Showing 57 results

Reports, telegrams and memoranda chiefly relating to a visit by Taylor (code name ‘AD’) to Turkey as Director of Overseas Groups and Missions, SOE, December 1942, and preparations for a visit to South Africa, January 1943. File includes: a directive summarising the purpose and organisation of SOE activities in East Africa; a report on SOE organisations in South and East Africa by ‘DZ 4’ [Lt Col R L Broad] two memoranda by ‘AD/U’ [William Johnston ‘Tony’ Keswick] on SOE personnel in the Durban Mission; letters from ‘WS’ [Lt Col A W Smith], relating to the command of the Durban Mission and the development of special operations in Portuguese East Africa, including possible SOE anti-submarine activities; reports by Taylor, with related correspondence, concerning his visit to the SOE office, Turkey, including SOE operations in Turkey, the morale of SOE personnel, relations with the SOE Cairo office, negotiations with the Turkish government over the sale of chromite (used in the production of chrome) to Germany, the Goeland Company (a fictitious company created by the British government to reduce German access to Danube shipping), potential demolition targets in Turkey in the event of Axis occupation, and possible future actions of the Turkish government; letters by Taylor relating to SOE operations in Hungary, the Hungary Section in London, the deployment of an operative with expert knowledge of Hungary, named ‘Hindle’, and negotiations with OSS (Office of Strategic Services, the US counterpart to SOE) over possible co-operation in the Middle East.

Telegrams between Taylor (‘AD’) and personnel of the SOE West Africa Mission, Lagos, Nigeria, on topics including: the transfer of administrative personnel and wireless equipment from the West Africa Mission to the South Africa Mission; possible involvement of the West Africa Mission in the internal affairs of French West Africa; relations between SOE and SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) in western Africa; intelligence agents in Angola working with both the West Africa Mission and the South Africa mission.

Telegrams between Taylor (‘AD’), South Africa, and SOE personnel in Cairo, Egypt, on topics including: the deployment of an operative with expert knowledge of Hungary, named ‘Hindle’; the appointment of a new head, ‘WS’ [Lt Col A W Smith] taking over South Africa Mission from ‘DZ 4’ [Lt Col R L Broad]; air resources for the South Africa Mission; staff transfers and personnel recruitment.

Papers relating to SOE activities in India, China and South East Asia, Apr-Jun 1943
Correspondence, notes and memoranda relating to SOE policy, organisation, protocols, equipment, stores, air and naval resources, and operations in India, China, and South East Asia, produced before and during a visit to India by Taylor (‘AD’). File includes: a memorandum from ‘SO’ (Roundell Cecil Palmer, third Earl of Selborne), Minister of Economic Warfare, requesting information on Operation Longshanks (an SOE operation to sabotage Axis shipping off Portuguese Goa); an organisational chart and list of code names for the SOE India Mission; routine administrative, travel and expenses documents for Taylor; a directive for Taylor's tour from ‘CD’ [Sir Charles Jocelyn Hambro], head of SOE, April 1943; correspondence and memoranda on Operation Mickleham (an SOE operation intended to smuggle rubber from enemy-occupied South East Asia); a report from ‘BB 134’ [Lt Lionel Ormandy Davis] to ‘BB 300’ [Walter Fletcher] on Davis' tour of southern China, covering Anglo-US co-operation in China and South East Asia, the financial situation in China, the availability of commodities in Japanese-occupied South East Asia, and SOE personnel and resources in China; letters from ‘AD 4’ [Col Bickham Aldred Cowan Sweet-Escott and ‘CD’ [Charles Hambro], London, on the re-organisation of senior SOE personnel, negotiations in London on co-operation with American clandestine organisations in China and India, and developments in South Africa; records of meetings held between Taylor and military and intelligence personnel in India on the status, organisation, future operations and resource requirements of the SOE India Mission; memoranda and correspondence on procedures for launching SOE operations in India by sea and air, current signals, material, stores, and personnel provision for the India Mission and anticipated requirements; a review of SOE activities and requirements in Malaya (Malaysia) and Burma (Myanmar); a memorandum on proposed SOE activities in the Karenni region of Burma and Operation Harlington (to parachute SOE personnel into Burma); correspondence and memoranda concerning co-operation with OSS (Office of Strategic Services, the US counterpart to SOE) in Asia, and the provision of para-naval and aircraft resources for SOE, SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) and MI9 (a British clandestine organisation assisting the escape of British prisoners of war) in India and South East Asia; a report on training for parachuting and field work at Chaklala, India (now Pakistan); a list of personnel in SOE India's Burma Section, their locations and signals equipment; an organisational chart of staff structure, SOE India.

