HC Deb 21 November 1952 vol 507 cc212-4W
Mr. Hurd

asked the Prime Minister if he will list the several official histories now being prepared to record the nation's achievements in the 1939–45 war; and give a progress report in each case.

The Prime Minister

The programme of official histories is as follows:

I. CIVIL HISTORIES

Published

  • British War Economy.
  • British War Production.
  • Problems of Social Policy.
  • Statistical Digest of the War.
  • Coal.
  • Food, Volume I.
  • Economic Blockade, Volume I.
  • Works and Buildings.
  • Civil Industry and Trade.

In the Press

  • Contracts and Finance.
  • Raw Materials.

In preparation

  • Studies in the Social Services.
  • Inland Transport.
  • Agriculture.
  • Civil Defence.
  • North American Supply.
  • Studies of Overseas Supply.
  • Administration of War Production.
  • Factories and Plant.
  • Food, Volume II.
  • Labour in Munition Factories.
  • Oil.
  • Education.
  • Design and Development of Weapons.
  • Shipping
  • Economic Blockade, Volume II
  • Finance
  • Manpower.

Most of the volumes in preparation are well advanced; and most of them should be published within the next two or three years.

II. MILITARY HISTORIES

General Volumes

  • Volume I (to September, 1939)
  • Volume II (September, 1939, to June. 1941)
  • Volume III (June, 1941, to October, 1942)
  • Volume IV (October, 1942, to August, 1943)
  • Volume V (August, 1943, to August, 1945).

Campaign Volumes

  • The Campaign in Norway
  • France and Flanders, 1939–40
  • The Mediterranean and Middle East (six volumes)
  • The War Against Japan (four or five volumes)
  • Victory in the West (two or three volumes)
  • The Defence of the United Kingdom
  • The War at Sea (three volumes)
  • The Strategic Air Offensive (two or three volumes).

ARMED FORCES RECRUITING (OTHER RANKS—MEN AND WOMEN)
— (1) 1st November, 1950, to 31st October, 1951 (2) 1st November, 1951, to 31st October, 1952*
Men Women Total Men Women Total
R.N. and R.M. … … 10,458 1,556 12,014 10,543 1,370 11,913
W.R.N.S. … … …
Army … … … … 26,825 2,382 29,207 50,468 2,862 53,330
W.R.A.C. … … …
R.A.F. … … … … 46,752 3,872 50,624 39,425 3,450 42,875
W.R.A.F. … … …
All Services … … 84,035 7,810 91,845 100,436 7,682 108,118
* The figures for October, 1952, included in these totals are provisional and subject to marginal adjustments when the final figures for October, 1952 are known.

Civil Affairs and Military Government

  • General Principles
  • Italy
  • The Far East
  • North-West Europe.

Apart from some preliminary research, work on the Military Histories did not begin until 1948. Since then authors have been appointed for all the volumes except those on Civil Affairs and Military Government.

"The Campaign in Norway" will be published next month, and the first volume of "The War at Sea" next year. "The War in France and Flanders 1939–40" is also expected to appear next year. These will be followed by the first volume of "The War in the Mediterranean and Middle East," the first volume of "The War Against Japan," one of the General Volumes, and the volume on the Far East in the series on Civil Affairs and Military Government. The drafts of all these are well advanced. The remaining volumes are in various stages of preparation.