Admiralty, and Ministry of Defence, Navy Department: Reference Books (BR Series)

ADM 234

1856-1984

Admiralty printed books and pamphlets issued to the Navy in the BR (Books of Reference) series, which did not need inclusion in the security classified CB or SP series. They include regulations and instructions, handbooks and training manuals, reports and works of reference.

The subjects dealt with by BRs include almost all those about which officers, ratings or civilian employees might need to be informed, which were insufficiently secret to be issued as CBs. They include all sorts of regulations and instructions, handbooks of weapons and equipment, training manuals, works of reference, historical studies (including the Naval Staff "Battle Summaries"), reports and studies of damage to ships in action, and the Geographical Handbooks produced by the Naval Intelligence Division. The series also includes some of the similar works produced by the same Division's Interservice Topographical Information Centre for the use of all services.

The records are arranged in BR number order within each accession.

The BR (Books of Reference) series was started in 1942 when the former OU (Official Use) series was discontinued. Many of the early BRs were renumbered from the OU series, while others were transferred from the CB (Confidential Books) series. The distinction Between these series lay neither in subject nor function, but in security classification: CBs were all graded "Confidential" and above, as were the SPs (Signed Publications), but OUs were only "Restricted" and BRs either "Restricted" or freely available.

Similar works produced by the same Division's Interservice Topographical Information Centre for the use of all services are in WO 252

Public Record(s)

English

• Board of Admiralty, 1708-1964
• Ministry of Defence, Navy Department, 1964-1964

1192 files and volumes

Open unless otherwise stated