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The British Army and Internal Security 1919–1939*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

Keith Jeffery
Keith Jeffery
Affiliation:
Ulster Polytechnic
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Extract

Systematic military policy-making towards internal security in Great Britain dates from the period immediately following the First World War. It was stimulated above all by widespread fears of possible revolution, sharpened by a belief in the collective incapacity of police forces to deal with civil disorder. Many, although by no means all, politicians and senior officials felt that the labour militancy of the 1920s was simply the harbinger of ‘red’ revolt, and preparations were made accordingly. Following the trade unions’ defeat in the general strike of 1926 fears of revolution subsided, although the War Office continued to revise the plans it had made in the early 1920s. Throughout the entire inter-war period, nevertheless, the general staff displayed an extreme reluctance to commit the army to internal security duties. Almost without exception, it seems, military men shared Lord Ironside’s opinion that ‘for a soldier there is no more distasteful duty than that of aiding the Civil Power’.

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Type
Articles
Information
The Historical Journal , Volume 24 , Issue 2 , June 1981, pp. 377 - 397
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1981

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References

1 Lord, Ironside, Archangel 1918–19 (London, 1953), p. 188.Google Scholar

2 Churchill to Lloyd George, 25 Sept. 1919, Gilbert, M., Winston S. Churchill, companion volume IV (London, 1977), part 2, p. 881. See also ‘Use of troops during the threatened strike’, memo, by home secretary, 18 Mar. 1919, PRO., CAB. 24/76 G.T. 6997.Google Scholar

3 The intelligence organisation, GHQ, Great Britain, for dealing with industrial and revolutionary unrest in the U.K.’, memo, by Maj. W. W. Torr, 15 Oct. 1919, P.R.O., W.O. 32/5553 no. 1A.

4 Haig diary, 28 June 1919, Haig papers, National Library of Scotland, Acc. 3155 no. 2.

5 Ibid. 2 Sept. 1919.

6 Memo, by QMG, 19 Aug. 1919, PRO., W.O. 32/5611 no. 1.

7 24 Sept. 1919, Ibid. no. 8.

8 Report to the cabinet on the railway strike 1919, 22 Jan. 1920, appendix III, P.R.O., CAB. 27/82.

9 Report on military measures taken during recent railway strike, 17 Oct. 1919, P.R.O., W.O. 32/5467 no. 1A.

10 Ibid.

11 Ibid.

12 The intelligence organisation, GHQ Great Britain’, 15 Oct. 1919, P.R.O., W.O. 32/5553 no. 1A.

13 Minute by Col. Braine, 12 Nov. 1919, ibid. no. 2A. Major Torr was later able to indulge his penchant for information-gathering in the war office directorate of military intelligence, 1929–32, and as military attaché in Washington, 1934–8, and in Madrid, 1939–46.

14 AG to deputy CIGS, 13 Oct. 1919, PRO., W.O. 32/5611 no. 12.

15 Intra-departmental minutes, 15–23 Oct. 1919, ibid. nos. 13–15, 17A.

16 ‘The employment of troops in industrial disturbances’, 12 Nov. 1919, P.R.O. CAB. 24/93 C.P. III

17 P.R.O., CAB. 23/18/9(19) appendix.

18 Minute by Col. Braine, 5 Jan. 1920, P.R.O., W.O. 32/5553 no. 11B.

19 Minutes by Col. Braine and DMO, 12 and 13 Nov. 1919, P.R.O., W.O. 32/4812 nos. 1A and 1.

20 Minutes by QMG and AG, 3 and 15 Dec. 1919, ibid. nos. 7 and 9.

21 CIGS to AG, 20 Dec. 1919, ibid. no. 10.

22 Minutes by deputy CIGS and secretary of state, 4 Dec. 1919 and 14 Jan. 1920, ibid. nos. 8 and 14.

23 War Office to Home Office, 6 Feb. 1920, P.R.O., W.O. 32/5553 no. 18A.

24 ‘Capacity of the army to assist the civil power in industrial disturbances’, 3 Jan. 1920, P.R.O., W.O. 32/5467 no. 30 A. Circulated to the cabinet, 7 Jan. 1920, P.R.O., CAB. 24/96 C.P. 472.

