Access to War Diaries in the 1920s and 1930s

The highly confidential and controlled nature of War Diaries before their release to the Public Record Office in the 1960s is made clear in the following two instructions. The halting of the typing of additional copies of the War Diaries for the historical records of units in 1930 can be attributed to the continuing squeeze on War Office budgets as part of the Ten Year Rule and further tightening occassioned by the beginning of the Great Depression. An extract is also provided from the report of the Military Branch, Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence to show the range of unit historians engaged in writing regimental histories accessing the War Diaries at the London offices of the Committee.

 

A.C.I. 777 of 1920:

Transcribed from The National Archives (TNA) WO 293/11 War Office: Army Council: Instructions (1920)

A.C.I. 238 of 1930

Transcribed from Ibid: WO 293/19 War Office: Army Council: Instructions (1930-1931

The National Archives (TNA) CAB 103/8 Report: Historical Section (Military Branch): 1st Dec 1929 – 30th Nov 1930. p. 14.