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Telegram from Commanders in Chief (Middle East) to WSC giving details of German and Allied army strengths at the beginning of "Crusader" [codename for British North African operation], including details of losses on both sides and reasons for Allied success.

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Telegram from the Prime Minister of Australia [John Curtin] to WSC pressing for the allotment of additional aircraft and giving details of operational strength, adding that Australia is left almost defenceless against its enemies.

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Telegram from Field-Marshal Sir John Dill [Head of British Joint Staff Mission to Washington, United States] to WSC, informing him that the Combined Chiefs of Staff have considered the telegram of 23 January from John Curtin [Prime Minister of Australia] to WSC and are to draft a telegram to General Sir Archibald Wavell [Supreme Commander, South West Pacific] regarding the importance of air power in Australia.

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Telegram from WSC to the President of the United States [Franklin Roosevelt] informing him of the danger of the withdrawal of the fighter squadrons of the American Volunteer Group from Rangoon [Burma, later Myanmar] by Generalissimo Chiang Kai- shek [Chinese nationalist leader] prior to the arrival of Hurricanes.

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Telegram from the Government of New Zealand to WSC requesting fighter aircraft to meet the likely Japanese attack from 1 division, 2 aircraft carriers and other naval units and to protect the main ports of Auckland and Wellington; provision is being made for a network of RDF [radar] air warning stations, the development of an air observer corps, and of new aerodromes with runways suitable for heavy United States bombers.

Scope and Contents Telegram from WSC to General Sir Archibald Wavell [Supreme Commander, South West Pacific] regarding personnel changes at ABDA [Australian, British, Dutch and Australasian] command: informs him that he had sent his [Wavell's] earlier telegram to the President of the United States [Franklin Roosevelt]; quotes from President Roosevelt's reply to WSC [see CHAR 20/69B/79-80]; surmises that the American idea is to pull General Douglas MacArthur [Commander in Chief, American Forces in the...

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Telegram from WSC to General Sir Archibald Wavell [Supreme Commander, South West Pacific] asking him to explain his decision to order Hurricanes from Singapore to Palembang [Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, later Indonesia].

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Telegram from WSC to General Sir Archibald Wavell [Supreme Commander, South West Pacific] regarding the fighter defence of Singapore: feels it is a disadvantage that the fighter force should have to waste time flying between Sumatra [Dutch East Indies, later Indonesia] and Singapore; hopes to send 90 more Hurricanes before the end of February.

Scope and Contents Telegram from Prime Minister of New Zealand [Peter Fraser] to WSC regarding fighter allocation for New Zealand: believes allocation of 18 fighters cannot be regarded as adequate; feels that there is an unsatisfactory disparity between numbers allocated to Australia and those to New Zealand; requires at least 4 fighter squadrons in addition to 36 fighter aircraft already requested; hopes that the whole question of the defence of New Zealand is receiving consideration, "the capacity of this...

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Telegram from WSC to the President of the United States [Franklin Roosevelt]: states that the Air Ministry would like to announce Air Marshal Sir Richard Peirse as Commander- in-Chief of ABDA [Australian, British, Dutch and Australasian] Air Forces; informs that Air Marshal Arthur Harris is to be withdrawn from the Combined Staffs Committee and replaced by Air Marshal Douglas Evill; comments on the situation in Singapore.

Scope and Contents Telegram from WSC to the Prime Minister of Australia [John Curtin] and the Prime Minister of New Zealand [Peter Fraser] reciting a telegram sent by General Sir Archibald Wavell [Supreme Commander, South West Pacific] to the Chiefs of Staff in London and Washington [United States]: believes that the enemy advance on Southern Sumatra [Dutch East Indies, later Indonesia] necessitates a review of plans for the defence of the Dutch East Indies; comments on implications for Australian troops and...

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Telegram from Harry Hopkins [Special adviser and assistant to the President of the United States] to WSC: opposes the idea of a Civil Air Transport Adjustment Board and gives reasons; comments on the production of transport planes for military purposes.

Scope and Contents Telegram from the President of the United States [Franklin Roosevelt] to WSC regarding military arrangements by the United States: comments on problems facing United States; comments on naval deployment in the ANZAC [Australian and New Zealand Army Corps] region; comments on the strong Japanese position in the Pacific and its implications; describes plans to send American reinforcements to Australia, New Zealand and the South West Pacific; details arrangements to supply shipping to move two...

Scope and Contents Letter from Field Marshal Sir John French [Commander-in- Chief, British Expeditionary Force, later 1st Lord Ypres] to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] on naval aircraft, recommending that they be sent back to Britain for refitting, as attempting to refit in France or Belgium would cause congestion. French states that the Royal Flying Corps would attack Zeppelin sheds as soon as the Zeppelins arrived, and that the help of the Royal Naval Air Service would be very desirable. He adds that the...

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Letter from WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, to Field Marshal Sir John French [Commander-in-Chief, British Expeditionary Force, later 1st Lord Ypres] expressing disappointment at the treatment of the Naval Air Service in France and Belgium. [Hand-written copy, unsigned, annotated "Not sent"].

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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].

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Minute from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to the Director of the Air Division, Admiralty [Captain Murray Sueter] on the results of the Aeroplane Conference on aircraft production. [Typescript copy on Colonial Office notepaper].

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Admiralty minute to Field Marshal Sir John French [Commander-in-Chief, British Expeditionary Force, later 1st Lord Ypres), on the use of naval aircraft in France and Belgium. The minute acknowledges that the aircraft were under the direction of the Commander-in- Chief of the Army, but asks that they be reserved for their primary purpose, the destruction of Zeppelins in their sheds. [Typescript copy of Colonial Office notepaper].

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Statement made by WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] in the House of Commons, on an attack on the Zeppelin Airship Factory at Friedrichshaven [Germany] by pilots of the Royal Naval Air Service, led by Squadron Commander E F Briggs. [Carbon].

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Admiralty statement on expenditure on aeronautics by Britain, France and Germany, 1911-13.

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Letters from 1st Lord Beaverbrook [Minister of Aircraft Production, earlier Max Aitken] to WSC tendering his resignation; with WSC's reply refusing to accept his resignation. [Carbon].

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Letter from 1st Lord Beaverbrook [Minister of Aircraft Production, earlier Max Aitken] to WSC on air policy, advising dispersal of production. [Copy].

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Personal Minute M 427 from WSC to Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal [Chief of Air Staff] asking him to take a few days rest as so much depends on him and overworking will not help [copy]; with reply from Portal thanking him for his concern.

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Letter from Commander Sir Walter Windham to WSC repeating his request of May 1940 begging to be allowed to travel to Canada and the United States to conduct a press campaign to gain more aeroplanes for the war effort; has conducted similar "rousing" missions in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. [typescript].

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Letter from [Valentine] Lawford (Foreign Office) to [Edith] Watson [Prime Minister's Private Secretary] suggesting that she draw the matter to the attention of [1st] Lord Beaverbrook [earlier Sir Max Aitken, Minister of Aircraft Production], otherwise send a "soothing reply" to Sir Walter Windham emphasising the difficulty of raising awareness in America "without infringing U.S. regulations and bringing discredit and suspicion on their cause and their Government".