Cabinet papers from June 1941

Monday 2nd June 1941

Meeting minutes

extract General Dill: 17,000 of our troops evacuated from Crete. Our losses 7-8,000, German losses considerably higher
extract Air Chief: Estimated 25% of German Air Force employed against Crete. Enemy might have lost 400 aircraft in the operations
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person George Cadogan, 3rd Earl Cadogan
person Walter Hines Page
person William Patrick Stuart-Houston
person Rashid Ali al-Gaylani
place Greece
place Russian Empire
place Manchester
place Cranborne
place Iraq
place Cyprus
place Syria
place Dublin
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
place Iran
organisation Air Force F.C.
organisation Luftwaffe
organisation Foreign and Commonwealth Office
 

Thursday 12th June 1941

Meeting minutes

extract Stafford Cripps: Likely Germany intends to "deliver an ultimatum to Russia" when her military concentrations are complete
person Stafford Cripps
place Russian Empire
place East Germany
place Egypt
place Turkey
 

Meeting minutes

extract Home Secretary reports overnight raids at Bristol, Dover and Huddersfield. Fires quickly brought under control
extract Chiefs of Staff to give preliminary consideration to arrangements for despatch of a Military Mission to Moscow
extract General Dill: British and Free French forces "slowly advancing" in Syria. Vichy troops "resisting strongly"
person Alexander Cadogan
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person Duff Cooper
person Ronnie Campbell
person Stafford Cripps
person John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort
person Samuel Hoare
person Francisco Franco
place Great Britain
place Portugal
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Syria
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Hopatcong High School
organisation United States Department of State
 

Monday 16th June 1941

Morale of the Australian and New Zealand Forces in the Middle East and of the Royal Air Force in Egypt.

extract Air Chief denies American suggestions of low morale amongst RAF in Middle East and "bad behaviour of airmen in Cairo"
place Greece
place Egypt
organisation Royal Air Force
 

Meeting minutes

extract Stafford Cripps: In my judgement the Soviet Government will "go to considerable lengths to appease Hitler"
person George Cadogan, 3rd Earl Cadogan
person Stafford Cripps
person William Patrick Stuart-Houston
place Moscow
organisation German Army
 

Meeting minutes

extract War Cabinet informed German concentration against Russia proceeding and "should be by now nearly complete"
extract General Dill: "No reason to be dissatisfied with the progress made" although a number of tanks put out of action by mines
extract General Dill: Attack in Western Desert underway. Enemy at Halfaya still resisting. Fort Capuzzo, Bir Waer in our hands
person Alexander Cadogan
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
place Portugal
place Russian Empire
place Cranborne
place Turkey
place Gibraltar
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Home Office
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
 

Tuesday 17th June 1941

Measures concerning Merchant Shipping in the event of war or general hostilities with Vichy.

extract Admiralty issues instructions concerning merchant shipping in the event of war or general hostilities with Vichy France
place Hong Kong
place Africa
 

Economic Warfare. Report for May, 1941.

extract Economic Warfare Minister: Policy of economic restriction against Japan has been intensified despite Japanese complaints
person Hugh Dalton
place South America
place Africa
place Republic of China
organisation United States Navy
 

Thursday 19th June 1941

The Middle East. Note by the Secretary of the War Cabinet covering telegrams from the Commander-in-Chief, Middle East.

extract General Wavell reports failure of Operation Battleaxe in Egypt. Troops have been driven back with heavy loss of tanks
person Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
place Egypt
place Tobruk
 

Meeting minutes

extract PM: Germany should be represented as an insatiable tyrant that attacked Russia to obtain material for carrying on the war
extract Cabinet told "no change" in position between Russia and Germany. Question raised over publicity "line" if war broke out
person Herbert Morrison
place Russian Empire
place Cranborne
place Cairo
place Beirut
place Washington
place Syria
place Burma
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Home Office
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
organisation United States Department of State
 

Meeting minutes

extract President Roosevelt has informed PM he has closed US German consulates, frozen assets. Plans bases in N. Africa, Iceland
place Egypt
place Iceland
place Dakar
place Africa
 

Saturday 21st June 1941

Information and Propaganda.

extract Beaverbrook: Ministry of Information to "root-hog or die". Must "take firm control" of BBC, give editorial direction
organisation Foreign Office (Germany)
 

Monday 23rd June 1941

Reports for Month of May 1941 for the Dominions, India, Burma, and the Colonies, Protectorates and Mandated Territories.

