Guide to the Papers of John McCarthy [MSS 355]

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Manuscript Name Papers of John McCarthy
Manuscript Number MSS 355
Last Updated August 2021
Extent 4.30 m (32 boxes)
Location Special Collections, UNSW Canberra
Abstract This collection comprises photocopies of Australian government documents relating to World War II and research material for various publications by the historian and academic John Malcolm McCarthy.

Scope and Content

This collection comprises photocopies of Australian government documents including cables, minutes of War Cabinet meetings, ministerial notes, government correspondence and reports relating to World War II, together with research material for various publications by McCarthy.

Date Range of Content

1916-1986

Organization

The collection was arranged in files with titles when received by the Library. The arrangement of papers within these files and the file titles have been preserved by the Library

Biographical Note

John Malcolm McCarthy was born in 1933 and matriculated from the South Brisbane Evening Tutorial Classes and entered the University of Queensland on a Mature Age Scholarship. He graduated with First Class Honours in History and a University Medal from the University of Queensland. He completed his M.A. in History at the University of New South Wales, Kensington in 1968 and was awarded his Ph.D. from the Australian National University in 1972.

His first academic appointed was as a Teaching Fellow, Department of History, University of New South Wales, Kensington. In 1968 after completing his M.A. he became a Research Scholar in the Department of Political Science, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra. After teaching on the Kensington campus and at the University of Wollongong he was appointed lecturer in 1970 in the Department of History, Faculty of Military Studies, University of New South Wales, Duntroon, Canberra, and Senior Lecturer in 1973. In early 1986 he transferred to the University College, Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), Canberra and retired holding the position of Associate Professor in the School of History, University College, ADFA. After retirement, he was invited to become a Visiting Fellow in History at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University College, ADFA.

He was the foundation president of the Association for the History of Australian Defence and Foreign Policy, 1976-1979; member of the editorial boards of The great circle : journal of the Australian Association for Maritime History and War and society; foundation editor of the Australian journal of defence studies; and vice-president of the Australian Commission of Military History.

He is the author and editor of a number of articles and books on Australian and Imperial defence, foreign policy and Australian politics, including:
'The Stevens-Bruxner government, 1932-1939', M.A. thesis, University of New South Wales, Kensington (1967)
'Air power and Australian defence : a study in imperial relations, 1923-1954', Ph.D. thesis, Australian National University, 1972
Australia and imperial defence 1918-1939 : a study in sea and air power (1976)
Australia war strategy 1939-1945 : a documentary history, John Robertson and John McCarthy (1985)
Last call of empire : Australian aircrew, Britain and the Empire Air Training Scheme (1988)
Dependency? : essays in the history of Australian defence and foreign policy (edited by McCarthy 1989)
Defence in transition : Australian defence policy and the role of air power 1945-1954 (1991)
Australia and the threat of Japan 1919-1945 (edited and introduced by John McCarthy 1992)
The New South Wales state election, 1935 (1998)
The New South Wales state election, 1938 (1998)

References:
Guide (Australian Defence Force Academy. Dept. of History), 1991
Book covers and dust jackets
Kinetica database, 2004
Australian Defence Force Academy Library database, 2004

Administrative Information

Access

The collection is available for research.

Restrictions on Use

No copying is permitted without the permission of the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

[Manuscript Item], Papers of John McCarthy, Special Collections UNSW Canberra, MSS 355, Box [Number], Folder [Number].

Provenance

The collection was acquired from John McCarthy in 1998.

Access Terms

Personal Names

McCarthy, John Malcolm, 1933- -- Archives.

Topical Subjects

Academics -- Australia -- Archives.

Historians -- Australia -- Archives.

Authors, Australian -- 20th century--Archives.

Occupations

Historians

Academics

Container List

Box 1

Folder 1
Pre-war defence planning, August-September 1939

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 2-3
Decision to send troops overseas, September 1939-July 1940

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 4-5
Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) and other air matters, May 1932; July 1938; September 1939-January 1940

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 2

Folder 6-7
Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) and other air matters, February 1940-September 1943

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 8-10
Singapore commitment, May 1931-January 1943

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 3

Folder 11
Use of Australian troops in the Middle East, 1940, January-December 1940

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 12-14
Netherlands East Indies, November 1939-May 1944

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 4

Folder 15-16
Production, December 1918; January 1939-January 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 17-18
Japan/United States to Pearl Harbour (December 1941), September 1939-December 1940

