The History of the Second World War is the official history of the British contribution to the Second World War and was published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO). The immense project was sub-divided into areas to ease publication, United Kingdom Military Series, the United Kingdom Civil Series for the civilian war effort; the Foreign Policy series, the Intelligence series and the Medical series are eponymous. Other volumes not under the aegis of the series but published by HMSO may be read as adjuncts, covering matters not considered in great detail or at all, in one case, in the main series. Further volumes, published after the privatisation of HMSO or in the series about the Special Operations Executive, are also useful.
The volumes were intended to be read individually, rather than in series, which led to some overlapping. In their introductions to their parts of the series, Sir Keith Hancock and Sir James Butler wrote that this was to obviate a need to read more volumes than those covering that part of the war effort. Hancock edited the Civil Series and Butler the Military Series. The first volume appeared in 1949 and the last in 1993, with a revised edition of one volume appearing in 2004. An unorthodox decision was to cover the conflict from a theatre of operations point of view rather than by service, to acknowledge that military operations were intimately linked.
The works published before 1970 lack references to unpublished sources until government archives were opened, to an extent, by the Public Records Act 1958 and the Public Records Act 1967. The works were published with only references to published sources because British constitutional conventions on the anonymity of government officials and ministers were followed, leading to a somewhat detached narrative style in some cases. A parallel series of volumes for official use were printed, which referenced the unpublished sources in manuscript, in red ink. A few official copies 'escaped' into public libraries and these additions can be seen.
Volumes United Kingdom Military Series Grand Strategy Volume I, Norman Gibbs, 1976 Volume II, Sir James Butler, 1957 Volume III, Part 1, J. M. A. Gwyer, 1964 Volume III, Part 2, Sir James Butler, 1964 Volume IV, Sir Michael Howard, 1970 Volume V, John Ehrman, 1956 Volume VI, John Ehrman, 1956 The War at Sea Volume I: The Defensive, Captain Stephen Roskill, 1954 Volume II: The Period of Balance, Captain Stephen Roskill, 1956 Volume III, Part 1: The Offensive, Captain Stephen Roskill, 1960 Volume III, Part 2: The Offensive, Captain Stephen Roskill, 1961 The Strategic Air Offensive against Germany Volume I: Preparation, Sir Charles Webster and Noble Frankland, 1961 Volume II: Endeavour, Sir Charles Webster and Noble Frankland, 1961 Volume III: Victory, Sir Charles Webster and Noble Frankland, 1961 Volume IV: Annexes and Appendices, Sir Charles Webster and Noble Frankland, 1961 Defence of the United Kingdom, Basil Collier, 1957 The Campaign in Norway, Thomas Derry, 1952 (transcribed HTML copy) The War in France and Flanders, 1939–40, Major Lionel Ellis, 1954 (transcribed HTML copy) Victory in the West Volume I: Battle of Normandy, Major L. F. Ellis, G.R.G Allen and A.E. Warhurst, 1962 Volume II: Defeat of Germany, Major L. F. Ellis et al., 1968 War against Japan Volume I: The Loss of Singapore, Major-General Stanley Kirby et al., 1957 Volume II: India's Most Dangerous Hour, Major-General Stanley Kirby et al., 1958 Volume III: The Decisive Battles, Major-General Stanley Kirby et al., 1961 Volume IV: The Reconquest of Burma, Major-General Stanley Kirby et al., 1965 Volume V: The Surrender of Japan, Major-General Stanley Kirby et al., 1969 The Mediterranean and Middle East Volume I: The Early Successes against Italy, to May 1941, Major-General I. S. O. Playfair, Commander G.M.S. Stitt, RN, Brigadier C.J.C. Molony, Air Vice-Marshal S.E. Toomer., 1954 Volume II: The