War Cabinet Minutes (HMSO), 1939-1945 is a themed microfiche collection containing copies of the minutes of the War Cabinet Meetings, Sep 1939-Jul 1945, and Cabinet Conclusions and Confidential Annexes, 1941-1945. Meeting minutes include British plans to create discord amongst the German High Command, Nov 1939; criticism of the military campaign in Norway, May 1940; First Lord of the Admiralty Winston (Leonard Spencer) Churchill's criticism of the Allied propaganda campaign in France, May 1940; speculation on the ability of the German population to sustain prolonged war, May 1940; reaction to the Allied withdrawals in France and Belgium, May 1940; the debate over the possible compromise peace with Germany, 26-28 May 1940; the decision to intern all enemy aliens in the United Kingdom; May 1940; Churchill's reaction to American isolationism, May 1940; the seizing of French warships in British and Egyptian harbours and the sinking of French warships at Mers-el-Kebir, Egypt, 23 Jun 1940; straining Anglo-French relations, Jul 1940; the Anglo-American 'destroyers for bases' agreement, Aug 1940; Churchill's attempt to take to court the Sunday Pictorial and the Daily Mirror over the newspapers' alleged anti-Government editorials, Oct 1940; preparations for the possible German invasion of the Britain, 1940; civil defence precautions in Britain, 1940; the British intervention in Greece, 1941; speculation on Soviet military collapses following the invasion of the Soviet Union by German armed forces, Jun 1941; Churchill's appeals to US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt for American intervention in the war, 1941; reaction over the fall of Singapore and Malaya to Japanese armed forces, Feb 1942; Anglo-American preparations for the invasion of North Africa, 1942; naval and air operations against France, 1943; the 'Beveridge Report' on social security in Britain, 1943; reports on Allied conferences at Casablanca, Jan 1943, and Washington, May 1943; the Allied decision to invade France made at the QUADRANT Conference, Quebec, Canada, Aug 1943; the planning and conduct of Operation OVERLORD, the Allied invasion of France, Jun 1944; the effect of the bombardment of London by German V1 pilotless aircraft and possible RAF reprisals against German civilian targets, Jun 1944; post-war reconstruction and rehabilitation in Europe, Jul 1944; plans for the Allied occupation of Germany and Austria, Nov 1944; British intervention in Greece in order to prevent a Communist take-over of the peninsula, Nov 1944; the establishment of the United Nations, 1945; arrangements for celebrating the end of the war in Europe, May 1945; the British General Election, Jul 1945.