Correspondence, charts, reports and minutes, chiefly relating to SOE policy and administration in Asia, including: correspondence and memoranda relating to SOE personnel, organisation, stores and equipment in India, South East Asia (SEA) and Australia; a proposal for SOE sabotage missions along the China coast; minutes of a policy meeting, SOE India Mission; report on Operation Longshanks (to sabotage Axis shipping off Portuguese Goa); correspondence on transport issues affecting SOE India; material relating to SOE personnel and operations in South East Asia; letters and memoranda by Taylor reporting on his tour of India, his interpretation of SOE India's role, future plans, and his recommendations for SOE India's organisation and policy; memoranda on aircraft and naval resources and personnel available for SOE India and Taylor's negotiations with senior air and naval commanders; letters from ‘AD 4’ [Col Bickham Aldred Cowan Sweet-Escott] reporting on events at SOE Headquarters, London; papers relating to a memorandum signed between ‘BB 100’ [Colin Mackenzie], Commander of SOE India Mission, and Gen Cheng Chieh-Min, Chinese Director of Military Intelligence (DMI).

Correspondence and memoranda relating to SOE policy and activities in East and South East Asia (SEA) and elsewhere, including: details of the range, capabilities and potential modifications of Liberator heavy bombers and other aircraft for SOE India; notes on the need for a military Chief of Staff to ‘BB 100’ [Colin Mackenzie], Commander of the SOE India Mission; routine documents concerning SOE administration, communications, personnel, and security issues; correspondence relating to the SOE West Africa Mission; a letter from ‘CD’, head of SOE, on SOE co-operation with Soviet NKVD personnel and Operation Pickaxe missions to infiltrate Soviet agents into occupied Europe; report on SOE India's organisation, actions, and integration with SEAC (South East Asian Command); letter to ‘BB 100’, with related code key, concerning a scheme to convey information from ‘G’ [William Stephenson], Head of British Security Co-Ordination (BSC), USA, to Lord Mountbatten, SACSEA (Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia); a directive to Capt G A Garnons-Williams as co-ordinator of SIS, OSS (Office of Strategic Services, the US counterpart to SOE), SOE and the PW (Political Warfare) Section in SEAC (South East Asia Command).

Memoranda and related papers on SOE operations, organisation, personnel, policy and equipment in South Asia, South East Asia, East Asia, Australia and elsewhere. File includes: a letter to Taylor from Moshe Shertok, of the Jewish Agency for Palestine (later Moshe Sharett, Prime Minister of Israel, 1954-1955), enclosing copy correspondence between Shertok and Randolph Churchill on proposals to assist and train Jewish resistance fighters in eastern Europe; a letter from Taylor to Cdr Ian Fleming, Naval Intelligence, requesting assistance with the surreptitious acquisition of information on French Indochina (FIC) in Paris; memorandum on relations between the Globe News Agency and Reuters News Agency in India and the Middle East; letter from Taylor to Fleming concerning relations between SOE, SOA (Special Operations Australia) and the US High Command; letter from Taylor to ‘FO’ [G Young], concerning SOE and OSS (the US Office of Strategic Services) relations in Burma (Myanmar); discussion of camouflage provision in India; equipment and training for SOE naval operations, Australia; request for French submarines to operate off French Indochina; an exchange between Taylor and Hubertus van Mook, Acting Governor General of the Dutch East Indies concerning special forces operations in the South West Pacific Area (‘SWPA’) and the work of Maj Egerton Mott; a memorandum on the recruitment of Soviet POWs for work in France; memorandum on Operation Belief, to drop Francois de Langlade into French Indochina to make contact with Vichy French personnel sympathetic to the Allies, and the subsequent complaints from OSS; brief telegram on plans to arm Czech partisans, and consequent problems with the SAM Mission to the USSR.

