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TO BE KEPT UNDER LOCK AND KEY,

133

It is requested that special care may be taken te ensure the secrecy of this document.

(THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT)

This document was considered at

cos (41) 410 Meeting.

SECRET.

C.O.S.(41) 715.

1ST DECEMBER, 1941.

WAR CABINET,

CHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITTEE.

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COPY NO.

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INVASION.

Memorandum by Admiral Drax,

I feel rather uneasy at the preparations for invasion in this country, which seem to assume that it will be a gentlemanly process conducted in strict accordance with the rules of war. Civilians are told that so far as possible they should carry on with "business as usual". The police have I believe some revolvers or other weapons, but have no military duties in connection with defending their country,

The Home Guard contains a number of old gentlemen between 65 and 75 who though full of valour are incapable of a long march or rapid movement. We have a large force of able-bodied special constables who (at least in Dorset) are not armed and are told that in the event of invasion their first duty is to see that car owners have immobilised their cars.

Yesterday I talked to an intelligent Dorset gentleman who said to me "it's no use asking me to visualise an invasion of England. I have read all about the German atrocities, but I just look round this peaceful countryside and I say to myself "it cannot happen here".

That attitude of mind and that deplorable absence of, imagination is I fear very wide-spread.

Under conditions of total war we should teach people to realise that their business will not be as usual. It must be expected that the conduct of a Gorman army in England will be more savage and ruthless than anything that we have yet heard of. It seems probable that unofficial orders (if not official) for the invading army would be somewhat as follows:-

The success of our invasion is not only indispensable for winning the war but its failure would probably load to irretrievable ruin. It must be remembered that many things which might be described as ruthless may become necessary in the case of Military Necessity. Under this heading the following points must be borne in mind:-

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