25 Supply and transport committee, 3rd meeting, 15 Jan. 1920, P.R.O., CAB. 27/73.

26 Wilson diary, 22 Jan. 1920, Wilson papers, Imperial War Museum.

27 Ibid. 28 Jan.,2 and 6 Feb. 1920; Rawlinson diary, 28 Jan. and 6 Feb. 1920, Rawlinson papers, National Army Museum, 5201/33/29.

28 Note by Sir Edward Troup (permanent under-secre’ary, Home Office), 25 Mar. 1920, P.R.O., CAB. 27/74 T.C. 63.

29 Memo, by CIGS, 25 Mar. 1920, P.R.O., W.O. 32/5467 no. 59; also in Lloyd George papers, House of Lords Record Office, F/24/2/21.

30 ‘Report on protection’, April 1920, P.R.O., CAB. 24/74T.C. 89.

31 Protection sub-committee report, 16 Aug. 1920, P.R.O., CAB. 24/75 T.C. 108.

32 Wilson diary, 26 Aug. 1920, Wilson papers.

33 ‘Weekly report on revolutionary organisations in the United Kingdom’, 2 Sept. 1920, P.R.O., CAB. 24/111 C.P. 1830.

34 Wilson diary, 15 Sept. 1920, Wilson papers.

35 Ibid. 15 Oct. 1920.

36 Ibid. 21 Oct. 1920.

37 Taylor, A. J. P., English history 1914—45 (Harmondsworth, 1970), pp. 194–5.Google Scholar

38 Wilson diary, 31 March 1921, Wilson papers.

39 Conference of ministers, 8 Apr. 1921, P.R.O., CAB. 23/25/22(21) appendix v.

40 Ibid. 9 Apr. 1921, CAB. 23/25/22(21) appendix IX, annex I.

41 Ibid. 13 April 1921, P.R.O., CAB. 23/25/23(21) appendix II.

42 ‘Protection of explosives and munitions depots’, memoranda by home secretary and secretary for war, 7 July and 3 Aug. 1921, P.R.O., CAB. 24/126 C.P. 3110 and 3189.

43 The lock-out dragged on until 1 July when the miners gave in to the owners’ proposals. Taylor, English history, p. 196.

44 Cabinet meeting, 24 May 1921, P.R.O., CAB. 23/25/41(21).

45 War Office to home GOC-in-Cs, 3 May 1921, PRO., WO. 32/5314 no. 23A, appendix A, annexure no. 3.

46 11 June 1921, ibid., annexure no. 2.

47 Cabinet emergency committee (protection of government buildings), 1st and 2nd reports, 25 and 27 Nov. 1920, P.R.O., CAB. 27/100.

48 War Office to home GOC-in-Cs and GOC London District, 27 Aug. 1921, P.R.O., W.O. 32/5314 no. 23A.

49 Memo, by general staff, 20 Jan. 1922, P.R.O., CAB. 24/132 C.P. 3619.

50 Earlier copies of the pamphlet do not seem to have survived in the P.R.O. Before the war the Irish command published several editions of a similar pamphlet, Orders for the guidance of troops in affording aid to the civil power in Ireland (H.M.S.O., Dublin). The final edition was published in April 1914. A copy is available in the library of Queen’s University, Belfast.

51 Duties in aid of the civil power (War Office, 1923), pp. 6, 3, 17.

52 There are two files in the P.R.O., closed for 50 years, which may throw light on this: ‘Military security instructions, 1926–37’, W.O. 33/1098 and ‘Army internal security instructions, 1933’, W.O. 33/1310.

53 ‘Duties in aid of the civil power’, 7 Nov. 1924, P.R.O., W.O. 32/5314 no. 1A.

54 Secretary of state to AG, 20 Mar. 1925, ibid. no. 11.

55 A.G. 3 to controller of typists, 19 June 1925, ibid. no. 13A.

56 Minutes by AG’s department, 6 July 1925–4 June 1926, ibid. nos. 24–36.

57 ‘5/- Per day flat rate, plus 1 1/2d. per mile. Volunteers find their own petrol, etc. Subsistence 15/- per night (covering 24 hours).’ ‘Duties in aid of the civil power’, 6 July 1925, ibid. no. 23 A. Similar memoranda were prepared by the other services. See Admiralty ‘U.C. scheme “P”‘, 19 Nov. 1924, P.R.O., ADM. 116/3494, and ‘Orders for the R.A.F. (home) in the event of industrial unrest’, 1 Nov. 1923, P.R.O., ADM. 116/3180.

