Cabinet papers from November 1940

Friday 1st November 1940

An advance by the enemy through the Balkans and Syria to the Middle East.

extract Chiefs of Staff recommend more support for Turks, occupation of Iraq and Syria. Stress force unavailable till Spring 1941
place Greece
place Egypt
place Baghdad
place Iraq
place Turkey
place Syria
 

Meeting minutes

extract Halifax: A fortnight since our last communication with Vichy. "Still no reply" on the status of their talks with Germany
extract UK Miltary Attaché in Athens reports "weak advances" made by Italy are being held by Greek forces
extract Air Chief: Enemy air activity over this country "on a reduced scale both by day and night." Several towns machine-gunned
person Alexander Cadogan
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Andrew Greenwood
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person Samuel Hoare
person Kingsley Wood
person John Dill
person Miles Lampson, 1st Baron Killearn
person Farouk of Egypt
place Athens
place Greece
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Malta
place Gibraltar
place South America
place Bulgaria
organisation Home Office
organisation KEF
 

Meeting minutes

extract Halifax to warn Vichy its capital ships are barred from the Mediterranean "where they might fall into German hands"
extract Cabinet informed UK battalion arriving in Crete today. If Greek resistance good UK "prepared to take some risks" to help
person Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
place Athens
place Greece
place Egypt
place Turkey
place Gibraltar
 

Saturday 2nd November 1940

Subversive Propaganda in the "Daily Mirror" and "Sunday Pictorial".

extract Home Office investigates Daily Mirror shareholders. No evidence of subversive financial interests controlling the paper
person Herbert Morrison
place City of London
organisation Home Office
organisation Daily Mirror
 

Monday 4th November 1940

Meeting minutes

extract PM: Egypt's air defence to be halved to aid Greece. Strict secrecy to be maintained to avoid new Italian attack on Egypt
extract PM: Of "utmost importance to help Greece to resist". "Reasonable prospect" a Greek front against Italy can be built up
place Athens
place Wellington, Nevada
place Greece
place Egypt
place Cairo
place Malta
place Khartoum
place Libya
organisation Hopatcong High School
organisation 335th Fighter Squadron
 

Meeting minutes

extract General Dill: "Possibility" of Italian advance into Egypt. Greece situation "still obscure". RAF will report tomorrow
extract Air Chief: Enemy air attacks "on a low scale" over weekend. A number of attacks on East Coast convoys, no casualties
person Alexander Cadogan
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Andrew Greenwood
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person Samuel Hoare
person Ernest Bevin
person Kingsley Wood
person Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso
person Clement Attlee
person John Dill
person Jean Bart
place Greece
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Gisborne, New Zealand
place Halifax Peninsula
place Malta
place Toulon
organisation Home Office
organisation Government of Canada
organisation Daily Mirror
 

Tuesday 5th November 1940

Overseas Air Communications.

extract Air Minister asks for resources to improve Empire communications links. "Reasonably quick air-mail" will boost morale
place Athens
place Egypt
place Iraq
place Hong Kong
place Cairo
place North America
place Europe
place South America
place Khartoum
place Africa
place Lisbon, New York
place Burma
place Rome
organisation Royal Air Force
organisation Foreign and Commonwealth Office
organisation Minister of Economic Warfare
organisation United States Army
 

Wednesday 6th November 1940

Publicity with regard to Parachute Mines dropped by the enemy.

extract Home Secretary to allow press reports of German parachute mine attacks for first time. Draft propaganda release attached
person Herbert Morrison
 

Meeting minutes

extract UK Naval Attaché Washington has seen "hypothetical" US Navy plans for entering war. Far East "second place" to Europe
extract Cabinet told Roosevelt likely to be re-elected "by a large majority". Election may turn out to be "democratic landslide"
extract General Dill: Indications Italian advance in Western Desert may be resumed. We might expect an attack about 9th November
extract Halifax to press Bulgaria for assurance she will not attack Greece, in order to release Greek troops for Albanian front
extract General Dill: Greek army now mobilised, Italian morale low. UK reinforcing Crete so Greek Division can fight on mainland
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Charles de Gaulle
person Duff Cooper
person Samuel Hoare
person Ernest Bevin
person Kingsley Wood
person John Dill
place Greece
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Europe
place Dakar
place Bulgaria
organisation New Zealand Treasury
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
organisation House of Lords
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
organisation United States Navy
 

