British Army

Military

The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and was administered by the War Office ...

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Documents about British Army

Tuesday 13th February 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Cabinet discuss UK's difficult financial position. Finnish Minister warns of "deepest anxiety" and "tremendous strain"
person Ronnie Campbell
place Caribbean
place Denmark
organisation Ministry of Supply
organisation British Army
 

Meeting minutes

extract Navy circulates detailed timetable for UK military action in Finland
place Finland
place Oslo
place Stockholm
organisation British Army
organisation United States Navy
 

Wednesday 22nd May 1940

Meeting minutes

extract French Command issue “stern orders” to drive refugees into fields and off roads to ensure troops can move easily
extract PM assents. RAF to do “everything possible” to assist. “Provided” French fight well “good prospect of success”
extract New French Commander General Weygand proposes joint Anglo-French attack in SW and in direction of Amiens within 24 hours
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort
person Maxime Weygand
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
person Roger Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes
organisation Royal Air Force
organisation British Army
organisation French Army
organisation Belgian Land Component
 

Sunday 2nd June 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Commander in Chief Home Forces to report to Cabinet within 48 hours on progress of preparations against invasion of UK
extract PM urges General Staff to work on “problem of defeating tanks”. General Dill says this being “intensively examined”
extract Halifax: Everything points to Italy “having decided to come into the war against us”. Italy cargo ships to be intercepted
extract Evacuation figures from Dunkirk at 1200 BST: 276,030 men removed. (215,369 British, 59,866 Allied troops)
extract Reynaud requests three UK division be redeployed to Western front and RAF fighters to be based in French aerodromes
extract Telegram from PM Reynaud: “We have indications of an early attack at several points on the Front”
person Anthony Eden
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person George Cadogan, 3rd Earl Cadogan
person Maxime Weygand
person Winston Churchill
person Edward Spears
person Paul Reynaud
place Halifax Peninsula
place Dunkirk
organisation British Army
organisation French Army
 

Western Front - British Military Policy.

extract Chiefs of Staff set out case for and against more help for France. Despatch of even two divisions "grave" security risk
person Francisco Franco
person Winston Churchill
person Edward Spears
person Paul Reynaud
place Great Britain
place Turkey
organisation British Army
 

Meeting minutes

extract Norway evacuation proceeding "very satisfactorily", complete in about 48 hours. King Haakon to depart with his government
extract UK diplomats in Paris warn Marshall Petain has told PM Reynaud "nothing left but to make peace" and urged he step aside
extract Churchill warns Reynaud RAF fighter squadrons "worn to a shred and frightfully mixed up". UK cannot meet all his requests
extract PM Reynaud: Despatch of UK divisions to France "must be hastened to the maximum possible extent" or Paris will be lost
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Ronnie Campbell
person John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort
person Maxime Weygand
person Stephen King
person Winston Churchill
person Edward Spears
person Paul Reynaud
place Narvik
place London, Ontario
organisation British Army
 

Meeting minutes

extract Churchill, Attlee and Sinclair to meet PM Reynaud at "earliest possible moment" to discuss Union and "related questions"
extract PM Reynaud believes he can "hold the position" if UK accepts proposed unity proclamation. War Cabinet approves Union plan
extract French wireless reporting that Council of Ministers will meet at 1700 BST to decide whether further resistance possible
extract Union to "concentrate the whole of its strength" against the enemy no matter where battle may be. "Thus we shall conquer"
extract Halifax presents plan for Anglo-French union drafted with French: joint citizenship, single currency, new constitution
extract PM: General de Gaulle has made clear "some very dramatic move" essential for PM Reynaud to keep France in the war
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Charles de Gaulle
person Winston Churchill
person Paul Reynaud
place Halifax Peninsula
organisation British Army
 

