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Telegram from Senior Naval Officer, Gibraltar to Admiralty, reporting that repairs to HMS "Inflexible" would be completed by 19 Jan, askig if she should proceed directly to the Dardanelles [typescript copy].

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Telegram from Admiralty to Senior Naval Officer, Gibraltar confirming that HMS "Inflexible" sould proceed directly to the Dardanelles on completion of repairs [typescript copy].

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Telegram from Admiralty to Senior Naval Officer, Gibraltar, reporting that 5000 Mauser rifles and 5 million cartridges had arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, from Germany, destined for Morocco. Asking for close watch on route between Spain and Morocco [typescript copy].

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Telegram from WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty to Vice Admiral Sir Doveton Sturdee, proposing to appoint him to command the 4th Battle Squadron, with Sturdee's reply, accepting appointment [typescript copy].

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Telegram from Admiralty to S.N.O. Cruiser Force "D", and S.N.O., Cruiser Force "I", reporting that a military expedition was leaving Lisbon, Portugal for Angola, and that is should be given any necessary assistance [typescript copy].

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Telegram from Admiralty to Rear-Admiral John De Robeck, Cruiser Force I, stating that his services were required in the Mediterranean, to act as Second in Command to Vice Admiral Sackville Carden.

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Letter from Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, to WSC, [First Lord of the Admiralty], on WSC's plans for east coast defence, and for moving ships to Ostend [Belgium]. Kitchener also comments on the state of his own troops, adding that it might be better to delay destroying [the harbour] at Ostend, as it could be needed for sending reinforcements. Also includes hand-written note by WSC about circulation.

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Letter from Sir Francis Villiers, [Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Belgium] to WSC, enclosing a letter from Colonel John Seely [later 1st Lord Mottistone] on the behaviour of the sailors and marines in the retreat from Antwerp.

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Letter from Francis Grenfell to WSC, asking for help in obtaining an armoured car with a machine gun for his squadron; also giving an account of an action at Neuve Chapelle [France] and of trench warfare generally, particularly the difficulties of keeping in touch with the artillery.

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Letter from Francis Grenfell, (Dublin [Ireland]) to WSC, giving an account of fighting at Messines [Belgium], problems with the artillery, the shortage of machine guns, and his being wounded.

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Letter from Field Marshal Sir John French [Commander- in-Chief, British Expeditionary Force, later 1st Lord Ypres] to WSC, on meeting with General Joseph Joffre [Commander-in-Chief, French Army] on the military situation in France and Belgium, particularly the possibility that a joint expedition to Ostend might have to be postponed.

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Note from Edward Marsh [Private Secretary to WSC] to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], reporting on his meeting with Noel Noel-Buxton on the Balkans, particularly the need to persevere with diplomacy, and the misfortune of having the pro-Serbian Sir Henry Bax-Ironside as [Minister Plenipotentiary] to Bulgaria.

Scope and Contents Telegram from Sir Francis Elliot [British Minister, Athens, Greece] to the Foreign Office, on his meeting with the Russian Minister, who informed him that his Government would not allow Greek soldiers to enter Constantinople [later Istanbul, Turkey]. Elliot explains his fear that this might stop Greece from joining the Allies and urges that the Russian Government should be brought to reconsider. Also includes message from the Military Attache [Sir Thomas Cuninghame] on the views of the...

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Telegram from Sir George Buchanan [British Ambassador to Russia], to the Foreign Office, reporting that he had delivered a message from WSC to the Grand Duke Nicholas, and that the Russian fleet would proceed to the Bosphorus [Karadeniz Bogazi, Turkey]. [Typescript copy].

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Telegram from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Vice-Admiral Sackville Carden [in command of naval operations at the Dardanelles], on the Dardanelles campaign, urging him to destroy the forts at Chanak, and stating that the results to be gained were great enough to justify the loss of ships and men which success could not be obtained without. [Hand-written drafts, initialled by WSC. See also CHAR 13/45/165.].

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Minute from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], on the landing of the Royal Naval Division in the Dardanelles: WSC suggests that a good General be sent there to take command of the troops, including the Royal Naval Division, and suggests Lieutenant-General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston. [Hand-written copy].

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Telegram from Sir Francis Elliot [British Minister, Athens, Greece] to the Foreign Office, reporting that the Acting Chief of the Greek General Staff had resigned rather than comply with orders to send troops elsewhere than to the Bulgarian frontier.

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Letter from Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Mark Sykes to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, on German plans to involve Turkey in the war, and raise Pan-Islamic forces against the Allies. Sykes offers to take his Battalion to the Middle East, and to put his local knowledge to good use, to "raise native scallywag corps, win over notables, or any other oddment".

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Letter from Sir Edward Grey [Foreign Secretary] to WSC, hoping that Rear-Admiral Edward Troubridge [commanding Mediterranean Cruiser Squadron] would not show hostile actions against Turkey, and would keep in touch with Sir Louis Mallet [British Ambassador to Turkey].

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Letter from Admiral Arthur Limpus [Naval Adviser to the Turkish Government], (Constantinople [later Istanbul, Turkey]) to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], giving an account of his recent actions, of the status of the German cruisers Goeben and Breslau and the hopes of Turkey from a war.

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Letter from Admiral Arthur Limpus, [Naval Adviser to the Turkish Government], to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], giving an account of the replacement of British officers with Turks in the Turkish fleet, and the political and military situation in Turkey.

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Telegram from Sir Louis Mallet [British Ambassador to Turkey], to the Foreign Office, on his meeting with the Turkish Minister of Marine following Britain's seizure of the Turkish battleship Sultan Osman [later HMS Agincourt, building at Newcastle-upon- Tyne], and on British relations with Turkey. [Carbon].

Scope and Contents Telegram from WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty to Enver Pasha [Turkish Minister of War], on the seizure of Turkish ships [particularly the Sultan Osman, renamed HMS Agincourt, building at Newcastle-upon-Tyne]. WSC proposes that the ships be delivered to Turkey at the end of the war, and that Britain should pay 1000 pounds a day compensation, the agreement coming into force on the day that the last German officer and man from the [German cruisers] Goeben and Breslau left Turkish soil, and...

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Telegram from Sir Louis Mallet [British Ambassador to Turkey] to the Foreign Office, on the favourable reaction of the Turkish Minister of War [Enver Pasha] to WSC's message about compensation for Britain's seizure of Turkish ships [particularly the Sultan Osman, renamed HMS Agincourt]. [Typescript copy, initialled by Sir Edward Grey, Foreign Secretary].

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Telegram from Sir Louis Mallet [British Ambassador to Turkey] to the Foreign Office, on his concerns about causing panic in Turkey with reinforcements to the British fleet, and a warning to the forts at the Dardanelles that they would be bombarded by the fleet if German ships came out. [Typescript copy].