First World War (1914-1918)
Found in 1504 Collections and/or Records:
(Untitled), 19 Aug 1914
(Untitled), 02 Sep 1914
(Untitled), 14 Nov 1914
(Untitled), 15 Nov 1914
Telegram from WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, to Field Marshal Sir John French [Commander-in-Chief, British Expeditionary Force, later 1st Lord Ypres] on air attacks on German Zeppelin bases. WSC states that all naval aircraft and armoured cars would be withdrawn to Dunkirk [France], "so as to keep quite clear of the British Army and its communications", but would remain there for the present. [Hand-written copy, unsigned].
(Untitled), 29 Nov 1914
Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal Sir John French [Commander-in-Chief, British Expeditionary Force, later 1st Lord Ypres], on the military situation on the Western Front, offering to come over to see him to discuss the matter. [Hand-written copy].
(Untitled), 10 Dec 1914
Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal Sir John French [Commander-in-Chief, British Expeditionary Force, later 1st Lord Ypres] on a naval bombardment to support the advance of the Army on Ostende [Belgium]. WSC suggests that the Navy attack Zeebrugge, the base of the German submarines, at the same time. [Hand-written draft, unsigned].
(Untitled), 10 Dec 1914
Letter from Lieutenant-Colonel [George] Tom Bridges [Head of Military Mission with the Belgian Field Army] to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, on the work of the Naval Division in Belgium.
(Untitled), 19 Dec 1914
Telegram from WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty to Field Marshal Sir John French [Commander-in-Chief, British Expeditionary Force, later 1st Lord Ypres], regretting that the Royal Navy could not provide artillery support on the Belgian coast. WSC explains that small ships were not powerful enough, and it was not justifiable to expose battleships to risk of attack by submarines, except to support a land attack of primary importance. [Hand-written draft, unsigned].
(Untitled), 21 Dec 1914
Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War] on the treatment of naval units serving with the Army in France. WSC argues that they should continue to be subject to the Naval Discipline Act, not given the choice to "become a soldier or be sent home"; he lists the five units concerned: armoured trains, motor omnibuses, aircraft, armoured cars and 15-inch howitzers. [Two draft carbon copies].
(Untitled), 23 Dec 1914
(Untitled), 31 Dec [1914]
Memorandum by WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] on the need to secure naval command of the Baltic, in view of the stalemate on the Western Front. [Hand-written draft, initialled by WSC].
(Untitled), 21 Nov 1914
Letter from Admiral of the Fleet 1st Lord Fisher [1st Sea Lord] to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] urging him to persuade Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War] to send 100,000 men to Flanders [Belgium] at once. Fisher also comments on the lack of daring shown by General Joseph Joffre [Commander-in-Chief, French Army]. [Hand-written, with typescript copy].
(Untitled), 1914
Map of the Western Front, with forts and defences marked: scale 1:70,000.
(Untitled), 1914
Map of the area surrounding Antwerp [Belgium], showing Allied defences, scale 1:40,000.
(Untitled), 30 Oct 1914
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.
(Untitled), 09 Nov 1914
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.
(Untitled), 15 Jan 1915
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.
(Untitled), 1915
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.
(Untitled), 04 Mar 1914
(Untitled), 05 Mar 1915
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].
(Untitled), 10 Mar 1915
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.].
(Untitled), 22 Feb 1915
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].
(Untitled), 15 Oct 1914
Letter from WSC (Admiralty) to Charles a Court Repington on: arrangements for providing information about the war to the press; the fall of Antwerp [Belgium]; the prospect of a hard struggle on the Western Front. Copy in WSC's hand.
(Untitled), 23 Jun 1915
Cutting from the Daily Mail: editorial on: the enthusiastic response to the War Loan; German intrigues to prevent Eleutherios Venizelos regaining power in Greece and the desirability of harnessing the support for the Allies in the Balkans.
(Untitled), 25 Jan 1916
Letter from WSC (6th Royal Scots Fusiliers in the field) to David Lloyd George on Lloyd George's political position and the discouraging war situation from the British point of view. Asserts that the position would have been much better if either Lloyd George or WSC had had their way about Salonika [Greece] or the Dardanelles early in 1915, and wonders whether there is to be a costly campaign in the Balkans. Typescript copy. Manuscript drafts at CHAR 2/71/4-5.