Germans Come to the Help of Their Ally, 1941, Major-General I. S. O. Playfair, Captain F.C. Flynn, RN, Brigadier C.J.C. Molony, Air Vice-Marshal S.E. Toomer., 1956 Volume III: British Fortunes Reach Their Lowest Ebb, Major-General I. S. O. Playfair et al., 1960 Volume IV: The Destruction of the Axis Forces in Africa, Major-General I. S. O. Playfair, Brigadier Charles Molony et al., 1966 Volume V: The Campaign in Sicily, 1943 and the Campaign in Italy, 3 September 1943 to 31 March 1944, Brigadier Charles Molony et al., 1973 Volume VI, Part 1: Victory in the Mediterranean: 1 April to 4 June 1944, General Sir William Jackson et al., 1984 Volume VI, Part 2: Victory in the Mediterranean: June to October 1944, General Sir William Jackson et al., 1987 Volume VI, Part 3: Victory in the Mediterranean: November 1944 to May 1945, General Sir William Jackson et al., 1988 Civil Affairs and Military Government Central Organisation and Planning, Frank Donnison, 1966 British Military Administration in the Far East, 1943–46, Frank Donnison, 1956 North-West Europe, 1944–46, Frank Donnison, 1961 Allied Military Administration of Italy, 1943-1945, Charles Harris, 1957 British Military Administration of Occupied Territories in Africa during the Years 1941–1947, Major-General Francis Rodd, 1948
United Kingdom Civil Series Introductory , Keith Hancock and Margaret Gowing, 1949 Statistical Digest of the War, Central Statistical Office, 1949 (partially transcribed HTML copy) Problems of Social Policy, Richard Titmuss, 1950 ( transcribed HTML copy) British War Production, Michael Postan, 1952 ( transcribed HTML copy) General Series Coal, W. B. Court, 1951 Oil: A Study of Wartime Policy and Administration, D. J. Payton-Smith, 1971 Studies in the Social Services, Sheila Ferguson, 1978 Civil Defence, T. H. O'Brien, 1955 Works and Buildings, C. M. Kohan, 1952 Food Volume I: The Growth of Policy, R. J. Hammond, 1951 Volume II: Studies in Administration and Control, R. J. Hammond, 1956 Volume III: Studies in Administration and Control, R. J. Hammond, 1962 Agriculture, K. A. H. Murray, 1955 The Economic Blockade Volume I, William Medlicott, 1952 Volume II, William Medlicott, 1957 Inland Transport, Christopher Savage, 1957 Merchant Shipping and the Demands of War, Betty Behrens, 1955 North American Supply, H. Duncan Hall, 1955 Manpower: Study of War-Time Policy and Administration, H. M. D. Parker, 1957 Civil Industry and Trade, Eric Hargreaves, 1952 Financial Policy, 1939–45, Richard Sayers, 1956 War Production Labour in the Munitions Industries, P. Inman, 1957 The Control of Raw Materials, Joel Hurstfield, 1953 The Administration of War Production, J. D. Scott, 1955 Design and Development of Weapons: Studies in Government and Industrial Organisation, Michael Postan, Denys Hay, John Dick Scott, Keith Hancock (ed.) 1964 Factories and Plant, William Hornby, 1958 Contracts and Finance, William Ashworth, 1953 Studies of Overseas Supply, H. Duncan Hall, 1956
Foreign Policy British Foreign Policy in the Second World War Volume I, Sir Llewellyn Woodward, 1970 Volume II, Sir Llewellyn Woodward, 1971 Volume III, Sir Llewellyn Woodward, 1971 Volume IV, Sir Llewellyn Woodward, 1975 Volume V, Sir Llewellyn Woodward, 1976 Abridged Version, Sir Llewellyn Woodward, 1962
Intelligence British Intelligence in the Second World War Volume I: Its Influence on Strategy and Operations, F. H. Hinsley, E. E. Thomas, C. F. G. Ransom, R. C. Knight, 1979 Volume II: Its Influence on Strategy and Operations, F. H. Hinsley, E. E. Thomas, C. F. G. Ransom, R. C. Knight, 1981 Volume III, Part 1: Its Influence on Strategy and Operations, F. H. Hinsley, E. E. Thomas, C. F. G. Ransom, R. C. Knight, 1984 Volume III, Part 2: Its Influence on Strategy and Operations, F. H. Hinsley, E. E. Thomas, C. F. G. Ransom, R. C. Knight, 1988 Volume IV: Security and Counter-Intelligence, F. H. Hinsley, E. E. Thomas, C. F. G. Ransom, R. C. Knight, 1990 Volume V: Strategic Deception, Michael Howard, 1990 Abridged Version, F. H. Hinsley, 1993 SOE in France, M. R. D. Foot, 1966 (repr. 2004)
