Emergency Defence Plans

Administrative / Biographical history:

In the context of the Emergency Defence Plans collection, the Defence Forces, in connection with the Department of An Taoiseach and the Department of Defence formulated defence plans and policy during the Emergency period 1939-1946, in response to the outbreak of World War 2, 1939, and war developments until 1946.

Scope and Content:

Collection includes minutes of Defence conferences held in Department of An Taoiseach, General Headquarters and Department of Defence and Command conferences; Operation Instructions and Orders issued by General Headquarters to Western, Southern, Eastern and Air Defence Command; Training programmes and directives issued to commands, divisions, brigades and particular services (including Army Medical Service) including files relating to Military College courses, NCOs courses and Potential Officer courses; Air and Marine Intelligence notes and memoranda; files relating to the organisation, training, recruitment and administration of the Construction Corps; General correspondence and reports, Air Raid Precautions and Bombing incidents; file relating to the Military Tattoo and exhibition at the Royal Dublin Society, April to September 1945; files relating to work of the Intelligence service; Local Defence Force including strength returns, minutes of conferences held by Area Officers and general correspondence and file relating to the organisation and staffing of the Army Postal service.