Meeting minutes

extract Cabinet told French have ceased fire. Petain has broadcast that “with a broken heart” he requested Armistice last night
extract General Dill: UK must "take a leaf out of the Germans book", organise special squadrons of Storm Troopers. Cabinet agrees
extract Anthony Eden warns local defence volunteers "largely a broomstick army". Shortage of good officers in home defence forces
extract Halifax: “No information” on Soviet plan in Baltic. Clear extension of influence in Lithuania, similar designs on Estonia
extract Belgian Foreign Minister requests facilities for evacuation of 30-35,000 Belgian troops to UK. PM: We will “do our best”
extract Cabinet directs telegram permitting French to negotiate Armistice only in exchange for their fleet be resent to M. Petain
extract RAF ordered to evacuate from south of France. BEF now evacuating via Nantes and Cherbourg. 50,000 troops currently remain
person Anthony Eden
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Andrew Greenwood
person Ronnie Campbell
person Farouk of Egypt
place Great Britain
place Russian Empire
place Egypt
place Halifax Peninsula
place West Germany
organisation Royal Air Force
organisation German Army
organisation British Army
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
organisation Hopatcong High School
organisation House of Lords
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
 

Meeting minutes

extract PM: Must avoid "putting undue pressure" on loyal province of Ulster. In favour of allowing Germany first move in Eire
extract Chamberlain urges offering Eire government declaration favouring a United Ireland in exchange for ports, hosting UK force
extract Halifax: Japan threat yesterday "should not be taken too seriously". Japan may be trouble "later on but not immediately"
extract Withdrawal of French government "complicated" by refusal of President Lebrun to leave. German forces rapidly approaching
extract M. Petain: Unlikely France will agree to give Destroyers to UK. But will "never allow them to fall into German hands"
extract Air Chief: UK bomb raids "hitting Germany considerably harder" than their raids hitting us. Good night for Bomber Command
extract Air Chief reports raids on industrial targets across UK overnight including ammunition stores. Casualties "very slight"
extract General Dill: Germans continuing to advance towards Lyons and western French ports. 111,478 troops so far evacuated to UK
person Walter Hines Page
person James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon
person Miles Lampson, 1st Baron Killearn
place Great Britain
place Egypt
place Malta
place Gibraltar
place Africa
place Dublin
place Northern Ireland
organisation Home Office
organisation Air Force F.C.
organisation British Army
organisation Royal Navy
 

Wednesday 3rd July 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Directive from PM on morale to Civil Service. Must "set an example", report those spreading "alarm and despondency"
extract Cabinet rejects request by Chiefs of Staff for east coast evacuation. "Public opinion already somewhat jumpy"
extract Cabinet agrees UK air raid casualty figures will no longer be released. Gives enemy information, might demoralise country
person Alexander Cadogan
person Andrew Greenwood
person Stafford Cripps
person Joseph Stalin
person Malcolm MacDonald
place Gisborne, New Zealand
place Halifax Peninsula
place South Wales
organisation Home Office
organisation Royal Air Force
organisation British Army
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
 

Organisation of Allied Naval, Army and Air contingents.

extract Chiefs of Staff circulate force sizes of Allied French, Poles, Dutch, Czechs, Norwegians, Belgians and anti-Nazi Germans
person Charles de Gaulle
place Portsmouth
organisation RAF Coastal Command
organisation British Army
organisation United States Navy
organisation Royal Navy
organisation French Foreign Legion
 

Meeting minutes

extract Commons to debate Hitler's Reichstag speech tomorrow. Press told speech requires no "official reply from this country"
extract Cabinet agrees uninterned aliens in the UK will be liable to military service on the same conditions as British subjects
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Andrew Greenwood
person Samuel Hoare
person Adolf Hitler
person Miles Lampson, 1st Baron Killearn
person Farouk of Egypt
place Egypt
place Morocco
place Africa
organisation British Army
 

British Garrisons in North China.

extract Halifax urges withdrawal of UK garrisons in N. China to avoid “loss of prestige” if they are defeated by Japanese attack
place Shanghai
place North China
place Tokyo
organisation British Army
 

Friday 2nd August 1940

Agreement with the Polish Government.

extract UK signs agreement with Polish government in exile to bring Polish armed forces (land, sea and air) under British command
place Great Britain
place Northern Ireland
organisation Air Force F.C.
organisation Royal Air Force
organisation British Army
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
organisation Foreign and Commonwealth Office
organisation Commonwealth of Nations
 