Letters, instructions and related papers chiefly concerning SOE operations and organisation in South Asia and East Asia. File includes: draft instructions for a forthcoming tour of China and India by Taylor (‘AD’), written by Taylor himself, covering a planned conference for SOE and OSS (the US Office of Strategic Services) during a visit to East Asia by Gen William Donovan, head of OSS, and the possible use of Operation Remorse (the raising of funds via covert currency transactions on the Chinese black market) for SOE operations aside from its financial activities; a letter concerning SOE/OSS co-operation in China, the planned control of all British and US clandestine operations in China by Gen Albert Wedermeyer (commander of US forces in China) and the possible future control of SOE by the British Foreign Secretary; a memorandum on the role of the ‘Deputy Director Operations Division (Irregular)’ or ‘DDOD(I)’ and special forces marine operations.

Three photocopy documents: ‘Report on German SO2 activities in Yugoslavia’, 1941; memorandum from ‘CD’ to ‘AD 3’, 1943, concerning contact with partisans in Yugoslavia; a report, ‘The Goeland Transport and Trading Co Ltd’, 1944 (on the fictitious company created by the British government to reduce German access to Danube shipping), with a covering letter from A V Anderson to Maj Gen W H Oxley, Commissioner of the Allied Control Commission to Bulgaria (with original National Archives reference code WO 220/109). Poor quality copies.

File of material relating to the London Conference on Yugoslavia, 26-28 August 1992, including: addresses to the conference; press releases; letters and background documents. Includes addresses to the conference by: Rt Hon Peter Alexander Rupert Carington, 6th Baron Carrington (Lord Carrington), European Community peace envoy; Dr Klaus Kinkel, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Federal Republic of Germany (Language: German with English translation); Hekmet Cetin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Turkey; András Ágoston, President, Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Vojvodina; Alfred Serreqi, Albanian Minister of Foreign Affairs; Kiro Gligorov, President of the Republic of Macedonia; Milan Panic, Prime Minister of Yugoslavia; Kiro Gligorov, President of the Republic of Macedonia; Josef Moravcik, Chairman in Office of the CSCE Council of Ministers; Hon Barbara McDougall, Secretary of State for External Affairs, Canada; Dr Alois Mock, Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria; Willy Claes, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Belgium; Uffe Ellemann-Jenson, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Denmark; Roland Dumas, French Foreign Minister (Language: French); H van den Broek, The Netherlands Minister for Foreign Affairs;Boutros Boutros-Ghali, UN Secretary General (Language: French). Press releases from the following: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania on compliance with the sanctions against Yugoslavia decided by the Security Council Resolutions, 22 Aug 1992; the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 27 Aug 1992 relating to 'Panic proposal for UN Observers on Yugoslav/Bosnian Border endorsed by Milosevic and Izetbegovic', and 'Major and Hurd praise Panic principles for peace'; statement by US Acting Secretary of State, Lawrence Eagleburger following the London Conference, 27 Aug 1992; and transcript of press conference given by John Major, British Prime Minister, Cyrus Vance, Boutros Boutros Ghali and Douglas Hurd, 27 Aug 1992; joint statement by the Index on Censorship and Faith Asylum Refuge, 26 Aug 1992; statement from the spokesman for the UN Secretary General [1992]; and statements from Bosnia-Herzegovina Information Centre [1992]. Letters include: Milan Panic, President of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to Li Diaoyu, President of the UN Security Council, 17 Aug 1992; Joseph J DioGuardi, US Member of Congress to Douglas Hurd, British Foreign Minister, 21 Aug 1992; Members of the Parliament of the Republic of Kosova to the London Conference on Yugoslavia 26 Aug 1992; Background material includes: bound copy of European Community Conference on Yugoslavia. Background documents pack; 'Serbia and Montenegro', paper by the Co-Chairman; draft statement on Serbia and Montenegro, 27 Aug 1992; abstract to articles 'The opinions of the Badinter Arbitration Committee, A second breath for the self-determination of peoples' Alain Pellet, European Journal of International Law, Firenze, Vol 3 No 1 1992, and 'Faillite: le sort des crianciers', Jean-Reni Edighoffer, Chroniques d'actualité de la deseis, Paris T22, No 10, 15 Oct 1985; copy of speech of President Jacques Delors at the Special Session of European Parliament Committees on the Former Yugoslavia, Brussels, 10 Aug 1992; copy of article 'Development in Eastern and Central Europe: a new challenge for the community' [1992]; copy of article 'The Serbian policy of genocide against the Albanians in war and peace', Council for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms [1992].

