Catalogue description Ministry of Supply and Ministry of Aircraft Production: North American Supply Missions, Second World War, Files

This series contains material on the procurement of military supplies from North America during the Second World War, more particularly records of the British Purchasing Commission in the United States, which in July 1942 was renamed the British Ministry of Supply Mission of the British Air Commission to the United States; of the British Supply Council in North America established in Washington in January 1941 and consisting of the heads of the various missions there, and of the Civil Secretariat whose main task was to co-ordinate the day to day work of the civil missions and Colonial Boards; and of the Combined Production and Resources Board which was set up in Washington in June 1942 to co-ordinate the production of war material in Britain, the United States (and later Canada). The section for the British Supply Council includes files on the provision of supplies for Russia, India and South Africa.

There are also papers of Arthur B Purvis, Chairman of the British Supply Council until his death in August 1941; of Sir Henry Self, a senior civil servant, who was Director General of the British Air Commission, 1940-1941, and Deputy Chairman, British Supply Council, 1943-1945; and of Sir Ben Smith, who was Minister Resident in Washington for supply from 1943.

The last files in the series are of documents used in compiling official histories and of others used in compiling a history of the British Air Commission.

Because of the widespread nature of the overall North American Supply organisations, which included detachments from British Government Departments and representatives from the United States and the Commonwealth, the surviving records were not the property of any one particular department consequently they have not been retained as a collective set.

For Committee on Supply, Production, Priority and Manpower see CAB 92

For London Munitions Assignment Board: Secretary's files see CAB 109

For Joint American Secretariat: Secretary's files see CAB 110

For Central Office for North American Supplies see CAB 115