Meeting minutes

extract Eden: "Strong Italian attack in three columns" developing against British Somaliland. Two columns heading towards capital
person Anthony Eden
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Richard Kiel
person E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax
person Kingsley Wood
person Leo Amery
place Somaliland
place Malta
place North China
place Burma
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation British Army
organisation United States Navy
organisation Canadian Forces Maritime Command
 

The Munitions Situation.

extract Supply Minister warns UK armaments industry "a very small infant compared with the giant that threatens to attack it"
person Herbert Morrison
person Adolf Hitler
place Great Britain
place Russian Empire
place Birmingham
place North America
place Europe
place Africa
place Czechoslovakia
organisation Ministry of Supply
organisation German Army
organisation British Army
organisation United States Army
 

Tuesday 8th October 1940

Recruitment of Jewish Units for General Service in the British Army.

extract Eden approves recruitment by Dr. Chaim Weizmann of 10,000 Jews "for incorporation in Jewish units in the British Army"
person Anthony Eden
organisation British Army
 

Meeting minutes

extract Halifax: Report invasion of UK postponed to Spring 1941. PM: "Premature to dismiss possibility of an attempt being made"
extract Air Chief: Enemy activity "rather heavier than usual" overnight. St. Paul's Cathedral hit, choir and altar badly damaged
extract Cabinet postpones Jewish recruiting campaign until US Presidential Election. Halifax: "No question" of abandoning scheme
extract Cabinet told Coventry aircraft factory strike now in 3rd week. Public feeling "said to be running high against strikers"
person Anthony Eden
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person Stafford Cripps
person Kingsley Wood
person Clement Attlee
person John Dill
place East Germany
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Sudan
place Libreville
place Washington
place Africa
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation New Zealand Treasury
organisation British Army
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
 

Meeting minutes

extract Cabinet rejects New Zealand request for air support. UK will supply up-to-date aircraft as soon as it can manage to do so
extract PM: Neither UK "nor the Americans" have received any news on talks between Germany and Vichy. Position "extraordinary"
extract Halifax: General Metaxas asks for our "immediate help" to defend Corfu by sea and Athens by air and for financial aid
extract Cabinet told of unconfirmed reports Athens bombed, 10 Italian divisions ("perhaps 200,000 men") moving into Greece
extract Admiralty: Germans have adopted acoustic mines. Experts "working day and night" to discover secret of these new mines
extract Admiralty: Enemy minelaying taking place on considerable scale in Home Waters. Most ports temporarily closed most nights
person Alexander Cadogan
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Charles de Gaulle
person Herbert Morrison
person Kingsley Wood
person Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso
place Kassala
place Athens
place Greece
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Gibraltar
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Home Office
organisation RAF Coastal Command
organisation British Army
 

Wednesday 19th March 1941

Necessity for base facilities in Eire.

extract Dominions Secretary reports effects of UK economic action against Eire. "To-day Southern Ireland is very uncomfortable"
person John Maffey, 1st Baron Rugby
place Great Britain
place Cranborne
place Dublin
place Northern Ireland
organisation British Army
organisation Royal Navy
organisation Commonwealth of Nations
 

Thursday 17th April 1941

Meeting minutes

extract PM: Situation in Libya "considerably better" than it appeared a week ago. "Good chance" German thrust can be "liquidated"
extract PM: "Crete must be held in force". We have 59,000 men in Greece. Afraid we shall lose most of our artillery and tanks
extract PM: Clear implication the Greek Army "might be unable to continue the struggle". "We should fall in with their views"
extract PM: General Papagos has announced a withdrawal to the Thermopylae position and has suggested we re-embark our forces
person Rashid Ali al-Gaylani
place Athens
place Greece
place Egypt
place Iraq
place Basra
place Tripoli, Greece
place Libya
place Tripoli
organisation Air Force F.C.
organisation British Army
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
 

Wednesday 2nd July 1941

Command in the Middle East.

extract PM: General Wavell "would make an admirable Commander-in-Chief in India". Viceroy: "I shall be proud to work with him"
extract PM: General Wavell "tired", "fresh eye needed". Will be replaced by General Auchinleck as Commander in Chief Middle East
person Claude Auchinleck
person Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
place Egypt
place Africa
organisation British Army