File relating to the role of Rt Hon David Anthony Llewellyn Owen, Baron Owen of the City of Plymouth (Lord Owen), European Community (EC) mediator and co-chairman of the International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia 1992-1995, during conflict in Yugoslavia, including photocopies of: three public lectures at the London School of Economics given by Dr Cedric Thornberry, celebrating of the UN's Fiftieth Anniversary, entitled 'The development of international peacekeeping', 17 Jan 1995, ' Only the odd-numbered World Wars start in Sarajevo', 19 Jan 1994 and 'Peacekeeping in the nineties and beyond', 23 Jan 1994, 54pp; Photocopy of article 'Conflict in former Yugoslavia: quest for solutions', Susan L Woodward, Great Decisions 1994, 14pp; 1994 Sir Winston Churchill Memorial Lecture delivered by Rt Hon Lord Owen, 11 Mar 1994 at the Fondation Pescatore, Luxemburg, entitled 'Yugoslavia: the lessons for the European Union', 21pp; 1993 Churchill Lecture deliverd by Rt Hon Lord Owen, 'Yugoslavia', Guildhall, London, 25 Nov 1993, 22pp; XIX International Conference organised by the Pio Manzu Research Centre, the Gorbachev Foundation and Bologna University, Keynote address by Lord Owen titled 'The third round: the global enterprise in a world torn between neo-tribalism and the challenge of trans-national solidarity', Rimini, 17 Oct 1993, 24pp; note on on 'pre-Owen' meeting, 29 Mar 1994 and copy of topics for discussion with Lord Owen; Summary of Activity, Sep 1992-Feb 1994, from the International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia; four newpaper articles by Lord Owen, Jul 1992-Aug 1993; 'A framework for survival' Lord Owen, Journal of the Irish Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons, Vol 23, No 1, Jan 1994. Also contains United Nations Security Council material including Reports of the Secretary-General on the International Conference on Former Yugoslavia, 11 Nov 1992; Report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia, 12 Mar 1993 and the copies of Resolutions 847 (1993), 30 Jun 1993, and Resolution 877 (1993), 21 Oct 1993.

Printed messages issued by Gen Sir Bernard Montgomery as General Officer Commanding in Chief 8 Army in North Africa, Oct 1942 – May 1943, Sicily, Jul-Sep 1943, and Italy Oct 1943 – Jan 1944. Two printed messages issued by Montgomery as Commander-in-Chief, 21 Army Group, Jun and Aug 1944. Also two printed messages issued by Gen Dwight D Eisenhower as Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force, Jun and Aug 1944.

Letters to Maj Gen Sir Miles Graham, 1946-1950, including: a request from The Times for a review of We defended Normandy, by Lt Gen Hans Speidel, with notes by Graham, 1951; letters, 1952, about the total number of war dead, World War Two; two letters about a planned visit from journalist Gordon Rattray Taylor, 1958; a detailed letter from Gen Sir Brian Robertson 1960, about Gen Sir Bernard Montgomery’s command of the Western Desert campaign.