extract Dominions Secretary: Germany has expressed regret for "accidental" bombing of Dublin in May. Offered compensation
person Max Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook
place Greece
place Iraq
place Iceland
place Malta
place Gibraltar
place Cyprus
place Syria
place Africa
place Northern Ireland
place Burma
organisation New Zealand Treasury
organisation Labour Party (UK)
 

Meeting minutes

extract Eden: Soviets ready to receive British Military Mission, provided we accept they will "give help as well as receive it"
extract General Dill: No information received from Russo-German front. Russian concentrations appear to be too far forward
extract Cabinet approves daylight bombing of industrial targets in Northern France. Air Chief to consider if warning to be given
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person Duff Cooper
person Ronnie Campbell
person Stafford Cripps
place Finland
place Russian Empire
place Cranborne
place Moscow
place London, Ontario
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
organisation Morning Star (UK newspaper)
organisation Labour Party (UK)
 

Gibraltar - Emergency Evacuation.

extract Chiefs of Staff request greater powers for Governor and Commander-in-Chief, Gibraltar in event of emergency evacuation
place Madrid
place Gibraltar
 

Tuesday 24th June 1941

Future of the Ministry of Information.

extract Duff Cooper warns against Information Ministry reform. Would transform it from "object of ridicule" to "one only of pity"
person Duff Cooper
organisation Home Office
 

Wednesday 25th June 1941

Supplies to Turkey.

extract Foreign Secretary Eden urges continuing military supplies to Turkey in spite of new Turco-German agreement
person Anthony Eden
place Egypt
place Turkey
 

Thursday 26th June 1941

Syrian Operations. Note by the Secretary covering telegram from Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, to the Chief of the Imperial General Staff.

extract General Wavell reports latest progress in Syria: "By all accounts Vichy French are getting tired and reduced in numbers"
person Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
place Syria
 

Meeting minutes

extract Attlee to nominate representatives from industry for Mission to United States. "Very unfortunate" details leaked to Press
extract Eden: Russians have bombed Finnish aerodromes. Prospects of Finnish neutrality being maintained "not very bright"
extract Eden: Spanish government apologises, promises compensation for damage to British Embassy Madrid in "organised riot"
extract General Dill: "Stiff fighting in Syria". Damascus and Merjayoun now in our hands. Have advanced 10-12 miles toward Beirut
extract General Dill: No first-hand information from USSR. Germans making some progress but Old Russian frontier not yet reached
person Walter Hines Page
person Duff Cooper
person Walter Citrine, 1st Baron Citrine
person Sumner Welles
place Finland
place Cranborne
place Madrid
place Moscow
place Turkey
place Gibraltar
place London, Ontario
place Beirut
place Syria
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
place Madrid, New York
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
organisation Hopatcong High School
organisation House of Lords
 

Friday 27th June 1941

Horse Racing in War Time.

extract Home Secretary Morrison considers the arguments for and against continuing horse racing in war time
person Herbert Morrison
 

Saturday 28th June 1941

Information and Propaganda.

extract Beaverbrook: Ministry of Information came to Cabinet "for improvement, and it gets a plan that makes things worse"
 

Monday 30th June 1941

Meeting minutes

extract Soviet Ambassador told UK with Russia "up to the hilt in all military and economic measures for the defeat of Germany"
extract Cabinet authorises Foreign Secretary Eden to telegraph terms for a cessation of hostilities in Syria
extract Eden: Of utmost importance Syria operation concluded as early as possible. Delay having unhappy effect on other countries
extract General Dill: Russian military position appears very grave although German air and land losses have been considerable
extract General Dill: Palmyra now completely surrounded. Further reinforcements being sent to Syria
extract Air Chief: Heavy losses of bombers over last week "due to phenomenal light conditions". PM: "Our attacks must continue"
person Claude Auchinleck
person Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
person George Cadogan, 3rd Earl Cadogan
person Oliver Lyttelton, 1st Viscount Chandos
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Charles de Gaulle
person Max Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook
person Walter Hines Page
place South Africa
place Murmansk
place East Germany
place Cranborne
place Iceland
place Moscow
place Cairo
place Turkey
place Syria
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
place West Germany
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
 

Meeting minutes

extract Eden: Every reason to hope within a week announcement might be made of arrival of first American troops in Iceland
place Iceland
 

Russia: Denial of Oil to the Enemy.

extract Minister for Economic Warfare: UK should seek permission from USSR for an attack to deny Russian oilfields to the enemy
person Hugh Dalton
 

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

extract Minister of Food: Imports in May "substantially higher" than first four months of the year. Cheese ration to be increased
place Great Britain
place City of London
place North America
place Burma
organisation Advanced Micro Devices