The Naval Historical Branch provides historical perspectives on current issues for Naval Staff, the Ministry of Defence and Central Government.
The Admiralty Library collection has been built up over the last two hundred years. It contains at least 160,000 volumes and is possibly the best collection of naval books in the country.
The archive dates back to the founding of the Historical Section by Winston Churchill in 1914. The official repository for the Royal Navy’s Corporate Memory (including Royal Marine and RFA papers), it is made up of around 120,000 records.
The records held in the collection include the Second World War Admiralty War Diaries.
The diaries for 1939 can be accessed in a digital format below. The accompanying essay by historian Dr Edward Hampshire of the Naval Historical Branch outlines further reading that will help people continue to explore the issues, actions and debates recorded in the War Diary.
We are presently working to publish all other diaries and these will be available as soon as possible.
