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ANNEX A.

NOTE ON 60% EVACUATION.

MINUTE FROM SIR HUGH ELLES TO SIR JOHN ANDERSON.

Minister.

The 60% Evacuation scheme depends, as you know,

for its success upon proper timing.

If it is started too early, we cause great hardship and loss to the evacuees. If it is started too late it will fail in a greater or less degree,

To complete it satisfactorily we want three full days' notice.

2.

The Evacuation would be, I assume, on Cabinet decision on the advice of the Chiefs of Staff.

3.

It is of importance that the Chiefs of Staff should be fully seized of their responsibility in the matter - more especially in regard to the bad effects that would result from a premature exodus.

4. The Joint Intelligence Committee reviews daily in their Intelligence Summary "Prospective action against the United Kingdom" but I am not sure whether they have before them this particular question of the three days' warning necessary.

5.

You may care to raise this matter at the Cabinet.

(Intld.) H.E.

21st June, 1940.

MINUTE FROM SIR JOHN ANDERSON TO MR. CHAMBERLAIN,

Lord President.

With reference to the above note, I think I ought to report to you that we hope to have the scheme ready in a rather rough form by Monday next and in its complete form by Monday week. That means that it could be put into operation at any time after Monday.

The three days' notice referred to above means 24 hours' notice before it comes into operation and a further 48 hours before it has been fully carried out.

As I think you know, the assumption has always been that the order to put the scheme into operation would be given by or on behalf of the War Cabinet and that it would rest with the Chiefs of Staff to take the initiative in the matter. To avoid risk of misunderstanding, it might be well that the subject should be mentioned at an early meeting of the Cabinet when the Chiefs of Staff are present.

(Intld.) J.A.

21st June, 1940.

I agree

-3

(Intld.) N.C.

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