestions from the general public include: Richard Powell [Assistant Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty] (3); Desmond Morton [Director, Industrial Intelligence Centre]; Sir Christopher Bullock [Permanent Secretary], Air Ministry; Ralph Assheton [later 1st Lord Clitheroe]; Colonel George Turner [former Superintendent, Design Department, Royal Arsenal]; Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Thoroton on the advantages of Admiralty control of the...

Scope and Contents Correspondents on defence inventions and suggestions from the general public include: K N Coates [Assistant Private Secretary to the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence] (4); Vernon Bovenizer, Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for War (2); [Edward] Jerome Dyer; Harry Sellar [Private Secretary to the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence] (2); P Warburton, [Assistant Secretary], Committee of Imperial Defence (4); Lieutenant-General Sir Hugh Elles, Master General of the...

Scope and Contents Includes: memorandum by Desmond Morton on subjects including German propaganda on French military aviation and the Soviet army, and notes [added to file in January 1996] on a speech by the Minister for Co-ordination of Defence [Sir Thomas Inskip, later 1st Lord Caldecote], rebutting Inskip's claims for military production; memorandum by Sir Philip Gibbs on the inefficient state of the RAF, and its need for expansion; press cuttings from the Figaro, with an article on the Anglo-French crisis...

Scope and Contents Correspondence between Sir Thomas Inskip [later 1st Lord Caldecote], Minister for Co-ordination of Defence and WSC on subjects including: the Fleet Air Arm; progress in the 1922 Committee on realizing the inadequacy of air defences and general delays in the committee; the possibility of an airborne invasion; the usefulness of WSC's advice; the role of a Minister of Supply; the visit and report of Allen Clark, Joint Managing Director of Plessey Company Limited, to German munitions works;...

Scope and Contents Correspondents include: Vyvyan Adams (4) including (2) on his attending a meeting addressed by WSC; [John] Sandeman Allen on [David Lloyd George]; [1st] Lord Alness [earlier Robert Munro]; Julian Amery [Attache HM Legation, Belgrade] on articles by WSC for publication in Yugoslavia [later Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia] (4); Leo Amery [Secretary of State for India and Burma, later Myanmar] sending on a 1903 letter from WSC to him on...

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...

Scope and Contents Correspondents include: Colin Thornton-Kemsley, apologizing for his former opposition to WSC; representatives of Barclays Bank Limited, Thornton Heath [Surrey] on WSC standing as guarantor for Walter Thompson [WSC's former detective] (4); Benjamin Tillett, congratulating WSC on his appointment as First Lord of the Admiralty, and offering his services; Josiah Wedgwood on subjects including the policy of building aircraft carriers and battleships after [the sinking of the Royal Oak], WSC's...

Scope and Contents Correspondents include: Archbishop of York William Temple, [Sir] Hugh Tudor, Alice, Lady Wimborne (2), 2nd Lord Wimborne [earlier Ivor Guest and Lord Ashby St Ledgers], and Edward, Duke of Windsor [earlier Edward, Prince of Wales, and Edward VIII], congratulating WSC on becoming Prime Minister; Captain William Tennant on Dunkirk [France]; Benjamin Tillett praising the "gallantry of the Sea Titans"; Ronald Tree and Sir Ralph Wedgwood, [Chairman] Railway Executive Committee, thanking WSC for...

Scope and Contents Correspondents include: A V Alexander [later Lord Alexander of Hillsborough], Minister of Defence [until February 1950] (3); George Ward; Antony Head (3); Arthur Henderson [later Lord Rowley, Secretary of State for Air]; 1st Lord Cherwell [earlier F A Lindemann] (2); Anthony Eden [later 1st Lord Avon]; David Hunt [Private Secretary to Prime Minister Clement Attlee] (2); Captain Alan Hillgarth [earlier Alan Evans] on Soviet forces in Europe and Soviet affairs (7); James Thomas [later 1st Lord...

Scope and Contents Correspondents include: Sir Robert Tasker; General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, apologizing for missing WSC's visit to Metz [France]; Charles Taylor [MP for Eastbourne]; Myron Taylor; James Thomas [later 1st Lord Cilcennin, MP for Hereford and Vice-Chairman, Conservative and Unionist Party] (3); "Tommy", Charles Thompson [former Personal Assistant to WSC] on subjects including applying for a post at the Jockey Club, and books and photographs for WSC (9); 6th Lord Rosebery [earlier Lord...

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...

Scope and Contents Papers and memoranda on various subjects, including: timetable of the Munich Crisis by Randolph Churchill; a note on the Anglo-Italian Agreement on Abyssinia [later Ethiopia]; printed extracts of speeches by Neville Chamberlain on British relations with Italy, 1935 - 9; pamphlet published by the Abyssinia Association, "Italy's Failure in Abyssinia"; extract from a speech by WSC on relations with Italy (5 November 1936, House of Commons); pamphlet by Arnold Wienholt, former member of the...

Scope and Contents Speech notes, typescript and galley proofs for WSC's speech (5 March, House of Commons) entitled "Defence" on subjects including: WSC's resignation as Minister of Defence; the Conservatives' voting on defence while in Opposition; the short-fall of defence spending; aid from the United States; the scarcity of home defence, and the training of new forces, including the registration of the Home Guard and forming of new battalions; the extension of National Service; armoured forces and new...

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...

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 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 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...