Archives
Selected documents of historic interest discovered during our research at the British National Archives and other international archives and libraries.
British Politician’s Scathing Phrenological Assessments of President Kennedy and Charles de Gaulle
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Lee Richards, 25 January 2012
One of the more bizarre releases of British Government papers to the National Archives this month includes a strange set of correspondence from 1961 between Robert Jenkins MP and the Prime Minister’s Office. Using phrenological ‘analysis’, Jenkins claims President Kennedy to be superficial beyond belief and a political adolescent and brands President de Gaulle as egotistical and almost a megalomaniac.
Government Censorship of BBC Panorama Documentary
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In 1980 the British Broadcasting Corporation commissioned its flagship Panorama news and current affairs programme to produce a documentary on Britain's intelligence services. Although the documentary nominally purported to tackle the issue from the viewpoint of accountability of the intelligence services, the Government was concerned that the BBC was being embroiled in a campaign led by journalist Duncan Campbell and opposition MP Robin Cook to undermine Britain's intelligence services.
The following memorandum is a report on a meeting between civil servant Robert Armstrong and the then Director-General of the BBC Sir Ian Trethowan where the Government tries to prevent, or at least censor, the broadcast of the programme.
The Facts about Rudolf Hess
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A British Foreign Office report on the first interview with Nazi Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess following his surprise landing in Great Britain in May 1941.
(Taken from the National Archives, file reference: FO 371/34484)
Hess flew to Great Britain in a Me. 110, from which he landed by parachute in the evening of the 10th May, 1941, at Eaglesham in Scotland. He was wearing the uniform of a captain in the German Air Force. He gave his name as Alfred Horn and stated to the Home Guard and the Police that he was on a “special mission” to see the Duke of Hamilton, and that he had intended to land at Dungavel, 12 miles distant from the spot where he landed.
Operation Mincemeat - Captured Abwehr Documents
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- Category: Operation Mincemeat
The following four captured German Abwehr documents illustrate how Operation Mincemeat was swallowed hook, line and sinker. Each of the original documents beared the initials of Admiral Doenitz.
Should the secret of Operation Mincemeat be revealed?
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- Category: Operation Mincemeat
Digging around in the National Archives yesterday I came across this correspondence regarding Operation Mincemeat.
The story of Mincemeat was originally told in 1950 by Sir Duff Cooper in his book 'Operation Heartbreak'. The book claimed to be a work of fiction but was very close to the real story. Obviously Commander Montague was not best pleased when Duff Cooper published this book, as he wanted to tell the story himself.
This correspondence, between members of the Joint Intelligence Committee, discuss why they did not want the real story told. Nevertheless, in the end Montague was able to publish his truthful, abeit incomplete, account of Operation Mincemeat which led to the famous film "The Man Who Never Was".
Operation Mincemeat - Top Secret Ultra Report
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- Category: Operation Mincemeat
Extracts from a Top Secret - ULTRA report on Operation Mincemeat, aka "The Man Who Never Was".
(Taken from National Archives file: CAB 154/112)
TOP SECRET(U)
Once the Africa campaign was completed, the problems of Security and Deception, which have already been discussed in connection with TORCH, assumed a new form. The next target was Sicily. For many reasons it was an obvious target and the difficulty of deceiving the enemy was great.
14 Amplifier Unit & 19 Leaflet Unit War Diary
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At the request of Mil Gov (8 Corps) and OC 218 Mil. Gov. Det. the following amplifier announcements were made:- Forbidding civilians to enter 8 Corps HQ area without a permit; warning civilians against looting from Army dumps; forbidding civilians to use cars and bicycles on the roads; warning troops against looting from dumps established for civilians; instructing troops not to interfere with free circulation of civilians or outside the hours of curfew (all in GREVEN on the Ems on 2 April ’45); announcement imposing a curfew in OSNABRUECK from 1700 hrs to 0800 hrs; announcement to DPs [Displaced Persons] instructing them to stay put in OSNABRUECK, so as not to interfere with military traffic; announcement instructing DPs to assemble in the LEDENHOR, OSNABRUECK on 5 April, to receive instructions (all on 4 April).
Subcategories
- Operation Mincemeat
- War Diaries
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Special Operations Executive
Archival material and references related to the activities of the Special Operations Executive in the Second World War.