LONDON.- The Trenchard papers are a fabulous and unique record of Lord Trenchard’s career. The archive includes documents which relate to Lord Trenchard’s military career pre-First World War. Files containing speeches, correspondence with a number of notable individuals and policy documents provide insight into his leadership and continued involvement with the RAF as well as his time as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Maggie Appleton, RAF Museum CEO, said: This is an incredibly exciting and enriching collection to receive at the close of the RAF’s centenary year. The archive is a precious primary resource for researchers which is of national and international importance. The RAF Museum is honoured and delighted to hold this for the nation and make it accessible to the public.

In addition to the Archive, there are further papers, some photograph albums, press cutting books, certificates and recordings. Members of the media and public will be able to request access to the collection once it is catalogued through the Museum’s Research Team.

Edward Harley, Chairman, Acceptance in Lieu Panel said: I am delighted that in the centenary year of the RAF the archive of Lord Trenchard has been allocated to the RAF Museum through the Acceptance in Lieu scheme. The archive serves as a valuable resource for the study of the origins and development of the RAF and also for Lord Trenchard’s extensive other interests.

Details of the archive are as follows:

The archive of Hugh, 1st Viscount Trenchard (1873-1956) comprises chiefly correspondence, with significant quantities of related manuscripts including memoranda and other enclosures, autograph manuscripts, notes, diaries and related printed matter; mostly 1901-1956, with a few autobiographical notes covering earlier periods, and 11 files of later biographers’ papers. The archive, some 5,000 documents in total, comprises approximately 570 files contained in 62 document boxes, eight folders/files, two envelopes, one bundle and a few loose documents, as well as albums of photographs, press cuttings etc; there are also separate groups of printed matter and one box of long-playing records.

There is a Calendar dividing Trenchard’s career into four chronological ‘phases’ (reflected in the synopsis below), plus a fifth ‘phase’ of biographers’ notes. Each ‘phase’ is subdivided by subject, with correspondence ordered and listed alphabetically.

• Phase I: Early life and First World War; General Officer Commanding, RFC
• Phase II: A. The Royal Air Force; B. Correspondence with TE Lawrence
• Phase III: Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Force
• Phase IV: Second World War and afterwards
• Phase V: Biographers’ notes; together with Additional and uncatalogued material

The acceptance of the Trenchard Archive settled £489,510 of tax.