Catalogue description Ministry of Defence and predecessors: Defence Signal Board and predecessors: Minutes and Papers

Search within or browse this series to find specific records of interest.

Date range

Details of DEFE 59
Reference: DEFE 59
Title: Ministry of Defence and predecessors: Defence Signal Board and predecessors: Minutes and Papers
Description:

This series consists of minutes and papers of the Defence Signal Board and its predecessors relating to various aspects of wireless telegraphy and electronic communications in the military context.

The files were re-jacketed into D/Pol (ICS) files in 1999 and original references confused or obliterated.
Date: 1917-1986
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Former reference in its original department: D/Pol ICS
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English
Creator:

British Joint Communications Board, 1942-1946

Joint Naval and Military Wireless/Telegraphy Committee, 1917-1918

Ministry of Defence, British Joint Communications Board, 1946-1951

Ministry of Defence, British Joint Communications Electronics Board, 1951-1964

Ministry of Defence, Defence Signal Board, 1964-1983

Wireless Telegraphy Board, 1918-1942
Physical description: 31 file(s)
Access conditions: Open unless otherwise stated
Immediate source of acquisition:

Ministry of Defence
Selection and destruction information: Later papers up to 1994 have been put back for review.
Accruals: Series is accruing
Administrative / biographical background:

The Joint Naval and Military Wireless/Telegraphy Committee was set up as an interdepartmental committee in 1917 to:

  • 1. represent interests of the 3 Services in relation to wireless and telegraphy;
  • 2. co-ordinate use of air waves, power and standardisation of equipment;
  • 3. sharing research between the Services.

The committee changed its name to the Wireless Telegraphy Board (and was attached to the Signal Division of the Naval Staff) in 1918, the British Joint Communications Board in 1942, the British Joint Communications Electronics Board in 1951, the Defence Signal Board in 1964 and the Defence Command and Control Communications and Information Systems Board in 1983.

From 1918 the board provided advice to each of the 3 service boards and from 1946 to the newly created Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Ministry of Defence. Defence Signals Staff provided the secretariat to the Defence Signal Board.

Have you found an error with this catalogue description?

Help with your research