Catalogue description War Office: Office of the Chief of the Imperial General Staff: Papers

The records in this series include correspondence with the Prime Minister, high-ranking service and civilian officers at home and overseas and other notables. The subject matter covers organization, administration, policy, training and operations not only during the war of 1939-1945 but also for the years thereafter, when British troops were deployed in Egypt, Malaya, Kenya, Cyprus, Borneo and elsewhere.

There are also some files found elsewhere, and added to this series, containing semi-official correspondence of the Chief of the (Imperial) General Staff.

For papers of the Earl of Cavan, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, 1922 to 1926, see WO 79

Records of the Defence Chiefs of Staff are in Division within DEFE

Few records for the period before the Second World War appear in this series, as the vast majority of CGS/CIGS papers covering 1904-1939 were destroyed by enemy action in September 1940, whilst held in the War Office repository in Arnside Street, London.

War Office, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, 1909-1964

From 1972 Ministry of Defence