War Office: South East Asia Command: Military Headquarters Papers, Second World War

WO 203

1932-1952

The papers in this series consist for the most part of orders of battle; operations and intelligence reports; planning staff papers; operational research papers on inter alia armoured fighting vehicles, artillery, chemical warfare, signals, equipment and clothing; organization and establishment matters; civil affairs; prisoners of war (allied and enemy) and war crimes.

Initially, the records in this series were arranged in two distinct sections: ALFSEA (pieces 1 to 2836) and SEAC (2837 to 5734). However, more recent accretions have been tended to be small, and originate from either ALFSEA or SEAC so, apart from file reference order within each transfer, no specific arrangement obtains after piece number 5734.

Public Record(s)

English

6474 files and volumes

Open unless otherwise stated

From 1967 Ministry of Defence

Topics

Clothing

Internment

Army

Asia

Conflict

Weapons

Intelligence

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Operations, battles and campaigns

Series is accruing

At the Quebec conference of August 1943 it was decided that a joint Anglo-American command should be established for the prosecution of the war in Burma, Malaya and Indo-China. In November of that year the command came into being, and was designated South East Asia Command [SEAC], with Admiral the Lord Louis Mountbatten as Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia [SACSEA].

The British operational command under SEAC was Allied Land Forces South East Asia [ALFSEA], previously known as 11 Army Group. 11 Army Group was reorganized in November 1944 to include Northern Combat Area Command (mainly American and Chinese troops commanded by American officers), 14th Army and Ceylon Army, and redesignated ALFSEA. SEAC ceased operation on 30 November 1946.