Thursday 7th November 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Cabinet to take no action over criticisms of MI5 over Arandora Star sinking. "A pity" to revive public interest in this
extract Prime Minister Churchill sends personal message to FDR Roosevelt congratulating him on his re-election as US President
extract General Dill: Greeks "getting worried" by Italian attacks in Epirus sector. "Rather diminished satisfaction" at Greek HQ
extract General Dill: Greeks advancing in Northern sector. "Considerable number" of Italian prisoners taken, Greek losses few
extract Admiralty: Heavy attacks on convoys by Luftwaffe yesterday. PM: Attacks emphasise need for more air support of convoys
extract Air Chief: Overloaded aircraft from Malta have crashed on bombing runs to Italy. Orders issued to prevent this in future
person Alexander Cadogan
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Oliver Lyttelton, 1st Viscount Chandos
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
person Kingsley Wood
person Clement Attlee
person John Dill
place Wellington, Nevada
place Greece
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Sudan
place Malta
place Kismayo
place Berlin
place Valona, California
place Syria
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Home Office
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
 

Friday 8th November 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Morrison: Bombing more severe last 2 nights. "Good many casualties" at Southwark, Wandsworth, Richmond. Penzance attacked
extract Halifax: "Sharp and unhelpful" reply from M. Petain to the King's message. Nothing yet settled between Hitler and Vichy
extract PM: UK cannot tolerate shipping losses on present scale. Will ask Roosevelt to pressure Ireland to abandon neutrality
extract PM: "For the present" Crete appears in no great danger of Italian attack. Possible Australian units could replace Greeks
extract General Dill: Greeks advancing in Pindus sector (Italian morale "bad") but under "heavy pressure" in Epirus sector
extract General Dill: UK forces have captured Gallabat on Sudan/Ethiopia border and resisted Italian counterattack
extract Admiralty: Work on new German acoustic mines now allows certain counter measures. Method still in the experimental stage
extract Admiralty: "No further information" of convoy attacked by the Admiral Scheer. Surviving ships due in home waters tomorrow
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Charles de Gaulle
person Hugh Dalton
person Adolf Hitler
person Kingsley Wood
person John Dill
person Chiang Kai-shek
person Jean Bart
place Greece
place Egypt
place Halifax Peninsula
place Madrid
place Sudan
place Libreville
place Malta
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Air Force F.C.
organisation RAF Coastal Command
organisation Foreign and Commonwealth Office
 

Sunday 10th November 1940

Assistance to China.

extract Halifax: General Chiang Kai-shek requests treaty of alliance with UK, USA and "concrete financial and economic help"
person Chiang Kai-shek
place Great Britain
place Moscow
place Hong Kong
place Singapore
place Shanghai
place Tokyo
place Republic of China
 

Monday 11th November 1940

A Naval Air Force.

extract Lord Beaverbrook demands immediate creation of air force for the Admiralty. "Time measured in months would be too long"
organisation Air Force F.C.
organisation Royal Air Force
 

Meeting minutes

extract Cabinet discuss death of Mr Chamberlain. PM: Loss will "be felt most deeply by all those who had worked with him"
extract Halifax "a little anxious" at Molotov visit to Berlin. May be "a face-saving device" or to discuss an anti-Turkish policy
extract Admiralty: General De Gaulle has taken Gabon capital Libreville. Vichy claims UK bombed the city and sunk vessels untrue
extract General Dill: Greeks could hold up Italians for a considerable time. "A different matter" if Germans attack on this front
extract Air Chief: 12 Italian aircraft shot down over UK today. Total enemy losses for the weekend now 47 confirmed, 31 probable
person Alexander Cadogan
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person George Cadogan, 3rd Earl Cadogan
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Charles de Gaulle
person Samuel Hoare
person Kingsley Wood
person Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso
person Clement Attlee
person John Dill
person Jean Bart
person Neville Chamberlain
place Greece
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Sudan
place Libreville
place Malta
place Berlin
place Africa
organisation Royal Air Force
organisation Foreign and Commonwealth Office
 

Tuesday 12th November 1940

Meeting minutes

extract General Dill: Greeks advancing again towards Kalamas river. Italian troops "unenthusiastic" over move to Albanian front
extract Air Chief: 5 Italian airmen taken prisoner yesterday. Fiat bomber landed with engine still running. Fighter escort fled
person Alexander Cadogan
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person George Cadogan, 3rd Earl Cadogan
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Stafford Cripps
person Stephen King
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
person Kingsley Wood
person John Dill
person Leo Amery
place Greece
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Sudan
place Albania
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
 

Meeting minutes

extract War Secretary reports on his N.Africa visit. Position "far more favourable than seemed possible a few months previously"
person Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
place Kassala
place Greece
place Egypt
place Alexandria Troas
place Cairo
place Turkey
place Sudan
place Malta
place Gibraltar
place Kenya
place Syria
place Africa
place Libya
place Tripoli
organisation Air Force F.C.
organisation United States Navy
 

Relations with Vichy.

extract Vichy Government "between the devil and the deep blue sea" says Foreign Office. "We must get at them individually"
person Charles de Gaulle
place Great Britain
place Paris
place Europe
 

Wednesday 13th November 1940

Disclosure of Secret Information to the United States of America.

extract Negotiators with US urge UK to "come clean" on operational & technical secrets, especially Henry Tizard "secret devices"
person Arthur Greenwood
organisation New Zealand Treasury
 

Meeting minutes

extract Cabinet approves package of loans and credit for China. Ministers to examine possibility of supplying "obsolete" aircraft
extract UK Diplomats report Italy did not expect Greece to resist attack. Italians "still retreating in disorder from Konitza"
extract PM: This "naval occasion" brings home importance of hitting Italy as hard as we can. "We should press this advantage"
extract Admiralty: Fleet Air Arm has carried out "very successful attack" with torpedoes and bombs on Italian fleet at Taranto
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Stafford Cripps
person Samuel Hoare
person Kingsley Wood
place Lancaster, Lancashire
place Greece
place Halifax Peninsula
place Turkey
place Sudan
place Valona, California
place Albania
place Bulgaria
place Burma
place Libya
organisation Hopatcong High School
 

Meeting minutes

extract Eden briefs junior ministers on Egypt trip. Germans might find desert "a very different thing" from their usual fighting
person Anthony Eden
person Oliver Lyttelton, 1st Viscount Chandos
person Hugh Dalton
person Ernest Brown
person Frederick Marquis, 1st Earl of Woolton
person Farouk of Egypt
place Greece
place Egypt
place Sudan
place Kenya
place Cyprus
place Syria
 

Thursday 14th November 1940

Relations with Vichy.

extract Churchill: We must make Vichy feel "we have teeth as well as Hitler". "Nice" policy will only help Germany at our expense
person Ronnie Campbell
person William Patrick Stuart-Houston
person Adolf Hitler
person Winston Churchill
 

Friday 15th November 1940

Christmas Break for Workers on War Production.

extract Minister for Labour proposes "3 clear days" workers holiday at Christmas. "I am convinced that it will help" production
person Ernest Bevin
 

Meeting minutes

extract Halifax: Death of Egypt's PM throws politics there "into the melting-pot". UK Ambassador hopes to find replacement
extract General Dill: Greeks have begun large scale counterattack advancing in a number of sectors. Many Italian prisoners taken
extract Admiral: Shipping Ministry must stop persistent tendency of convoy ships to straggle. Stragglers vulnerable to air attack
extract Anderson: Raid "heaviest yet experienced". Full details not yet available. Reinforcements of Police, firemen sent to city
extract Air Chief: 300 enemy bombers in Coventry attack. RAF targetted aerodromes to lessen assault with "fairly good results"
person Stephen King
person Bob Kerslake
person Miles Lampson, 1st Baron Killearn
person Jean Bart
place Greece
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Sudan
place Valona, California
place Albania
place Africa
place Chad
place Burma
 