58 Supply and transport committee, S.T.(24) series, 10th meeting, 27 April 1926, P.R.O., CAB. 27/260.

59 Ibid, 11th and 12th meetings, 29 Apr. and 1 May 1926.

60 London District report on general strike, 18 Nov. 1926, P.R.O., W.O. 32/3455 no. 1 A, part 1, section III.

61 Supply and transport committee, 15th meeting, 3 May 1926, P.R.O., CAB. 27/260.

62 Special constabulary recruiting, 11 May 1926, P.R.O., H.O. 45/13364 file 447.130/68.

63 Cabinet meeting, 7 May 1926, P.R.O., CAB. 23/52/25(26). Also cabinet committee meetings, 7–11 May 1926, CAB. 27/323.

64 Under-secretary of state, War Office, to all GOC-in-Cs and T.A. Associations, P.R.O., W.O.32/3511.

65 Supply and transport committee, 24th and 25th meetings, 12 May 1926, P.R.O., CAB. 27/260; Instructions for the disbandment of the CCR, 14 May 1926, P.R.O., T. 163/26/4.

66 London District report on general strike, 18 Nov. 1926, P.R.O., W.O. 32/3455 no. 1A.

67 London dock area: proposed scheme of control, ibid., appendix II, enclosure A.

68 War book’, Jan. 1926, P.R.O., W.O. 33/1077; ‘A war book for the war office’, 30 Apr. 1927, W.O. 33/1147.

69 ‘Instructions on duties in aid of the civil power’, 9 Jan. 1928, P.R.O., W.O. 33/1159. The file copy is no. 76.

70 ‘Instructions for the preparation of civil emergency schemes’, 30 Mar. 1930, P.R.O., W.O. 33/1216. The War Office were even more profligate with this paper: the file copy is no. 119. Minor amendments were circulated until Jan. 1936.

71 AG to secretary of state, 5 Nov. 1926, P.R.O., W.O. 32/3456 no. 5A.

72 Memo, by Col. Dobbie, 28 Jan. 1927, ibid. no. 1A.

73 War Office to Home Office, 30 July 1927, ibid. no. 26 A.

74 Minute by AG, 28 Feb. 1927, P.R.O., W.O. 32/3513 no. 6.

75 Minute by CIGS, 21 Feb. 1927, ibid. no. 3.

76 Anderson to Creedy (permanent secretary, War Office), 14 July 1927, ibid. no. 15A.

77 Minute by CIGS, 2 Aug. 1927, ibid. no. 16.

78 Cabinet meeting, 16 Nov. 1927, P.R.O., CAB. 23/55/56(27).

79 Creedy to Anderson, 6 Feb. 1928 and 2Dec. 1930; Anderson to Creedy, 17Dec. 1930, PRO., W.O. 32/3513 nos. 41A, 42A, 42B.

80 Minute by CIGS, 26 April 1931, ibid. no. 47.

81 Anderson to Maj.-Gen. W. H. Bartholomew (director of military operations and intelligence), ibid. no. 52A.

82 There were nine inter-departmental meetings between 3 Aug. and 23 Sept. 1932, ibid. nos. 66A/75A.

83 Minute by A. Langhorne, 24 Oct. 1932, ibid. no. 77.

84 Minute by CIGS, 4 Nov. 1932, ibid. no. 82.

85 ‘Situation as regards the CCR, in event of industrial unrest coinciding with a period of strained relations with a foreign power’, 4 Jan. 1937, ibid. no. 120A.

86 War Office to Home Office, 11 March 1937, ibid. no. 127A.

87 CIGS to AG, 15 July 1937, ibid. no. 131.

88 Intra-departmental minutes, 31 Jan.-2 Mar. 1939, ibid. nos. 141–7.

89 Home Office to War Office, 17 May 1939, ibid. no. 150A.

90 Minute by AAG, 15 Nov. 1945, ibid. no. 164.