War Office and Ministry of Defence: Confidential Print

Handbooks, manuals and memoranda printed for use within the War Office or by the Army, and not included in WO 33. They cover army manoeuvres in England, Scotland and Ireland, staff conferences, handbooks, manuals (including manuals of military intelligence, 1946-1960) and other instructional material, and regulations.

Before 1946 the relevant registered file reference was indicated on the print but thereafter a numerical code was adopted for papers still in current use and for future issues.

For related printed material see: WO 33

For papers in lettered series see: WO 287

• Ministry of Defence, 1947-1947
• War Office, 1857-1964

From 1981 Ministry of Defence

Topics

Army

Ireland

Intelligence

Official publications

Armed Forces (General Administration)

During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries it was common for documents to be printed for confidential distribution within the War Office, other military departments and among units. By the 1850s a sub-division of the Chief Clerk's Branch was responsible for such confidential printing and one or other branches of the Central Division of the War Office (C Branches) continued to deal with the printing, distribution and control of material until 1962 when the responsibility passed to one of the security branches.