Telegrams from Taylor (‘AD’) to SOE Headquarters, London, on topics including: the situation in southern Africa; the morale of individual SOE agents; reports on meetings with FM Jan Smuts, Prime Minister of South Africa; the potential for expansion of SOE activity in southern Africa; difficult relations between SOE and SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) in southern Africa; the transfer of responsibility for SOE work in Angola to the South African Mission. See also 1/3/1 for telegrams from SOE Headquarters, London.

Briefing notes on SOE operations in Yugoslavia, Greece and Albania, including locations, code names, personnel, leadership, and signals equipment.

Memoranda and related papers concerning SOE policy, organisation, personnel and equipment chiefly in South East Asia, South Asia, East Asia and Australia. File includes: a memorandum on the air and naval resources available for operations in Malaya (Malaysia) and SOE relations with the Army in India; a letter detailing the poor relations between the SAM Mission (to improve Anglo-Russian relations) and the SOE London Headquarters; a memorandum on the deployment of Welfreighters (customised marine craft) in East Asia; brief communiques relating to Operation HORNBILL (to use Chinese junks and ‘Sleeping Beauty’ motorised submersible canoes to sabotage Japanese operations in South East Asia); instructions and memoranda on the supply of SOE personnel and specialised naval equipment to Australia; papers relating to Dutch personnel operating within the Inter-Allied Services Department (ISD, used as a cover name for Special Operations Australia, SOA); notes on SOE naval requirements in East Asia and South East Asia.

Papers relating chiefly to SOE operations in South East Asia, East Asia and South Asia, Aug 1944
Memoranda and related papers concerning SOE operations, organisation, personnel, policy and equipment in South East Asia, East Asia and South Asia. File includes: a memorandum on Operation Belief (to drop Francois de Langlade into French Indochina to make contact with Vichy French personnel sympathetic to the Allies), its political implications, and the need to avoid questions over the post-war status of French Indochina; papers relating to the deployment of Soviet POWs to subvert Russians serving with German forces, to work with the French Resistance, and to work in locating secret weapons; correspondence relating to personnel and training for ‘Sleeping Beauty’ motorised submersible canoes; draft letter from ‘CD’ to Adm Lord Mountbatten concerning the relationship between South East Asia Command (SEAC) and SOE China; notes on the acquisition of Japanese Army uniforms in Burma (Myanmar) to aid the production of accurate copies; letters by Taylor on proposals to transfer SOE ‘Jedburgh’ teams from France to South East Asia for possible deployment in Burma (Myanmar); a memorandum on Operation Oblivion, to drop Chinese-Canadian agents into Japanese-occupied China.

Letters and memoranda chiefly concerning SOE operations and organisation in East Asia and elsewhere. File includes further drafts of briefing notes on SOA (Special Operations Australia) for Prime Minister Winston Churchill; memoranda on British policy on SOE operations in China; a letter to ‘BB 100’ on future SOE organisation and operations in China, Operation Remorse (to raise money via covert currency transactions on the black market in China), and comment on Remorse personnel including Lionel Davies, and Derek George Gill-Davies.

Correspondence and memoranda chiefly to and from ‘BB100’ [Colin Mackenzie], at SOE London Headquarters during Taylor’s tour of USA and Australia, on subjects including: resistance groups in French Indochina (FIC), Burma, Malay and Siam (Thailand); Allied relations with Chinese Communists; the future of SOA (Special Operations Australia); the possibly deployment of Dutch troops with Force 136 in South East Asia (SEA); the post-war future of SOE personnel and Taylor’s own demobilisation; the Korean National Revolutionary Party; the proposed release of Axis prisoners of war captured after the 1943 Operation Longshanks (also known as Operation Creek, for the sabotage of Axis shipping off the coast of Goa, India), suggesting that the true nature of the covert operation should not be revealed to the Foreign Office; Anglo-French co-operation in FIC, 1943-1945.

Captioned photographs of the completed East Wing of Bush House seen from the north and south. Also one photograph of stone masons working on blocks of stone for East Wing.