Catalogue description FINAL SERIES: 1952-1964 (plus strays 1903-1951 and some papers from 1965-1974)

Details of Subseries within ADM 1
Reference: Subseries within ADM 1
Title: FINAL SERIES: 1952-1964 (plus strays 1903-1951 and some papers from 1965-1974)
Description:

This sub-series (known as the 'Final Series') like other parts of ADM 1 contains a wide range of documents sent to, or created by, different departments within the Admiralty. It also includes a large number of Honours and Awards papers, most relating to the Second World War. The Honours and Awards papers also include reports of proceedings of engagements, battles and actions in which gallantry medals were awarded.

The Final Series includes papers from the following Admiralty departments and branches (old Admiralty reference abbreviations in brackets):

Department and branches to 1958-59 include: Air branch (A), Aircraft Accidents (AA), Admiral Commanding Reserves (ACR), Admiralty Record Office (ADMY and ADMTY), Directorate of Air Organisation and Training (AOD), Administrative Planning Directorate (APD), Armament Supply (AS and ASO), Air Warfare Directorate (AWD), Boom Defences and Marine Salvage Directorate (BD), Compass Department (CD), Civil Establishments (CE), Civil Engineer in Chief (CE in C), Civil Lord (CL), Navy Contracts Directorate (CP), Cabinet Section (CS), Commissions and Warrants Branch (CW), Dockyards (D), Directorate of Navigation and Direction (DND), Naval Electrical Department (DNLD), Directorate of Manning (DPS), Engineer in Chief (ENC), Directorate of Gunnery and Anti-Aircraft Warfare (GD), General Finance Branch (GF), Directorate of Naval Ordnance (DNO), Labour Branch (L), Military Branch (M), Materials Branch (MAT), Medical Director General (MDG), Naval Branch (N), Naval Conditions and Welfare Branch (NCW), Naval Education Service (NES), Naval Intelligence Department (NID), Naval Law Branch (NL), Naval Manpower Branch (NM), Naval Pay (NP), Naval Store Department (NS), Naval Training Directorate (NT), Operations Division (OD), Organisation and Methods Branch (O & M), Plans Directorate (PD), Personnel and Miscellaneous Department (PM), Private Office (PO), Production and Priorities Branch (PR), Radio Equipment Directorate (RE), Commandant General's Office, Royal Marines (RM), Torpedo, Anti-Submarine and Mine Warfare Directorate (TASW), Trade Division (TD), Tactical, Ships' Requirements and Staff Duties Division (TSD), Under Secretary's Office, Bath (USB), Underwater Weapons Directorate (UWM and UWO), Victualling Directorate (V), Works and Salvage Branch (WS).

For the names of branches and their organisation after 1959/60 see ADM 1/27541 and 28822.

The branch from which a particular piece originated can be discerned from the abbreviations used in the original Admiralty reference (see each piece's 'Full Details' section).

In 1964, the Admiralty was abolished and replaced by the Navy Department operating within the Ministry of Defence. The papers of the various Navy Department staff branches after 1964 can be found in a number of series including ADM 327 to 333, which cover the Aircraft Department (A), Contracts and Purchase Department (CP), Dockyards and Maintenance Department (DM), Naval Law Division (NL), Organisation and Methods Department (O & M) and undersurface Warfare Department (USW) respectively. Other staff/secretariat papers relating to the navy can be found in DEFE 11, 23, 24 and 25. Are few post-1964 papers, mainly relaing to international co-operation, are within ADM 1.
Date: 1903-1974
Arrangement:

Between 1981 and 1998 the vast majority of pieces in this sub-series were transferred in 19 tranches from the Ministry of Defence to the Public Record Office. Generally each tranche covered a single year of registered papers, usually transferred along with a group of 'stray' papers from previous years. For example, in July 1983 a tranche of pieces (ADM 1/25213-25838) was received at the Public Record Office. Pieces 25213-25265 were 'strays' registered between 1923 and 1953, whilst ADM 1/25266-25838 were papers registered in 1954. This latter group of 1954 papers was ordered alphabetically by the Admiralty department or branch that had originated these papers. In this case the first piece, ADM 1/25266 had been originated by the Air Branch (old reference: A/14/54), and last, ADM 1/25838 by the Victualling Directorate (old reference: V/551/9/54). This form of arrangement generally holds true for the rest of the Final Series.

The paper catalogues at The National Archives maintained this organisation of pieces, but on the online catalogue, 'strays' were segregated into separate sub-sub-series to aid browsing, as have the large number of Honours and Awards papers (most relating to the Second World War) received from the Ministry of Defence (largely in 1996 and 1997). Papers relating to the courts martial of Lt Swabey (and the subsequent appeals and quash) have also been segregated on the online catalogue. A final subsubseries contains a few papers registered after 1964 and some earlier papers that were transferred to The National Archives after 1998.

Related material:

Chief of Defence Staff registered files: DEFE 25

Chiefs of Staff Cmtee. registered files: DEFE 11

Contracts and Purchase Dept. (CP) of MoD (Navy) post 1964: ADM 328

Permanent Under-Sec. at MoD registered files: DEFE 23

Naval Law Division (NL) of MoD (Navy) post 1964: ADM 330

Sister series of ADM 1 (Admiralty 'Cases'): ADM 116

Undersurface Warfare Dept. of MoD (Navy) post 1964: ADM 332

Weapons Department of MoD (Navy) post 1964: ADM 333

Defence Secretariat registered files: DEFE 24

Dockyards and Maintenance Dept. (DM) of MoD (Navy) post 1964: ADM 329

Aircraft Department (A) of MoD (Navy) post 1964 : ADM 327

Organisation and Methods Dept. of MoD (Navy) post 1964: ADM 331
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Access conditions: Subject to 30 year closure unless otherwise stated

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