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Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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1935-1977, predominant 1950-1969 (Creation)
Physical description area
Physical description
26.8 m of textual records (115 boxes)
9 photographs : b&w ; 25.5 x 25.5 cm
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Archival description area
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Administrative history
With the creation in February 1951 of the position of Chairman Chiefs of Staff (CCOS) came a supporting organisation of the chiefs of staff that originally comprised three entities: the offices of the Chairman Chiefs of Staff; the Chiefs of Staff Secretariat; and the Joint Staff. Prior to this, discussions had taken place since the mid-1940s with a view to forming such a Joint Staff. In February 1950, Robert Lewis Raymont had been appointed on a temporary basis as a Chief Secretary Joint Staff, to co-ordinate the work of the existing joint committee and staffs in dealing with the mass of Western European Union and NATO documents which were arriving, and other issues having a joint nature, and to submit a report recommending a suitable functional organisation and procedural methodology based on this initial experience. The Joint Staff consisted of those who served the main sub-committees of the chiefs of staff on a full time basis. At its head was the Coordinator Joint Staff (CJS), who reported directly to the CCOS, although when passing formal papers to the Chiefs of Staff he did so through the Secretary Chiefs of Staff. In May 1952, as a result of a year"s working experience, the Chiefs of Staff Secretariat and the Joint Staff were merged into one unit headed by the CJS in the rank of Commodore or equivalent who became responsible to the CCOS, acting on behalf of the Chiefs of Staff in their collective function, for supervising and co-ordinating the work of the joint staff, and became an ex-officio member of the main sub-committees whose staff were included in the joint organisation. A Deputy Coordinator Joint Staff (D/CJS) was established to assist the CJS and to act for him during his absence. Two officers, the Staff Officer (Logistics) Joint Staff, and the Staff Officer (Admin) Joint Staff also assisted the CJS. Also part of the Joint Staff were the Secretary, Joint Intelligence Committee; the Joint Intelligence Staff; the Secretary, Joint Planning Committee; the Joint Planning Staff; the Secretary Chiefs of Staff; the Secretary Vice Chiefs of Staff; and the Secretary Joint Security Committee. Commodore Herbert Sharples Rayner was the first Coordinator Joint Staff. Subsequent Coordinators included Air Commodore Herbert Hugh Carvell Rutledge, from October 1952 to July 1955; Robert Phineas Rothschild from August 1955 to Aug 1958; and Robert Lloyd Purves, in the early-1960s.
Custodial history
The exact provenance of this fonds remains unknown, though its contents point to it originating with the Joint Staff. The fonds constitutes only a portion of the original materials thought to have been created by the Joint Staff and kept in the same registry at National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ). When the files were listed in 1997, the documents were found in vaults referred to as “B” and “D”. However, on previous visits to the NDHQ vaults in which the documents were held, personnel from DHH received a few select files of particular interest to DHH historians’ current projects.
Scope and content
Fonds consists of documents mainly pertaining to Canadian dealings with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) during the Cold War period. Some of the main NATO committees and bodies dealt with include the the Military Committee, the Infrastructure Committee, the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), and Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT). Important subjects covered include nuclear warfare, NATO’s nuclear equipment and stores, its defence measures and plans, its international affairs, its infrastructure and its annual reviews (1952-1963), as well as the United Nations Emergency Force. There are also minutes to meetings for: Vice Chiefs to Staff Committee; the Joint Services Committees for the Pacific Coast, Atlantic Coast, East Coast and Newfoundland; and the Canada-United States Military Cooperation Committee. Also includes daily correspondence for the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee, minutes to meetings and papers for the Chiefs of Staff Committee, as well as minutes to meetings and papers for the Joint Planning Committee. There are 28 series:
I. Vault B - Chief of the General Staff files
II. Vault B - Chief of the Naval Staff files
III. Vault B - Chief of the Air Staff files
IV. Vault D files
V. Vice Chiefs of Staff Committee
VI. Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee
VII. Joint Planning Committee
VIII. Joint Services Committee, Pacific Coast
IX. Joint Services Committee, