Cabinet papers from May 1941

Thursday 1st May 1941

Meeting minutes

extract Cabinet meeting to discuss "certain difficulties" in negotiations with miners and mine-owners over pay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
 

Weekly Resume (No. 87) of the Naval, Military and Air Situation from 12 noon April 24th to 12 noon May 1st, 1941.

extract Chiefs of Staff: Iraqi Army concentrated in and around Baghdad. Evidence Raschid Ali may offer resistance to our troops
extract Chiefs of Staff: Every indication Germans see Libya as "theatre of war to which their maximum efforts should be devoted"
extract Chiefs of Staff: "No reliable indications of imminent hostilities" between Germany and USSR, relations somewhat strained
place Aruba
place Greece
place Baghdad
place Iceland
place Liverpool
place Malta
place Europe
place Tobruk
place Tunisia
place Alexandria
place Morocco
place Syria
place Africa
place Libya
organisation RAF Coastal Command
organisation Advanced Micro Devices
 

Meeting minutes

extract PM Churchill pays tribute to Prime Minister Menzies who is attending his final meeting of the War Cabinet "on this visit"
extract Eden: Iraqi Army has taken up positions on hills surrounding our aerodrome at Habbaniya. RAF will be used if need be
extract Morrison: Plymouth has suffered air attack 5 nights running. Report of unofficial nightly exodus to surrounding districts
extract General Dill: Evacuation operations from Greece now complete. Total Army personnel got away about 43,000 (out of 55,000)
person Herbert Morrison
person Duff Cooper
place Greece
place Cranborne
place Iraq
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Home Office
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
organisation Hopatcong High School
 

Friday 2nd May 1941

Report by United Kingdom High Commissioner in Canada.

extract Dominions Secretary circulates assessment of Canadian PM Mackenzie King. "Shrewd and humorous", swims with Roosevelt
person Franklin D. Roosevelt
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
place Cranborne
 

Gibraltar: Further evacuation of civilians.

extract Colonial Secretary seeks permission to evacuate 4,000 civilians from Gibraltar to UK. Minister of Health suggests Jamaica
place Jamaica
place Gibraltar
 

Monday 5th May 1941

Meeting minutes

extract Eden: Iraqi Ambassador told if matters continue his country will "be at war with the whole of the British Empire"
extract Morrison: Other places attacked during the last four nights include Portsmouth, Tyneside, Barrow-in-Furness and Belfast
extract Morrison: Merseyside has suffered air attacks for 4 nights. Repeated attacks on towns "present many difficult problems"
extract General Dill: We are holding perimeter of Tobruk except part of west side. Germans using flamethrowers for first time
person Alexander Cadogan
person Herbert Morrison
person E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax
place Ankara
place Baghdad
place Iraq
place Jamaica
place Gibraltar
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
place Libya
place Portsmouth
organisation Home Office
organisation United States Department of State
 

Air Raids on London, September-November 1940.

extract Home Security Ministry circulates maps and statistics on London bombings. Calculate 1 ton of bombs will destroy 10 houses
person Herbert Morrison
 

Tuesday 6th May 1941

Fire-fighting service in relation to present emergency requirements.

extract Home Secretary proposes nationalising Fire Brigade. Currently "impossible to secure sufficient unity" for major incidents
person Herbert Morrison
place City of London
organisation Home Office
 

Provision of men for the Army (General Service). Smoke Screen Units and Civil Defence Duties April to September, 1941.

extract Minister of Labour: "Extreme and increasing stringency" of manpower for recruitment. May not be able to meet targets
person Ernest Bevin
 

Thursday 8th May 1941

Meeting minutes

extract Eden: I think Stalin's open assumption of power shows he realises the clouds are gathering
extract PM: Enemy "short of ammunition, petrol and food". "With good fortune the Battle of Egypt might well turn in our favour"
extract PM informs Cabinet Operation Tiger, to send tank reinforcements to General Wavell through the Mediterranean, is underway
extract Air Chief: "Light night" led to 23 enemy aircraft being brought down. Air Secretary to congratulate Fighter Command
person Walter Hines Page
person Herbert Morrison
person Joseph Stalin
place Egypt
place Iceland
place Manchester, New Hampshire
place Syria
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Home Office
organisation New Zealand Treasury
organisation RAF Coastal Command
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
organisation United Nations
 

Weekly Resume (No. 88) of the Naval, Military and Air Situation from 12 noon May 1st, to 12 noon May 8th, 1941.

extract Chiefs of Staff: General Fraser unable to occupy Basra. Population "hostile and imbued with anti-British propaganda"
person Richard Kiel
place Athens
place Wellington, Nevada
place Greece
place Iceland
place Eyre Peninsula
place Turkey
place Basra
place Sicily
place Europe
place Morocco
place Bristol
place Libya
organisation RAF Coastal Command
 

Announcement of Shipping Losses.

extract Admiralty circulates draft press notice of April shipping losses. 67 ships sunk, lower than any of 10 preceding months
place Greece
 

Friday 9th May 1941

Report by United Kingdom High Commissioner in Canada.

extract UK High Commissioner Canada reports talks between PM King and Roosevelt. US culture "slopping over every day into Canada"
person Franklin D. Roosevelt
person Stephen King
place Cranborne
 

Monday 12th May 1941

Co-operation with the Netherlands Government regarding mutual support in the event of Japanese aggression.

extract Foreign Secretary Eden recommends UK supports Netherlands in the event of Japanese aggression against Dutch East Indies
person Anthony Eden
place New Caledonia
place Singapore
place Europe
organisation Hopatcong High School
organisation Foreign Office (Germany)
organisation Foreign and Commonwealth Office
 

Meeting minutes

extract Minister of Labour suggests "further consideration" of the possibility of conscription being applied to Northern Ireland
extract PM: Operation "TIGER" successfully completed. Result will be greatly to increase General Wavell's strength in heavy tanks
extract Air Chief: Enemy concentrated larger part of attack against our bomber aerodromes overnight. Practically no damage done
person Alexander Cadogan
person Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
place Cranborne
place Iraq
place Basra
place Syria
place Northern Ireland
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
organisation United States Navy
 

Wednesday 14th May 1941

Administration of Ethiopia.

extract War Secretary proposes UK continue to occupy Ethiopia despite Emperor's return. Admits this "may not be easy to defend"
person Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
person David Margesson, 1st Viscount Margesson
place Ethiopia
place Africa
organisation Hopatcong High School
 

Thursday 15th May 1941

Meeting minutes

extract War Secretary directed to announce Ethiopia under temporary "military guidance". PM: No need to concern ourselves unduly
extract Minister of Information to "give guidance" to Press on Hess's "bloody" record. Coverage has been "almost laudatory"
extract PM: Rudolf Hess will be held as a prisoner of war. He is also a prisoner of State and should be kept in isolation
person Alexander Cadogan
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
place Greece
place Cranborne
place Iraq
place Caribbean
place Ethiopia
place Africa
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Home Office
organisation RAF Coastal Command
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
organisation Foreign and Commonwealth Office
 

Sunday 18th May 1941

Minesweeping and Mine Disposal by Naval Personnel.

extract Admiralty: Over 3300 mines destroyed by Royal Navy so far. "Casualties have been heavy" amongst minesweeping personnel
organisation Royal Navy
 

Monday 19th May 1941

Meeting minutes

extract Home Secretary to inform Northern Ireland PM War Cabinet "disposed to apply conscription" and seek view of NI government
extract General Dill: All objectives taken in recent Libya operations but Capuzzo afterwards lost to a counter-attack
extract PM Churchill to bring the shipping position in the Central Atlantic "to the notice of President Roosevelt"
person Alexander Cadogan
person George Cadogan, 3rd Earl Cadogan
person James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon
place Cranborne
place Iraq
place Turkey
place Tobruk
place Syria
place Northern Ireland
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
place Libya
organisation Home Office
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
 

Whit Holidays in 1941.

extract Minister of Labour to cancel Whit Monday holiday for factories "engaged upon specially urgent munitions work"
person Ernest Bevin
 

Meeting minutes

extract Chiefs of Staff asking local commanders to improvise largest possible force to move into Syria at earliest possible date
extract PM: Give French last chance to stop passage of Luftwaffe through Syria, otherwise we should proclaim Syria independent
extract Eden: Germans in "strong diplomatic offensive" on Turkey. Turks "treating us in a frank way", asking our plans in Syria
person Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
place Iraq
place Turkey
place Syria
 

Tuesday 20th May 1941

Rationing of Clothing.

extract "Not possible" to avoid clothing rationing, says Board of Trade President. Propose introduction June 1st, delay dangerous
person Oliver Lyttelton, 1st Viscount Chandos
 

Wednesday 21st May 1941

Application of Conscription to Northern Ireland.

extract Minister of Labour supports conscription in Ulster. Eire statement this would be "an act of war" not a "fatal objection"
person Ernest Bevin
person James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon
place Northern Ireland
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
 

Meat Supply.

extract Minister of Labour: Limited meat ration placing "strain" on morale. Strongly urge "special measures" to ensure increase
person Ernest Bevin
 

Thursday 22nd May 1941

Meeting minutes

extract Cabinet delays a final decision on extending conscription to Northern Ireland until the likely degree of opposition known
extract General Dill: Little definite news available. Our losses so far light. No sea-borne landing yet reported
extract General Dill: Enemy on Crete believed not to control any large areas and has suffered heavy casualties in the process
extract Air Chief: Considerable number of our aircraft damaged recently on the ground in attacks on Western aerodromes
person Alexander Cadogan
person Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
person George Cadogan, 3rd Earl Cadogan
place Portugal
place Cranborne
place Northern Ireland
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Home Office
 

Weekly Resume (No. 90) of the Naval, Military and Air Situation from 12 noon May 15th, to 12 noon May 22nd, 1941.