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 5

Folder 19-23
Japan/United States to Pearl Harbour (December 1941), January 1941-December 1941 and August 1943

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 6

Folder 24-27
The Balkans, Greece and Crete, October 1939-January 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 7

Folder 28
Procedure. Examples of Defence Department procedure, May 1916; January 1940-October 1941

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 29-30
Navy, 1939-41, 1921-May 1944

Photocopies of Australian government documents plus handwritten research notes

Folder 31-32
Australian policy - general, includes manpower pre-1942, October 1939-December 1941

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 8

Folder 33
Raising 7th Division, January-October 1940

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 34
Home defence, 1939-40, November 1939-November 1941

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 35-37
Policy/UK. Demands for information, June 1939-December 1940

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 9

Folder 38-39
Policy/UK. Demands for information, January-December 1941

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 40
Policy/UK. Finance and trade, November 1939-October 1941

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 41
Troops to Malaya, 1940, June 1940-May 1941

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 10

Folder 42
Miscellaneous, 1939-1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 43-44
Australian/US relations, 1939; 1941-43; 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 45-48
Air - general 1941-1945, January 1941-December 1943

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 11

Folder 49-51
Air - general 1941-1945, January 1944-January 1946

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 52-56
Australian troops in Middle East 1941, July 1940-December 1941

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 12

Folder 57-58
Syria, July 1940-September 1941

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 59
Japan - post 1942 - general, February 1942-January 1943

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 60
Middle East 1942, March-November 1942; March 1943

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 61-62
Northern approaches. Timor, Ambon, March 1940-August 1944

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 63-64
Advisory War Council Minutes 1941, February-December 1941

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 13

Folder 65-66
Pacific Islands. Preparations for defence 1940-41, January 1940; June 1940-June 1942; March and November 1943

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 67
Munitions production, 1942, June 1942-July 1943; March 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 68
Russia, November 1941-February 1946

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 69-71
Advisory War Council Meetings 1942, December 1941-December 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 72
Minutes of War Cabinet October 1941-June 1943, October-December 1941

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 14

Folder 73-75
Minutes of War Cabinet October 1941-June 1943, August 1942-June 1943

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 76-79
Minutes of War Cabinet, July 1943-December 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 15

Folder 80
American troops in Australia, January-August 1942; April 1944

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 81
Danger of invasion, January-September 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 82
AIF 1942, December 1941-May 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 83-84
Singapore, Malaya, NEI 1941-February 1942, April 1941- February 1942; November 1942; April 1944

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 85-86
Navy 1941-1945, November 1941-June 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 87
Anzac naval area, November 1941-March 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 16

Folder 88-89
ABDA area, December 1941-March 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 90-94
Defence of Australia 1942, May 1941-March 1944

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 95
Letters to Curtin re defence of Australia 1942, January-December 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 17

Folder 96
The Brisbane Line, April 1941-November 1943

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 97-99
New Guinea 1941-1942, September 1941-April 1944

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 100-103
Relations with UK - the question of Australian representation, December 1941-May 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 18

Folder 104
Material from Bruce papers, April 1940

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 105-109
Higher direction of the war - grand strategy, December 1941-June 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 110
Higher direction of the war - grand strategy, January 1942-May 1944

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 111
Policy - Australia/United States, December 1941-December 1943

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 19

Folder 112-116
9th Division 1942, January 1942-April 1943

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 117-118
Diversion of convoy to Burma and AIF to Ceylon, 1 February-5 April 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 119
Evatt's overseas trips - 1942, 1943 and 1945, 1942-1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 20

Folder 120-121
Evatt's overseas trips - 1942, 1943 and 1945, January 1943-August 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 122-123
Post-war questions, May 1942-August 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 124-126
South West Pacific Area (SWPA) and MacArthur, March 1943-February 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 127
Manpower policy, December 1941-August 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 21

Folder 128-129
Manpower policy, September 1942-June 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 130
War situation from the Australian viewpoint, December 1941-September 1942; July 1943; January 1944

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 131
Australian politics, May 1941-July 1944

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 132
China, August 1940; April-October 1942; May-July 1943; June-November 1944

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 133
Full Cabinet minutes, December 1941-August 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 134
Curtin's overseas visit 1944, March-July 1944

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 135
Post-war aviation, January 1943-December 1944

