Showing 1 results

Typescript transcripts of interviews with high-ranking members of the Civil Service conducted by Dr W Scott Lucas of the University of Birmingham and Professor Anthony Gorst of the University of Westminster for an Institute of Contemporary British History oral history archive project, 1989. The purpose of the project was to trace the career development of key Civil Service officials and included questions relating to their childhood, education, involvement in World War Two, and most notably their positions during some of the most pivotal events of the Cold War. Topics covered include the post-war European Recovery Programme; the Berlin Airlift, 1948; British relations with the USSR, 1946-1982; the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), 1949; the Suez Crisis, 1956; and British arms procurement, 1945-1982. Interviewees include Ian Powell Bancroft, Baron Bancroft of Coatham, Head Home Civil Service and Permanent Secretary to Civil Service Department, 1978-1981; Sir Harold Beeley, Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, 1955, Assistant Under Secretary, Foreign Office, 1956-1958, Deputy United Kingdom Representative, United Nations, 1958-1961; United Kingdom Representative, Disarmament Conference, Geneva, Switzerland, 1964-1967, Ambassador to the United Arab Republic, 1961-1964 and 1967-1969; Rt Hon Sir Frank Cooper, Ministry of Defence, 1964-1968, Deputy Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence, 1968-1970, Deputy Secretary, Civil Service Department, 1970-1973, Permanent Under Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office, 1973-1976, Permanent Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence, 1976-1982; Sir Frank (Kenyon) Roberts, Principal Private Secretary to Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, 1947-1949, Deputy High Commissioner in India, 1949-1951, Deputy Under Secretary of State, Foreign Office, 1951-1954, Ambassador to Yugoslavia, 1954-1957, United Kingdom Permanent Representative on the North Atlantic Council, 1957-1960, Ambassador to the USSR, 1960-1962 and to the Federal Republic of Germany, 1963-68. Also includes typescript lecture by Roger Mellor Makins, 1st Baron Sherfield, relating to the Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor (AGR) decision, 1963- 1964, presented to the Institute of Contemporary British History, 25 Oct 1989.