extract Chiefs of Staff: Situation at Heraklion obscure. Town and harbour partly occupied by Enemy who has mounted machine guns
person Richard Kiel
person Robert German
place Newcastle upon Tyne
place Freetown
place Greece
place Somaliland
place Egypt
place Iceland
place Basra
place Europe
place Tobruk
place Berlin
place Syria
place Africa
organisation RAF Coastal Command
 

Friday 23rd May 1941

Application of Conscription to Northern Ireland.

extract Home Secretary Morrison summarises Catholic objections to "indefensible" conscription in Northern Ireland
person Herbert Morrison
place Northern Ireland
 

Lord Hankey's Committee on Preventing Oil from reaching Enemy Powers. Seventh Report.

extract Petroleum Secretary again urges heavy bombing attacks on German oil resources. "Impact of events" so far preventing these
person Geoffrey Lloyd, Baron Geoffrey-Lloyd
place Finland
place Russian Empire
place Iraq
place Europe
place Albania
place West Germany
organisation Air Force F.C.
organisation German Army
organisation Luftwaffe
organisation United States Navy
 

Saturday 24th May 1941

Reform of the Diplomatic Service.

extract Eden calls for reform of the diplomatic service. Service should "become more representative of this country as a whole"
person Anthony Eden
organisation United States Navy
 

Monday 26th May 1941

Application of Conscription to Northern Ireland.

extract Home Secretary Morrison circulates draft bill to enable extension of conscription to Northern Ireland
person Herbert Morrison
place Northern Ireland
 

Meeting minutes

extract Admiralty: Royal Navy vessels continuing to shadow German battleship Bismarck. HMS Rodney within 35 miles
place Denmark
organisation Royal Navy
 

Meeting minutes

extract Cabinet postpones decision on N.Ireland conscription. NI Government says opposition "more widespread" than realised"
extract Some Ministers express doubt over "adequacy of the preparations in Crete to meet the scale of attack which had developed"
extract Cabinet told "critical point" reached in operation to hold Crete. "Crucial" to prevent reinforcements reaching the enemy
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person George Cadogan, 3rd Earl Cadogan
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person Ernest Bevin
person John Maffey, 1st Baron Rugby
person Maxime Weygand
place Cranborne
place Washington
place Northern Ireland
place Denmark
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Home Office
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
 

Application of Conscription to Northern Ireland. Telegram from the United Kingdom Representative to Eire to Dominions Office.

extract Irish papers predict "draft riots", claim PM De Valera will "call a Holy War" reports US Ambassador to Eire
person John Maffey, 1st Baron Rugby
place Northern Ireland
 

Application of Conscription to Northern Ireland.

extract Inspector General of Royal Ulster Constabulary warns Home Secretary conscription will be resisted "in every parish"
person Herbert Morrison
place Northern Ireland
 

Tuesday 27th May 1941

Our Arab Policy.

extract Eden outlines UK "Arab Policy". "No change" in Palestine, establish friendly Iraq government, "bring Syria over to us"
person Anthony Eden
place Iraq
place Turkey
place Syria
 

Meeting minutes

extract PM: All chances of winning battle in Crete now appear to have gone. Must face prospect of loss of most of our force there
extract General Wavell reports from Crete our front west of Canea has broken, troops coming back in disorder. Casualties heavy
person Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
 

Meeting minutes

extract PM: "More trouble than it was worth" to apply conscription to Northern Ireland. "Best to dispose of the matter"
extract PM: "Every hope" that we shall soon receive information that this enemy ship has been destroyed
extract PM: Bismark has received four hits from torpedoes, and is virtually stationary. Strong naval forces near at hand
person George Cadogan, 3rd Earl Cadogan
place Cranborne
place Northern Ireland
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Home Office
 

Wednesday 28th May 1941

Meeting minutes

extract Admiralty: About 100 German survivors from the Bismarck picked up by our ships
extract Admiralty: Ships returning from action against Bismarck attacked off Irish coast. HMS Norfolk damaged, HMS Mashona sunk
person Herbert Morrison
person Stafford Cripps
place Cranborne
place Syria
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
 

Thursday 29th May 1941

Military Policy for East Africa.

extract War Secretary sees prospect to "reduce very considerably" forces employed in Italian East Africa, as campaign nearing end
person David Margesson, 1st Viscount Margesson
place South Africa
place Somaliland
place Sudan
place Ethiopia
place Eritrea
place Africa
place Libya
 

Saturday 31st May 1941

Future of Cyprus.

extract Eden: "Strong case" for ceding Cyprus to Greece after war. Suggest talks now to avoid German offer to "quisling" Athens
person Anthony Eden
place Great Britain
place Athens
place Greece
place Egypt
place Turkey
place Malta
place Cyprus
place Alexandria
place Syria
organisation Foreign Office (Germany)
 

Food Situation in the United Kingdom. Monthly Report for April, 1941.

extract Food Minister: Butter allowance may have to be reduced to 2 ozs at end of June. Increased cheese ration "may be possible"
place Great Britain
place City of London