World War 2 despatches

Despatches during World War 2, submitted by commanders-in-chief, were published in The Gazette from 1941 until 1951.

The issue or supplement number, title and date of publication are listed below.

35305 Despatches from General Viscount Gort, France and Belgium 1939-40

35374 Notification of state of war with Japan 

35395 Notification of state of war with Bulgaria 

37573 Operations of the British Expeditionary Force, France, from 12 June 1940 to 19 June 1940 

37584 Operations in Central Norway,1940 

37594 Operations in the Somaliland Protectorate, 1939-1940 

37609 Operations in the Middle East from August 1939 to November 1940 

37628 Operations in the Western Desert, 7 December 1940 to 7 February 1941 

37638 Operations in the Middle East from 7 February 1941 to I5 July 1941 

37645 Operations in East Africa, November 1940 to July 1941 

37655 Operations of East Africa Command, 12 July 1941 to 8 January 1943 

37685 Despatch on operations in Iraq, East Syria and Iran, from 10 April 1941 to 12 January 

37695 Operations in the Middle East, 5 July 1941 to 31 October 1941 

37703 Despatch on the Persia and Iraq Command covering 21 August 1942 to 17 February, 1943 

37711 Operations in the North-west Europe from 6 June 1944 to 5 May 1945 

37719 The Battle of Britain, September 1946 

37728 Operation in Eastern Theatre, based on India, from March 1942 to 31 December 1942 

37729 Air operations in the Middle East from January 1 1941, to May 3 1941 

37779 Operations in North West Africa from 8 November 1942 to 13 May 1943 

37786 Operations in the Middle East from 16 February 1943, to 8 January 1944 

37838 Air operations by the Allied Expeditionary Air Force in NW Europe from 15 November 1943 to 30 September 1944  

37846 Air operations in Greece 1940 to 1941 

37989 The River Plate battle, 30 December 1939

38005 First and second Battles of Narvik, 10 and 13 April 1940 

38011 Norway campaign 17 July 1940 

38017 The evacuation of the Allied Armies from Dunkirk and neighbouring beaches, 18 June 1940 

38023 Fleet Air Arm Operations against Taranto on 11 November 1940 

38031 Battle of Matapan, 11 November 1941 

38038 Sinking of the German battlecruiser Schartnhorst, 26 December 1943 

38045 The Dieppe Raid, 30 August 1942 

38073 The Battle of Sirte, 22 March 1942 

38086 The Attack on St Nazaire, 1942 

38098 Sinking of the German battleship Bismarck on 27 May 1941

38110 The Assault Phase of the Normandy Landings, 16 October 1944 

38111 Liberation of Europe (Operation "Overlord") operations of Coastal Command, Royal Air Force, May to August 1944 

38149 The Anti-aircraft defence of the United Kingdom from 28 July 1939 to 15 April 1945 

38171 The final stages of the naval war in north-west Europe, December 1945 

38177 Operations in the Middle East from 1 November 1941 to 15 August 1942 

38183 Operations in the Far East from 17 October 1940 to 27 December 1941 

38190 Operations in Hong Kong from 8 to 25 December 1941 

38196 The African Campaign from El Alamein to Tunis, from 10 August 1942 to 13 May 1943 

38204 The attack on the Tirpitz by Midget submarines on 22 September 1943 

38205 The conquest of Sicily from 10 July 1943 to 17 August 1943 

38214 Loss of HM Ships Prince of Wales and Repulse December 1941 

38215 Operations of Malaya Command, from 8 December 1941, to 15 February 1942 

38216 Report on the air operations during the campaigns in Malaya and Netherland East Indies, from 8 December 1941 to 12 March 1942 

38225 The capture of Diego Suarez, 16 June 1942 

38228 Operations in Burma from 15 December 1941, to 20 May 1942 

38229 Air operations in Burma and Bay of Bengal, 1 January to 22 May 1942 

38266 Operations in the India Command from 1 January 1943 to 20 June 1943 

38269 Naval operations in Ramree Island area 19 January to 22 February 1945 

38273 Report of an action with the Italian fleet off Calabria, 9 July 1940  

38274 Operations in the Indo-Burma theatre based on India, 21 June 1943 to 15 November 1943  

38281 Action between British and Italian forces off Cape Spartivento on 27 November, 1940

38287 Report of an action against an Italian convoy on the night of the 15/16 April, 1941 

38293 Transportation of the Army to Greece and evacuation of the army from Greece, 1941 

38296 The Battle of Crete, 4 August 1941 

38300 The carrier born aircraft attack on Kirkenes and Petsamo, Sept 1941 

38308 The contribution of the British Pacific fleet to the Assault on Okinawa 1945 

38331 Raid on military and economic objectives in the Lofoten Islands 1941

38342 Raid on military and economic objectives in the vicinity of Vaagso Island, 7 Jan 1942 

38346 Battle of the Java Sea, 27 February 1942

38349 Report of the destruction Enemy Raider No 16 by HMS Devonshire, 8 Dec 1941

38377 Mediterranean convoy operations, 19 March 1941  

38404 Air operations by fighter command from 25 November 1940 to 31 December 1941 

35371 Notification of state of war with Finland/Hungary/Romania 

38423 Control of the Sicilian Straits during the final stages of the North African Campaign, 13 November 1943 

38426 Naval operations in the Aegean between 7 September 1943 and 28 November 1943 

38432 Coastal Force actions, 13 March 1943 

38437 Air operations by Air Defence of Great Britain Fighter Command in connection with the German Flying Bomb and Rocket Offensives 1944 to 1945 

38569 The landings in North Africa, 1943 

38895 The invasion of Sicily, 1 January 1944 

38899 Operations in connection with the landings in the Gulf of Salerno on 9 September 1943 

38937 The Allied Armies in Italy from 3 September 1943 to 12 December 1944 

39041 Convoys to North Russia 1942

39171 Operations in Burma and North-East India from 16 November 1943 to 22 June 1944

39173 Air operations in South East Asia 16 November 1943, to 31 May 1944 

39187 Operations in Assam and Burma from 23 June 1944 to 12 November 1944  

39191 The carrier-borne aircraft attacks on oil refineries in the Palembang (Sumatra) area, January 1945

39195 Operations in Burma from 12 November to 15 August 1945 

39196 Air operations in South East Asia from 1 June 1944 to the occupation of Rangoon, 2 May 1945 

39195 Operations in Burma from 12 November 1944 to 15 August 1945 

39202 Air operations in South East Asia, 3 May 1945 to 12 September 1945

39367 The part played by the Allied forces in the final defeat of the enemy in the Mediterranean theatre, March to   May 1945 

See also: World War 1 despatches