Comprising copies of journals, maps, newspaper cuttings and supporting printed literature relating to politics, trade, international development and relations between nations in North Africa and the Middle East, 1959-1993; notably including personal papers and notes compiled by George Joffé for Menas (Middle East and North African Studies Press) Ltd, and in the course of his work as a journalist, principally correspondence with publishers, consultants and experts in the oil industry relating to legal action over disputed damages estimates, 1978-1986, papers on Project Profile Ltd, a consultancy company established in 1982; cuttings and typescript articles and lecture texts by Joffé mainly on Morocco and North Africa delivered to the African History seminar at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London, and Institute of Commonwealth Studies, 1976-1977 (Ref: Joffé 1/1-3); research papers compiled for Menas, mainly correspondence with experts on the various arbitration and court proceedings between international oil companies and national governments with which Menas was involved, including on Iran, the Iranian oil industry, economy, borders and politics, 1966-1993, Libya and Malta and the 'Continental Shelf Case', 1983-1990, Saudi Arabia and Yemeni border issues, 1991, disputes concerning international water resources, 1982-1986, cost analysis, accounting standards and background articles on the Khemco and Phillips oil cases, 1985-1988, notes on Morocco including offprints, press cuttings, national economic statistics and statistics of neighbouring countries in North Africa, 1974-1988 (Ref: Joffé 2/1-8); typescript court reports, claimants' and respondents' submissions, evaluations, expert testimony and supporting evidence in a number of international disputes aired at the Iran-US Claims Tribunal, The Hague, Netherlands, and International Chamber of Commerce Arbitration, concerning several major international oil companies or local subsidiaries including Phillips Petroleum, Amoco, Mobil Oil, Arco, Gatoil, Lapco and Khemco in their claims against Iran, 1983-1989, the Saudi Arabia-Yemen boundary dispute, 1991-1992, Mobil Oil Libya v Libya, 1982-1986, Libya-Malta Continental Shelf Case with extracts from numerous Maltese parliamentary papers and Mediterranean geological studies, 1966-1983 (Ref: Joffé 3/1-14); Menas publications, notably on Iran, Libya, Morocco, international boundaries and water resources, 1979-1991 (Ref: Joffé 4); on the politics, economies and international relations of numerous North African or Middle Eastern countries and regions including Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Europe, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Middle East, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, and on various topics such as oil, Islam and the Salman Rushdie affair, 1980-1989 (Ref: Joffé 5/1-4); Economist Intelligence Unit publications, mainly Special Reports on countries, industries, trends and energy reviews, 1983-1993 (Ref: Joffé 6/1-3); copies of various journals and periodicals including International Affairs , 1980-1986, The Middle East Journal , 1980-1987, Third World Quarterly , 1981-1984, 1986-1987, Cedies informations , 1983-1987, Middle East Business Weekly , 1985-1990, Middle East Economic Survey , 1987-1989 (Ref: Joffé 7); statistical publications on various Middle East and African countries including Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Morocco, company reports, OPEC reports, 1959-1990 (Ref: Joffé 8/1-5); copies of maps, mainly topographical and geological, of Iran, [1950-1985] (Ref: Joffé 9); diverse bibliographies including on Afghanistan, uranium, Africa and the International Court of Justice, 1979-1980 (Ref:Joffé 10); copies of archival documents used in research undertaken by Menas and in court and arbitration proceedings, employed to establish historical precedents and resolve boundary disputes, on Malta, including copies of documents in the Archives of the Knights of St John, Public Record Office (PRO), London, and the State Archives in Venice, in Italian, French and English, [1728-1950], Israel-Jordan water resources mainly from the US National Archives' Eric Johnson manuscripts, Public Record Office (PRO) Colonial Office and Foreign Office documents on the same subject, 1876-1959], Saudi Arabia-Yemen territorial dispute copies of diplomatic records from the Public Record Office, India Office and Ottoman Archives, Istanbul, [1890-1930], copies of treaties mainly on the Mediterranean and Morocco, in French, [1761-1985], Libya disputes with Chad and Malta, French plans for Libya and the former Italian colonies, including PRO Foreign Office 371 and 146, and the Rennell papers, Nuffield College, Oxford, [1883-1991], Iraq-Kuwait territorial claims including PRO Foreign Office 371 documents and India Office papers, [1909-1956] (Ref: Joffé 11/1-6).

Papers and photographs relating to work with UN Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in China, 1946-1947, and the Ex-Services Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Group, 1984-1987, including four manuscript narrative diaries of Holman's military service, 1941-1945; two photograph albums with views of Egypt, Palestine, South Africa, Aden, and at sea on board HM Hospital Ship LLANDOVERY CASTLE, 1942-1945; booklet by Aubrey Hammond entitled The story of 50 Div (Schindler's Press, Cairo, 1943); papers relating to work with UN Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in China, including edition of the Canton Daily Star, 1946, 137 mostly uncaptioned photographs of urban and rural China, correspondence with UN staff and letters of appointment,references and memoranda, 1946-1947; typescript draft article by Holman on the National Health Service, 1961; sixty six editions of I F Stone's Bi-Weekly and I F Stone's Weekly, 1963-1971; edition of the King-Hall newsletter, 1966; booklet entitled The silent killers. New developments in gas and germ weapons (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, London, 1981); papers relating toEx-Services Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Group, including fourteen editions of 'Ex-Services Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Group Newsletter', 1984-1987, meeting agendas and associated leaflets and circulars; booklet entitled The soldier's tale (Ex-Services Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Publications, Bristol, 1987). Also publications, 1937-1987, including four John Playerand Sons cigarette card albums entitled 'The Coronation of HM King George VI and HM Queen Elizabeth 1937', 'Military uniforms of the British Empire overseas' [1937], 'An album of modern naval craft' [1939], and 'Aircraft of the Royal Air Force' [1939]; booklet entitled British, French and German warships at a glance (Sampson Low, Marston and Company, London, 1940); five editions of Lilliput magazine, 1940-1944.

Also notebook including an account of Holman's service in Italy, 28 Mar - 13 May 1945 (2014 accession).