Zuckerman Archive: Allied Expeditionary Air Force

Scope and Content

This series deals with Solly Zuckerman's activities as Scientific Adviser (Plans) to the Allied Expeditionary Air Force (AEAF) a post to which he was recalled from the Mediterranean in January 1944 at the recommendation of Air Chief Marshal Tedder. Tedder, who had been appointed Deputy Supreme Commander of Allied Forces for the invasion of Europe (Operation Overlord), had been persuaded of the value of attacks on transportation targets and rail targets in particular by the success of air operations in the Mediterranean theatre. Zuckerman quickly established a good working relationship with the AEAF planning staff and with the Air Officer Commanding AEAF, Air Chief Marshal Leigh-Mallory. Leigh-Mallory had been a commander of fighter forces, not universally popular among his peers, who was to arouse a degree of opposition to his plans for air support of Overlord which were judged by some to stray too far into the sphere of strategic operations.

The files have clearly been re-organised more than once and much of the present arrangement reflects their use during the drafting of Leigh-Mallory's official despatch on the operations of AEAF, published posthumously. It is also likely that at this stage some documents were added. A number of items are typescripts headed copy which are presumed to have been copied from material in official files elsewhere and may not have constituted part of Solly Zuckerman's working files during the planning of Overlord. It is also likely that some planning papers were at different times transferred to files now in series SZ/BAU, SZ/BBSU and SZ/BSU. There is, therefore, a lack of coherence in the contents of this series. This series also overlaps with SZ/BSGF and SZ/FS.

Arrangement

  • SZ/AEAF/1 AEAF Planning, 1943-44
  • SZ/AEAF/2 Tedder and SHAEF control, 1944
  • SZ/AEAF/3 Air Ministry, 1944
  • SZ/AEAF/4 War Office and 21 A.G. [plans and comments], 1942-44
  • SZ/AEAF/5 G-2 SHAEF, 1944
  • SZ/AEAF/6 USTAF and EOU comments and counter-comments, 1944
  • SZ/AEAF/7 Cabinet papers,1944
  • SZ/AEAF/8 JTWC Sub-Committee on Effects of Interruption of Lines of Communication, 1943-44
  • SZ/AEAF/9 [File missing]
  • SZ/AEAF/10 Overlord plans - general, 1944
  • SZ/AEAF/11 SHAEF Weekly Intelligence Summary, 1944-45
  • SZ/AEAF/12 Scientific Advisory Committee on Radio Aids (SACRA), 1944
  • SZ/AEAF/13 Radar, 1944
  • SZ/AEAF/14 Bombing accuracy. Reports by Operational Research Section, RAF Bomber Command, 1943-44
  • SZ/AEAF/15 OBOE, 1944

Access Information

Please refer to the fonds-level description for GB 1187 SZ.

Note

BG; DNS

Conditions Governing Use

Please refer to the fonds-level description for GB 1187 SZ.