Breach in the blockade of Metropolitan France and French Colonies.

extract Foreign Office officials complain UK allowing French blockade running and so "blunting the spearhead of our own attack"
place Europe
place Morocco
organisation Foreign and Commonwealth Office
 

Saturday 16th November 1940

Reports for the Month of October 1940 for India, Burma and the Colonies, Protectorates and Mandated Territories.

extract India Secretary: New outbreak of civil disobedience in Hyderabad State. "Not clear" what Gandhi's next intention might be
person Charles de Gaulle
person William Patrick Stuart-Houston
place South Africa
place Great Britain
place Greece
place Somaliland
place Russian Empire
place Egypt
place Hong Kong
place Caribbean
place Singapore
place Jamaica
place Gibraltar
place Cyprus
place Syria
place Africa
place Burma
organisation Royal Air Force
organisation Indian National Congress
organisation Congress Working Committee
 

Home Food Production.

extract Ministers urge increase in domestic food production to combat shipping losses. UK must import more chemical fertilisers
person Herbert Morrison
person Ernest Brown
 

Monday 18th November 1940

Government Departments: Protected Accommodation.

extract Lord Beaverbrook suggests use of disused Underground station at Dover Street as a bomb proof government facility
 

Meeting minutes

extract Admiralty: 9 aircraft lost from HMS Argus while landing on Malta. Inquiry to be held into "regrettable" incident
place Malta
 

Meeting minutes

extract Chancellor: Greeks have misunderstood Treasury's position. UK offering "them more than they had asked". First advance £5m
extract Halifax: Greek government "keenly disappointed" by "ungenerous attitude" of UK Treasury in supplying financial aid
extract Morrison: Local people "shaken" and "bitter" but "kept their heads". King's visit "of the utmost value" recovering morale
extract Morrison: Damage to munitions production in Coventry less extensive than feared but water and gas positions "bad"
extract PM Churchill: Clear we cannot increase our air reinforcements to Greece beyond what we have already arranged to send
extract General Dill: Greeks have crossed Albanian border, captured town of Bilishti. General Papagos requests more air support
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Stafford Cripps
place Athens
place Greece
place Malta
place Gibraltar
place Berlin
place Albania
organisation Home Office
organisation New Zealand Treasury
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
organisation Foreign Office (Germany)
organisation United States Navy
organisation BBC
 

Tuesday 19th November 1940

Meeting minutes

extract PM: UK will supply 5 squadrons of aircraft for Greeks. Difficulty of moving aircraft abroad "not realised in Greece"
place Athens
place Greece
place Egypt
organisation Foreign and Commonwealth Office
 

Members of the British Union detained under Defence Regulation 18B. Review of their cases by the Advisory Committee appointed in pursuance of that Regulation.

extract Home Secretary approves release of members of British Union of Fascists deemed "not dangerous" - around 60% of those held
person Herbert Morrison
organisation Home Office
 

Proposed "sink at sight" zone to be declared in the Western Approaches in the event of an invasion of Eire.

extract Admiralty proposes "sink at sight" zone be declared in Western Approaches in the event of German invasion of Ireland
 

Meeting minutes

extract War Cabinet approves "only one day" of holiday for workers at Christmas
person Herbert Morrison
person Duff Cooper
person Jean Bart
place Athens
place Greece
place Madrid
place Malta
place Gibraltar
place Washington
organisation RAF Coastal Command
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
 

The King's Speech on the Opening of Parliament. November, 21st, 1940.

extract Cabinet Secretary circulates King George's speech for new parliamentary session. King "confident that victory is assured"
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
 

