The National Army Museum and the Ministry of Defence

Correspondence files and papers representing the National Army Museum's relationship with the War Office, later the Ministry of Defence, including army liaison, internal audits and reports, and transfer of items to the Museum.

In February 1949 the War Office Military Museums Co-ordinating Committee agreed that there was 'a requirement for a museum at the RMA Sandhurst, whose charter should be to preserve objects of interest in connection with the Army which did not fall readily within the scope of existing establishments, including Regimental Museums, e.g. objects connected with the Indian Army, Cavalry and Irish Regiments now in abeyance and which should contribute to the bringing up of the cadet in sound military tradition.' The Museum at Sandhurst developed under the auspices of the War Office, later the Ministry of Defence, and it was on this basis that the National Army Museum was established and continued, until 1983, when the Museum became an Arms-Length Body in receipt of grant-in-aid from the Ministry of Defence.

Arranged according to original file series and function.

All unpublished records of the National Army Museum are closed to external users for 20 years for corporate reasons. Further restrictions may apply for Data Protection Act compliance, typically 75 or 50 years closure for files containing personal data.

Transferred to the Institutional Archive of the National Army Museum through the Museum's records management service.

Permission is required from the National Army Museum for reproduction of material from this series.

Appraised in line with the National Army Museum's retention schedule.

Accruals are expected to this series.