CABINET PAPERS
Complete classes from the CAB & PREM series in the Public Record Office
Series One: PREM 3 - Papers concerning Defence & Operational Subjects, 1940-1945 Winston Churchill, Minister of Defence, Secretariat Papers

Part 7: PREM 3/277-325 (Subject files cover Mexico, Middle-East (including North Africa), Mines, Morocco, Naval Landing Equipment and Navy)

A substantial amount of Part 7 is taken up with the Middle East and North African Campaigns.

From Egypt and the Middle East to Libya and Tunisia, including some famous actions such as Beda Fomm, Operation Battleaxe, Compass, Crusader, Sidi Rezegh Gazala, Bir Hacheim, Tobruk; the First and Second Battles of El Alamein; the Torch landings in North Africa and the Battle of Tunisia including Kasserine Pass and Mareth, Churchill's files contain an extraordinary amount of detail, comment and analysis crucial to any understanding of these operations and their overall influence on strategic planning. Featuring Australian, New Zealand, British, Indian and South Afican Divisions with US Divisions from Torch onwards, these files allow researchers a daily or week by week view of the decision making process. There are also important files on the Balkans, including Greece and Yugoslavia; on Gibraltar, Cairo and Alexandria as well as on vital bases in the supply chain such as Malta; on operations against the Italian fleet; on Crete, Sicily and the Dodecanese (the latter of particular interest to Churchill stemming from events in 1915). The entirety of the Italian campaign is well documented.

Morocco is briefly covered. There is documentation on the Oran-Casablanca railway and the future of Tangier. The principal cities of Morocco were home to many of the secret agents of both sides operating in the Mediterranean theatre. Mines (including acoustic, parachute and aerial mines) as well as Minesweeping operations are also well covered.

The files under the headings Naval Programmes, the Navy and Naval Land Equipment offer data on the construction of new ships, the repair of damaged ships, a comparison between the British battleship HMS King George V and the American USS Carolina, reports on the disposition of capital ships, information on Soviet convoys, material on the Royal Marines, the gift of HMS Shropshire to Australia, the use of tugs for Operation Overlord and notes on various senior command appointments.