Wednesday 20th November 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Morrison: Information on Birmingham attack "rather scanty" but though bad, seemingly not so serious as that on Coventry
extract PM Churchill: We are not in a position to increase our air reinforcements
extract General Dill: Greeks holding position. Advance into Albania "hardly practicable" until enemy air attacks countered
extract PM to make further appeal to Roosevelt to ask whether USA could spare more destroyers to counter this "additional strain"
extract Admiralty: U-Boat activity has extended to West Africa coast, a "new and important area". 4 vessels sunk in last few days
extract Air Chief: 400 enemy aircraft over UK overnight. Attacks on London, Birmingham ("considerable damage") Midlands, E.Anglia
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Charles de Gaulle
person Herbert Morrison
person Miles Lampson, 1st Baron Killearn
place Freetown
place Greece
place East Anglia
place Berlin
place Albania
place Africa
place Bulgaria
place West Germany
place Libya
organisation Home Office
organisation Luftwaffe
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
organisation Home Fleet
 

Internment of Aliens of Enemy Nationality.

extract Home Secretary Morrison plans release of interned enemy aliens "whose loyalty to the Allied Cause is demonstrable"
person Herbert Morrison
place Manchester
place Denmark
organisation Home Office
organisation Air Force F.C.
organisation House of Commons of Canada
organisation Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
 

Thursday 21st November 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Lord Halifax concerned Bulgaria may join Axis. King Boris "thought to have been pressed by Herr Hitler and Ribbentrop"
extract India Secretary: If arrest required Viceroy already told "he would have full support in allowing Gandhi to fast to death"
extract Viceroy warns of worsening political situation in India. Cabinet refuses request to outlaw Congress party, arrest Gandhi
extract PM: America must appreciate we are "fighting for our lives". Certain secret information we cannot possibly divulge
extract Cabinet agrees release of limited secret data to US. UK Scientists say US has "less to tell us than we have to tell them"
extract PM de Valera "in a very agitated and bitter mood" over use of Irish ports. PM Churchill refuses to rule out seizing them
extract General Dill: Italians have "retired in disorder" from Epirus sector. Greeks to do utmost to maintain momentum of advance
extract Air Chief: Duisberg main target for RAF overnight. Enemy attacks focused on Midlands including Birmingham and Coventry
person Alexander Cadogan
person John Maffey, 1st Baron Rugby
person Adolf Hitler
person Winston Churchill
place Kassala
place Greece
place Egypt
place Birmingham
place North America
place Sicily
place Sudan
place Malta
place Valona, California
place Bulgaria
organisation Home Office
organisation Royal Air Force
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
organisation Indian National Congress
organisation Congress Working Committee
 

Friday 22nd November 1940

Air Attack on Merchant Shipping.

extract Shipping Minister: 108 UK ships sunk or damaged by aircraft in 3 months. Proposes AA guns, fighter support for convoys
place Dakar
 

Meeting minutes

extract Cabinet approves cancelling Boxing Day Bank Holiday "for workers engaged on essential production" after talks with unions
extract Britain to urge Turkey and Yugoslavia to announce they would declare war if German troops were allowed to enter Bulgaria
person Alexander Cadogan
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Andrew Greenwood
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person Stafford Cripps
person Kingsley Wood
person Clement Attlee
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Birmingham
place Turkey
place Gibraltar
place Berlin
place Albania
place Bulgaria
organisation Home Office
 

Saturday 23rd November 1940

Spain.

extract Chiefs of Staff report on consequences of Spain entering Axis. Tell Cabinet "everything should be done" to prevent this
person Samuel Hoare
person Francisco Franco
place Portugal
place Slovakia
place Gibraltar
place Madrid, New York
organisation Hopatcong High School
 

Sunday 24th November 1940

Yugoslavia.

extract Chiefs of Staff issue report on military aid UK may be able to give Yugoslavia. Highly limited naval and air support only
organisation United States Navy
 

