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First World War (1914-1918)

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Subject Source: UK Archival Thesaurus

Found in 1514 Collections and/or Records:

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(Untitled), 08 Sep 1914

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/45/148-152
Scope and Contents Letter from Admiral Arthur Limpus [Naval Adviser to the Turkish Government] to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], on the political and military situation in Turkey, stating that Constantinople [later Istanbul] was almost completely in German hands, listing new Turkish warships and commenting that ill-feeling against German control was rising. Limpus encloses a letter from a Lieutenant Hallifax, reporting a conversation with a Turkish officer on considerable resentment in the Turkish Navy...
Dates: 08 Sep 1914
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), [Apr] 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/45/160-162
Scope and Contents Letter from WSC to Lieutenant-Colonel Oswald Fitzgerald [Personal Military Secretary to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War], hoping that Kitchener would not keep General Sir Ian Hamilton [commander of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force] too short of men. WSC states that he felt that there should be another 20,000 men in [the Dardanelles] and urges Fitzgerald not to lose two or three precious days. [Hand-written copy, signed by WSC, with envelope and covering note...
Dates: [Apr] 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 26 Apr 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/45/163-164
Scope and Contents

Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], hoping that he would not keep General Sir Ian Hamilton [commander of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force], too short of men, adding that a loyal man like Hamilton would go on with what he had and never say a word until he cracked up. WSC suggests that another 20,000 men be sent to the Dardanelles. [2 Hand-written copies signed by WSC].

Dates: 26 Apr 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), [10] [Mar] [1915]

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/45/165
Scope and Contents

Draft note from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to [Vice-Admiral Sackville Carden, in command of naval operations at the Dardanelles], on the Dardanelles campaign, stating that the results to be gained by attacking 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 13/45/120-122.].

Dates: [10] [Mar] [1915]
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 02 Jan 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/46/2
Scope and Contents

Letter from Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], asking if he had seen a telegram from Sir George Buchanan [British Ambassador to Russia], on the Russians and the Turks. Kitchener asks if any naval actions would be possible to prevent the Turks sending more men into the Caucasus.

Dates: 02 Jan 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 04 Jan 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/46/3-4
Scope and Contents

Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Admiral of the Fleet 1st Lord Fisher, 1st Sea Lord, on naval support for the army off the Belgian coast and also in the Dardanelles. Includes covering note from WSC, asking for Fisher's remarks, and adding that they never seemed to settle anything. [Hand-written copy, signed by WSC].

Dates: 04 Jan 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 20 Dec 1914

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/46/18-23
Scope and Contents

Letter from George Trevelyan (Rome [Italy]) to Francis Acland [Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs] on Italy and the Balkans, including the views of Sir [James] Rennell Rodd [British Ambassador to Italy] on the chances of Italy going to war, the advantages of bringing in Italy and Romania as allies, the harshness of Austro-Hungarian rule in the Balkans and the necessity of keeping Serbia supplied with ammunition. Includes forwarding note from WSC. [Typescript copy].

Dates: 20 Dec 1914
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 20 Jan 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/46/44
Scope and Contents

Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], on the naval attack on the Dardanelles. WSC states that it would be desirable for an attack on Alexandretta [Iskenderun, Turkey] to be simultaneous, so that if the attack on the Dardanelles was a failure it could be presented as a mere demonstration to cover the seizure of Alexandretta. [Hand-written copy].

Dates: 20 Jan 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 04 Mar 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/48/24-25
Scope and Contents

Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], on fixing a date for the military attack on the Dardanelles, and approving the choice of General Sir Ian Hamilton as Commander-in-Chief. [Typescript copy; further copy at CHAR 13/48/30-32].

Dates: 04 Mar 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 04 Mar 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/48/29-32
Scope and Contents

Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], on fixing a date for the attack on the Dardanelles, and also approving the choice of General Sir Ian Hamilton as Commander-in-Chief. Includes forwarding note from WSC to the Prime Minister [Herbert Asquith, later 1st Lord Oxford and Asquith] and Sir Edward Grey [Foreign Secretary]. [Typescript copy; further copy at CHAR 13/48/24-25].

Dates: 04 Mar 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 04 Mar 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/48/37
Scope and Contents

Minute from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Sir Edward Grey [Foreign Secretary], stating that Eleutherios Venizelos [Prime Minister of Greece] should be told that the Royal Navy intended to force the Dardanelles without military assistance. If so, the Turks on the Gallipoli peninsula would be cut off and could be reduced at leisure, and Greek military movements should be decided in relation to these facts. [Hand-written, initialled by WSC, annotated "not sent"].

Dates: 04 Mar 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 06 Mar 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/48/41-45
Scope and Contents

Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], on the transport of troops from Egypt to the Dardanelles, and the results for reinforcements for India and Iraq. WSC also mentions the claims of Russia on Constantinople [later Istanbul, Turkey] and progress in attacks on forts in the Dardanelles. [2 copies].

