This collection comprises daily engagement diaries of Winston Churchill during his time as:
- First Lord of the Admiralty (1939–1940) and
- Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1940–1945)
The diaries provide an unbroken chronological account of Churchill’s official duties, meetings, and travel throughout the Second World War. Structured in a monthly grid, each page logs key engagements such as:
- Cabinet and War Cabinet meetings
- Strategy sessions with Chiefs of Staff and the Ministry of Defence
- Visits to foreign dignitaries, military headquarters, and Allied summits
- Engagements with King George VI
- Public speeches and press interactions
Key historical events noted include:
- The declaration of war on Germany (Sept 1939)
- Churchill’s assumption of premiership (May 1940)
- Preparations and response to the Battle of Britain and the Blitz
- The Atlantic Charter (1941), Casablanca, Tehran, and Yalta Conferences
- D-Day planning (June 1944)
- VE Day and post-war summits
📋 Arrangement
Chronological: One calendar month per page
Entries range from terse one-line notations to detailed schedules, typically organized by time of day.
Disclaimer:
This document is a digitized facsimile of the Complete Churchill Desk Diaries 1939–1945, created for historical reference, scholarly research, and educational use. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the transcription and presentation, some entries may contain illegible handwriting, transcription inconsistencies, or period-specific terminology no longer in common usage.
The contents reflect the language, views, and administrative record-keeping practices of the time. They do not represent the views or policies of the archive holder or hosting institution.
Researchers should verify critical information against primary sources or published government records when citing for academic or official purposes.
This material is provided “as-is” and no warranties are given regarding completeness or factual accuracy. Use of this document is subject to applicable copyright and licensing conditions.
For permissions, reproduction rights, or commercial use, please contact the archive administrator.
Condition Note
As David Irving states in a letter to his publisher at the start of this reel, these documents are of “relatively poor legibility”.
The overall condition of the file is good, with high-resolution black-and-white scans that preserve the structure and clarity of the original desk diary pages. Some handwritten annotations or marginalia may require closer examination due to fading or script complexity. The layout remains consistent and accessible for OCR processing and archival referencing.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.