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Admiralty memorandum on military and naval aviation, including a summary of the situation in France, Italy, Russia and Germany, uses of airships and aeroplanes in naval warfare, airship design and construction and costs of new aircraft. [Printed, and circulated to the cabinet].

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Report by Lieutenant-Colonel Alick Russell, Military Attache at the British Embassy, Berlin [Germany] on the development of the German Airship Fleet; includes covering note by WSC. [Printed, and circulated to the Cabinet].

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First Lord of the Admiralty's Minutes: Fourth Series (Air, August 1913 to June 1914). [Printed].

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Letter from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to General [Sir Ian Hamilton, General Officer Commanding-in Chief, Mediterranean] on the favourable prospects open to aeroplanes and airships in the Mediterranean, and his intention to start Air Stations at Malta and Gibraltar. [Carbon copy].

Scope and Contents Letter from General Sir Ian Hamilton, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Mediterranean, to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] on naval aviation in the Mediterranean, supporting WSC's proposal to establish air stations at Malta and Gibraltar. Hamilton comments on the possibility of the Navy assuming full responsibility for the defence of places like Malta and Gibraltar, and also mentions his current visit to Australia, reporting a discussion with Senator Millen, the Defence Minister, on...

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Minute by WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to the Secretary of the Admiralty [Sir (William) Graham Greene], 4th Sea Lord [Captain Cecil Lambert] and others, on the Naval Air Service, stating that the social precedence of flying officers should be regulated by their substantive naval rank. WSC also states that flying officers should wear executive naval uniforms, but that they would be excluded from executive command outside the Air Service. [Carbon copy].

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Minute from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], to the Secretary of the Admiralty [Sir (William) Graham Greene], and the 1st Sea Lord [Prince Louis of Battenberg, later 1st Lord Milford Haven] and 4th Sea Lord [Captain Cecil Lambert], on the Naval Air Service, particularly the rank and status of Squadron Commanders, the question of uniform and the call-up of reservists. [Typescript copy].

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Letter from General Sir Charles Douglas [Chief of the Imperial General Staff] to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] on the problem of recognition of friendly aircraft. Douglas states that he had issued orders to Commands not to fire on aircraft pending further orders, and gives a list of prohibited areas, where airships would be fired at if they did not make the prescribed signal. Douglas also comments on sending infantry to guard strategic sites against attack.

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Note by James Masterton Smith [Private Secretary to WSC] to the Director of Air Department [Captain Murray Sueter] on aircraft recognition by anti-aircraft batteries.

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Minute from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to the 1st Sea Lord [Prince Louis of Battenberg, later 1st Lord Milford Haven] on ship dispositions, also on the protection of magazines and oil tanks from "evilly disposed persons" and attacks by aircraft. [Typescript, initialled by WSC, and annotated by Battenberg].

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Minute by the Air Department, Admiralty, on prohibited areas for British airships. Includes note from Captain Murray Sueter [Director, Air Department] to the 1st Sea Lord [Prince Louis of Battenberg, later 1st Lord Milford Haven].

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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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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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Minute from WSC to the 4th Sea Lord [Captain Cecil Lambert], on appointments to the Naval Air Service, expressing pleasure that Captain Frederic Dreyer had applied to join the service, recommending that he be appointed Inspecting Captain of the Naval Wing, and Deputy Director of the Air Department at the Admiralty; WSC also discusses Dreyer's subordinates in the Air Service. [Carbon].

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Note by WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], on seniority of officers of the Naval Air Service. [Hand-written].

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Letter from Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, 1st Sea Lord to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty on threatened German Zeppelin raid on London. Stating that there was no defence against an air raid on London except reprisals to be announced beforehand to the German Government, and complaining that the British Government had not taken sufficient steps to warn Germany. Asking to be relieved of his official position as the Admiralty would be responsible for the massacre.

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Letter from Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, 1st Sea Lord to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, on superiority of German submarine design, blaming the former Controller of the Navy, Vice Admiral Charles Briggs, also on coastwise coal traffic and North Sea fishing.

Scope and Contents Letter from WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty to Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, 1st Sea Lord, on threatened German Zeppelin raid on London, and Fisher's proposal that German prisoners be killed in reprisal, stating that he would take his views to Cabinet , although he could not support them. Also commentng that he hoped that Fisher's threat to resign should not be taken seriously, although he had "made up his mind never to dissuade anyone..from resigning if they wish to do so" [handwritten...

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Minute from Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, 1st Sea Lord, to WSC, First Lord of the Admiralty, opposing the forthcoming bombardment of Zebrugge.

Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, February 1944. Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: members of the Cabinet and other government ministers; General Sir Hastings Ismay [Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence]; Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the War Cabinet]; the Chiefs of Staff; Colonel Ian Jacob [Military Assistant Secretary to the War Cabinet]; Thomas Dugdale [later 1st Lord Crathorne, Chairman of the Conservative Party];...

Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, May 1944.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: the Chiefs of Staff; members of the Cabinet and other government ministers, particularly Foreign Secretary [Anthony Eden, later 1st Lord Avon]; Major-General Leslie Hollis [Military Assistant Secretary to the War Cabinet]; senior civil servants, including Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the War Cabinet]; General Sir Hastings Ismay [Chief of Staff to the...

Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, June 1944.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: senior civil servants, including Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the War Cabinet]; General Sir Hastings Ismay [Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence]; members of the Cabinet and other government ministers, particularly Foreign Secretary [Anthony Eden, later 1st Lord Avon]; the Chiefs of Staff; Major-General Leslie Hollis and Colonel Ian Jacob...

Scope and Contents Prime Minister's printed personal minutes, July 1944.Includes texts of minutes from WSC (annotated with additional printed information) to: members of the Cabinet and other government ministers; General Sir Hastings Ismay [Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence]; senior civil servants, including Sir Edward Bridges [Secretary to the War Cabinet]; the Chiefs of Staff; "C" [Major General Sir Stewart Menzies, Head of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service]; Major General Robert Laycock [Chief...