Dates: 06 Mar 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 09 Mar 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/48/53-57
Scope and Contents

Letter from General Sir John French [Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Forces in France, later 1st Lord Ypres], Head-Quarters, British Army to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], on naval support for a forthcoming attack.

Dates: 09 Mar 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 11 Mar 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/48/67-68
Scope and Contents

Telegram from Grand Duke Nicholas [Russian Minister of War] to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, on the actions of the Russian Black Sea Fleet against a Turkish port, and the Fleet's readiness to work with the Allies at the Dardanelles; includes covering note. [Typescript copy. See CHAR 13/48/77 for covering letter].

Dates: 11 Mar 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 11 Mar 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/48/74-75
Scope and Contents

Letter from Frederick Butler [Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for the Colonies] to James Masterton-Smith [Private Secretary to WSC], on the concerns of the Australian Government at the detention of Australian transports for special service at the Dardanelles.

Dates: 11 Mar 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 11 Mar 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/48/76
Scope and Contents

Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to the Prime Minister [Herbert Asquith] on the importance of General Sir Ian Hamilton [Commander, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force] getting to Lemnos [Greece] at the earliest possible moment, as naval operations [at the Dardanelles] might depend on military assistance at any time. [Hand-written copy].

Dates: 11 Mar 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 11 Mar 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/48/77
Scope and Contents

Letter from Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, to WSC, sending on a copy of a telegram from the Grand Duke Nicholas [Russian War Minister] on the Dardanelles [see CHAR 13/48/67-68], and stating that he wished that the Russian Army would "play up a bit", as they seemed to do nothing but complain about the number of Germans in front of them.

Dates: 11 Mar 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 12 Mar 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/48/78-79
Scope and Contents Telegram from WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty to Grand Duke Nicholas [Russian Minister of War], on the progress of naval operations in the Dardanelles. WSC also expresses satisfaction that the Russian Fleet would be watching the mouth of the Bosphorus to prevent the escape of Turkish and German ships, and would be ready to attack Turkish forts. [Hand-written copy, initialled by WSC; typescript copy at CHAR 13/48/87. Includes covering note from Edward Marsh [Private Secretary to WSC] to the...
Dates: 12 Mar 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 12 Mar 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/48/80
Scope and Contents

Letter from Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], reporting that General Sir Ian Hamilton [Commander, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force] would not be able to leave for the Dardanelles, until they had "studied the situation with which he may be confronted".

Dates: 12 Mar 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 13 Mar 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/48/87
Scope and Contents

Telegram from WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty to Grand Duke Nicholas [Russian Minister of War], on the progress of naval operations in the Dardanelles. WSC also expresses satisfaction that the Russian Fleet would be watching the mouth of the Bosphorus to prevent the escape of Turkish and German ships, and would be ready to attack Turkish forts. [Typescript copy of CHAR 13/48/78-79].

Dates: 13 Mar 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 14 Mar 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/49/4-5
Scope and Contents

Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], forwarding a letter [not present] from Vice Admiral Sackville Carden [Commander of naval operations at the Dardanelles], on the transport of troops from Egypt to the Dardanelles. [Hand-written copy, with typed transcript].

Dates: 14 Mar 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 14 Mar 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/49/9
Scope and Contents

Telegram from WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty to Grand Duke Nicholas [Russian Minister of War] on arrangements proposed for the Russian Fleet in the Dardanelles and Bosphorus, the shortage of Allied destroyers and small craft and the need for assistance from the Greek Fleet. [Hand-written copy].

Dates: 14 Mar 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 13 Mar 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/49/10
Scope and Contents

Telegram from Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War] to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, advising that no large scale operations should be attempted in the Dardanelles until the 29th Division had arrived. [Typescript copy].

Dates: 13 Mar 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 21 Mar 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/49/47
Scope and Contents

Telegram from WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty to the Grand Duke Nicholas [Russian Minister of War], reporting on the Allied naval attack on the Dardanelles on 18 March, particularly the establishment of fire predominance over the fortresses, and the loss of three battleships to drifting mines, resulting in the attack being broken off until the mines could be dealt with. [Hand-written copy].

Dates: 21 Mar 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 23 Mar 1915

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 13/49/51
Scope and Contents

Letter from Oliver Locker-Lampson to WSC, on his visit to British Expeditionary Force Headquarters to push the case for armoured cars: Locker-Lampson states that he suggested [?] Robert Boothby should be attached to Headquarters, so that any applications for the cars could go directly through him, and asks WSC to write to Field Marshal Sir John French [Commander- in-Chief of the Expeditionary Forces in France, later 1st Lord Ypres] to support the idea.

Dates: 23 Mar 1915
Conditions Governing Access: Open