Catalogue description War Office: Confidential Printed Papers (B Papers)

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Details of WO 287
Reference: WO 287
Title: War Office: Confidential Printed Papers (B Papers)
Description:

Confidential reports and handbooks printed for internal circulation in the War Office and the army. The original distinction (in the early 1900s) between papers in this series and those in the A series (WO 33) is not clear, but many B papers are military or intelligence reports on foreign countries. Later, B papers appear to be those of a classification below 'secret'.

The B series appear to have been phased out from 1943 and the A series was used thereafter for most accountable documents.

Date: 1904-1949
Arrangement:

After the two series of A and B had become established it was not unusual for papers to be issued initially in the A series, and subsequently downgraded to 'security' classification and issued as B papers. Where this was so it is noted in the WO 33 piece description after the A number e.g. A 5981 (B 1203). Copies have not been preserved in WO 287

Related material:

For War Office and Ministry of Defence confidential print, see

WO 279

For later army finance reports see WO 350

Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English
Creator:

War Office, 1857-1964

Physical description: 287 files, papers and volumes
Access conditions: Open
Immediate source of acquisition:

From 1982 Ministry of Defence

Accruals: Series is accruing

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