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 1: PREM 3/1-51
(Subject files covering Acrobat, Aden, Aegean, Aerodromes, Afghanistan, Africa, Air, Air-Bombers, Air-Fighters, Airborne, Aircraft, Aliens, Allies, Ammunition, Anti-Aircraft, Argentina & Argonaut)

PREM 3 contains the papers of Winston Churchill ’s Secretariat for the period of his wartime administration. These include details of his discussions with advisers outside the Cabinet, and papers concerning Defence and Operational Subjects between 1940 and 1945 – a period during which Churchill was both Prime Minister and Minister of Defence.

• Churchill made it a clear rule that “all directions emanating from me are made in writing.”  As a result, the PREM 3 series offers a complete record of World War II from Churchill’s perspective, including his directives, memoranda, and general papers submitted to him for discussion.
• This project includes all recently released material.  Some of these files were only opened in 1997.
• The material is organised alphabetically by subject files.  Part 1 covers Acrobat (the 1941 operation in North Africa) to Argonaut (the Malta and Crimea Conferences, including the meetings of the Supreme Commanders in Malta [Cricket] and at Yalta [Magneto] and Heads of State Meetings in 1945).

Part 1 includes all the files on the Aegean Campaign in the Mediterranean Theatre (February 1943 – July 1944), the files on Aerodromes (vital for the study of the Battle of Britain), on all the African Campaigns, everything to do with Aircraft (Fighters and Bombers), Airborne Troops, Ammunition and Anti-Aircraft Defences, as well as all the important files under the heading Allies.