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War Office: South East Asia Command: Military Headquarters Papers, Second World War
Description and record details
| Reference | WO 203 |
|---|---|
| Title | War Office: South East Asia Command: Military Headquarters Papers, Second World War |
| Date | 1932-1952 |
| Description | The papers in this series consist for the most part of orders of battle; operations and intelligence reports; planning staff papers; operational research papers on inter alia armoured fighting vehicles, artillery, chemical warfare, signals, equipment and clothing; organization and establishment matters; civil affairs; prisoners of war (allied and enemy) and war crimes. |
| Arrangement | Initially, the records in this series were arranged in two distinct sections: ALFSEA (pieces 1 to 2836) and SEAC (2837 to 5734). However, more recent accretions have been tended to be small, and originate from either ALFSEA or SEAC so, apart from file reference order within each transfer, no specific arrangement obtains after piece number 5734. |
| Held by | The National Archives, Kew |
| Legal status | Public Record(s) |
| Language |
English |
| Physical description | 6474 files and volumes |
| Access conditions | Open unless otherwise stated |
| Immediate source of acquisition |
From 1967 Ministry of Defence |
| Accruals | Series is accruing |
| Administrative/ biographical background | At the Quebec conference of August 1943 it was decided that a joint Anglo-American command should be established for the prosecution of the war in Burma, Malaya and Indo-China. In November of that year the command came into being, and was designated South East Asia Command [SEAC], with Admiral the Lord Louis Mountbatten as Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia [SACSEA]. The British operational command under SEAC was Allied Land Forces South East Asia [ALFSEA], previously known as 11 Army Group. 11 Army Group was reorganized in November 1944 to include Northern Combat Area Command (mainly American and Chinese troops commanded by American officers), 14th Army and Ceylon Army, and redesignated ALFSEA. SEAC ceased operation on 30 November 1946. |
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