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 22

Folder 136
Shipping position, March-June 1943; February-April 1944; March 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 137
Netherlands East Indies (NEI) post 1942, August-December 1943; June 1944

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 138
Tube alloys and uranium, August-October 1943; May-December 1944; February-March 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 139
Intelligence and political warfare, August 1941; July-August 1942; February 1943; May and December 1944; February 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 140
Scientific work applied to the Pacific, September 1940; September-November 1943; October 1944; February-March 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 141
73 Squadron plans, January, May-June 1941; August-October, December 1942; April-July, October-December 1943; May 1944

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 142
Food, December 1943; June 1944

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 143
Australia/New Zealand Agreement, August 1940; December 1943; January-November 1944

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 144-145
Royal Navy fleet to the Pacific, January 1944-July 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 23

Folder 146-152
Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) post-1941, November 1939; January 1941-May 1945; December 1945; 1954; 1963

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 153
Supply of aircraft, May-October 1941; March-November 1942; March 1943

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 24

Folder 154
Post-war question, excluding Europe, May-November 1944; January-February, June-August 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 155
Prisoners of war, November 1944; April 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 156
Financial matters, loans, etc, May 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 157
Portugal and Timor 1945, May, June, August 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 158-160
Australia's final campaigns, November 1943; January, June-September, November-December 1944; January-August 1945; May 1946

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 161-162
Commonwealth forces in SWPA, June 1944; February, June-17 July 1945; 18 July-August 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 25

Folder 163
AMF & AIF, conscription, January 1943; February 1944

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 164
Philippines, September-November 1944; January and April 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 165-166
Destination of 1 Australian Corps - destination of convoy, December 1941-March 1942; July-September 1943; c. 1950

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 167
ABDA, January-March 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 168
The Americans come, October 1941; January-May 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 169
The higher direction of the war, December 1941-March 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 170
Equipment for UK and USA, February 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 171
Malayan fiasco, December 1941-January 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 26

Folder 172
Malayan fiasco, February-March 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 173
Pacific - United States - Europe, January, April, May, August, September 1942; January, March, May, June, September 1943; February, March 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 174
The northern approaches, March-April 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 175
South West Pacific Area (SWPA) in operation, MacArthur and the Australians, March, April, November 1943; March 1945

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 176
Australian troops on the SS Orcades, January-March 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 177
AIF to Ceylon, February-July 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 178
America's involvement before Pearl Harbour, May 1938; September-December 1940; February-December 1941; December 1945; undated

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 179
Total war, February 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Folder 180
Defence of mainland Australia, September-November 1942

Photocopies of Australian government documents

Box 27

Folder 181
Photocopies of Australian government documents, July 1923 and June 1924

Folder 182
Photocopies of Australian government documents, October 1933; March, April, June 1935; August, December 1937; February, August, October 1938

Folder 183
Photocopies of Australian government documents and research notes, February, July 1939

Folder 184
Photocopies of Australian government documents and research notes, August-November 1939

Folder 185
Photocopies of Australian government documents and research notes, January, June, August-December 1940; March, April, August, September, November, December 1941

Folder 186
Photocopies of Australian government documents, January-December 1942

Folder 187
Photocopies of Australian government documents, January-June, August-December 1943

Folder 188
Photocopies of Australian government documents, January-May, August-November 1944

Box 28

Folder 189
Photocopies of Australian government documents and newspaper clippings including the Rowell and the Jones-Bostock problem, 1945, 1946

Folder 190
Photocopies of Australian government documents, 1947-1955, 1959

Folder 191
Photocopies of Australian government documents, 1967-69, 1971-72, 1974, 1981-82, 1984, 1986

Folder 192
Research material: Navy; Chapter III Section II; British/American proposals for participation in aircraft industry 1935-1936

Folder 193
Research material: Supply British aircraft 1935-19; AWS plans and drafts and draft introduction; draft outline; The Americans come

Folder 194-196
Research material

Box 29

Folder 197-203
Research material

Box 30

Folder 204-207
Correspondence re The Boomerang Club

Folder 208
Publications:
Commentary, Volume Fifty-one, number 6, June 1971;
Uranquinty Public School centenary, 1880-1980

Box 31

Folder 209
Reports:
Later campaigns in New Guinea, November 1942-March 1944;
Defence policy 1932;
Defence policy 1934;
British advice on services, 1921 1934-35, 1938-41;
Ellington Report, 1923

Box 32

Folder 210
Research material