Medical Volumes The Emergency Medical Services Volume I: England and Wales, edited by Cuthbert Dunn, 1952 Volume II: Scotland, Northern Ireland and Principal Air Raids on Industrial Centres in Great Britain, edited by Cuthbert Dunn, 1953 The Royal Air Force Medical Services Volume I: Administration, edited by S. C. Rexford-Welch, 1954 Volume II: Command, edited by S. C. Rexford-Welch, 1955 Volume III: Campaigns, edited by S. C. Rexford-Welch, 1958 The Royal Naval Medical Service Volume I: Administration, Jack Coulter, 1953 Volume II: Operations, Jack Coulter, 1955 The Army Medical Services Administration Volume I, Francis Crew, 1953 Volume II, Francis Crew, 1955 Campaigns Volume I: France and Belgium, 1939–40, Norway, Battle of Britain, Libya, 1940–42, East Africa, Greece, 1941, Crete, Iraq, Syria, Persia, Madagascar, Malta, Francis Crew, 1956 Volume II: Hong Kong, Malaya, Iceland and the Faroes, Libya, 1942–43, North-West Africa, Francis Crew, 1957 Volume III: Sicily, Italy, Greece (1944–45), Francis Crew, 1959 Volume IV: North-West Europe, Francis Crew, 1962 Volume V: Burma, Francis Crew, 1966 The Civilian Health and Medical Services Volume I: The Civilian Health Services; Other Civilian Health and Medical Services, Arthur MacNalty, 1953 Volume II: The Colonies, the Medical Services of the Ministry of Pensions, Public Health in Scotland, Public Health in Northern Ireland, Arthur MacNalty, 1955 Medical Services at War: The Principal Lessons of the Second World War, Arthur MacNalty, 1968 Medicine and Pathology, Zachary Cope, 1952 Surgery, Zachary Cope, 1953 Medical Research, edited by F. H. K. Green and Major-General Sir Gordon Covell, 1953 Casualties and Medical Statistics, edited by William Franklin, 1972
Supplementary HMSO works The Royal Air Force, 1939–45 Volume I: Fight at Odds, Denis Richards, 1953 (transcribed HTML copy) Volume II: Fight Avails, Denis Richards and Hilary St George Saunders, 1953 (transcribed HTML copy) Volume III: Fight is Won, Hilary St George Saunders, 1954 (transcribed HTML copy)
Other official departmental histories A number of official histories were produced by government departments. The authors worked under the same conditions and had the same access to official files but their works did not appear in the History of the Second World War. Britain and Atomic Energy 1939–1945 Margaret Gowing, 1964.
Supplementary works from other publishers SOE Histories SOE in the Far East, Charles Cruikshank, 1983 SOE in Scandinavia, Charles Cruikshank, 1986 SOE in the Low Countries, M. R. D. Foot, 2001 Secret Flotillas Volume I: Clandestine Sea Operations to Brittany 1940–44, Sir Brooks Richards, 2004 Volume II: Clandestine Sea Operations in the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Adriatic 1940–44, Sir Brooks Richards, 2004 Army Series, printed by the War Office, 30 volumes Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Volume I Organisation and Operations, Rowcroft, E. Bertram (1951) Volume II Technical, Bloor, F. R. (1951) Supplies and Transport 2 volumes, Boileau, D. W. (1954) Works service and Engineer stores, Buchanan, A. G. B. (1953) Fighting, support and transport vehicles and the War Office provision for their provision Part 1 Common Problems, Campagnac R. & Hayman P. E. G. (1951) Part 2 Unarmoured Vehicles, Campagnac R. & Hayman P. E. G. (1951) Maintenance in the field 2 volumes, Carter, J. A. H. (1952) Maps and Survey, Clough, A. B. (1952) The Auxiliary Territorial Service, Cowper, J. M. (1949) Movements, Higham, J. B. & Knighton, E. A. (1955) Signal Communications, Gravely, T. B. (1950) Quartering, Magnay, A. D. (1949) Miscellaneous Q services, Magnay, A. D. (1954) Mobilization, McPherson, A. B. (1950) Discipline, McPherson, A. B. (1950) Transportation, Micklem, R. (1950) Army welfare, Morgan, M. C. (1953)