Committee of Imperial Defence: Joint Intelligence Sub-Committee: Minutes and Memoranda...

This series contains the minutes and papers of the Joint Intelligence Sub-Committee (June 1936 to August 1939), the minutes and papers of the Sub-Committee on Air Warfare in Spain (1937-1938) and the minutes and papers of the Sub-Committee on Air Warfare (1938-1939).

Topics included possible enemy operations, anti-aircraft defence, and coastal defences of foreign countries.

Chronological

For the earlier records of the Committee see CAB 159

Further records of the JISC are in CAB 179

Joint Intelligence Committee Secretariat files in CAB 163

Records of the Joint Intelligence Committee from 1939 will be found in CAB 81

Topics

Europe and Russia

Air Force

Intelligence

Operations, battles and campaigns

In January 1936, the Committee of Imperial Defence created the Inter-Service Intelligence Committee, which by July of that year evolved into the Joint Intelligence Sub-Committee.

Between July 1936 and August 1939, the JIC was composed of the deputy directors of intelligence of the three services, frequently with a representative from the Industrial Intelligence Centre and, from November 1938, with representation from the Foreign Office. Whilst the JIC had inherited from the Inter-Service Intelligence Committee the remit which included the preparation of reports, as well as the co-ordination on the work of the three services, in practice the Sub-Committee acted in a reactive capacity, responding to specific requests for information from the Chiefs of Staff, the Joint Planners or the individual service departments.

On the outbreak of war in September 1939, the Committee of Imperial Defence was dissolved, but the Joint Intelligence Sub-Committee continued in being as one of the principal subordinate bodies of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.