Monday 25th November 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Attorney General to consider legal action against Daily Worker newspaper for libellous cartoon of Labour Minister Bevin
extract PM: Utmost importance to build reserve of gas weapons. If enemy uses gas "we must be in a position to retaliate at once"
extract Greenwood: Damage in Birmingham "probably more serious" than Coventry but recovery in both cities "going ahead well"
extract Cabinet told an explosion has sunk the SS Patria carrying "illegal immigrants" to Palestine. 385 people unaccounted for
extract Halifax: Upshot of various reports that "probably not very much" settled at Berlin talks between Hitler and Molotov
extract General Dill: Italians landing at Durazzo, Valona to retrieve situation by extensive reinforcement. Vital to impede this
extract Admiralty reports "good progress" made in devising means for dealing with acoustic mines
person Anthony Eden
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Hugh Dalton
person Herbert Morrison
person Adolf Hitler
person Kingsley Wood
person Clement Attlee
person John Dill
person Andrew Duncan
place Wellington, Nevada
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Birmingham
place Belgrade
place Turkey
place Sudan
place Malta
place Gibraltar
place Berlin
place Valona, California
place Bristol
place Bulgaria
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Morning Star (UK newspaper)
organisation RAF Fighter Command
 

Information about the War received from the Polish Ambassador at the Vatican.

extract Polish Ambassador to the Vatican reports"lack of harmony between the Axis partners", Greek campaign "unpopular" in Italy
place Vatican City
place Berlin
organisation Advanced Micro Devices
 

Tuesday 26th November 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Air Secretary to investigate Vichy claims RAF has bombed Marseilles. Lord Halifax requests "facts as quickly as possible"
extract Air Chief: RAF attacked Kiel, Wilhelmshaven overnight. One of our pilots thought he obtained a direct hit on the Tirpitz
person Anthony Eden
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Richard Kiel
person Kingsley Wood
person John Dill
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Tangier
place Malta
place Africa
place Lisbon, New York
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation United States Navy
 

Meeting minutes

extract Chiefs of Staff order strengthening of AA defence in Midlands at expense of London (40 guns) and Home Counties
place Great Britain
place Birmingham
 

Wednesday 27th November 1940

The Dodecanese.

extract Lord Halifax endorses view of Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean that UK should attempt to occupy Dodecanese islands
 

Meeting minutes

extract Cabinet agrees illegal immigrants rescued from wreck of SS Patria may remain in Palestine as a "special act of clemency"
extract Minister for Labour Bevin: "Content to accept the advice of the Prime Minister on this matter"
extract PM: Cartoon of Minister for Labour "no more than a vulgar insult". "Best course" not to institute libel proceedings
extract Anderson: Repairs "well in hand" in all 3 cities subjected to recent heavy air attack (Birmingham, Coventry, Bristol)
extract Morrison: Number of homeless persons in rest centres in London has "fallen from a peak of about 24,000 to about 6,000"
extract Air Secretary to investigate statements in telegrams from abroad that UK bombs are "too small or did not explode"
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person Kingsley Wood
person Clement Attlee
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Birmingham
place Bristol
organisation Home Office
 

Thursday 28th November 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Churchill: If Eire had been willing to come into the war "public opinion might well have brought about a united Ireland"
extract PM De Valera remains "totally unreceptive" to UK use of Irish ports, thinks US entry to the war would make no difference
extract Air and Information Ministers to meet newspaper editors over reports of bombing which convey information to the enemy
extract General Dill: Greeks making further advances in Northern and Pindus sectors, meeting with more resistance in the Epirus
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Andrew Greenwood
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person Samuel Hoare
person John Maffey, 1st Baron Rugby
person Kingsley Wood
person Clement Attlee
person John Dill
place Plymouth
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Albania
place Bristol
organisation Home Office
organisation RAF Coastal Command
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
 

Friday 29th November 1940

Air Raid Damage: Mobile Labour Reserves.

extract Anderson: System for repairing bomb damaged houses "precarious". Repairs vital to ensure factory workers may resume work
person John Anderson (Australian politician)
organisation Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (Netherlands)
 

Saturday 30th November 1940

Dispersal of Aircraft Factories.

extract Beaverbrook: Dispersing aircraft factories offering "better prospects" for production but costs "enormous sums of money"
organisation New Zealand Treasury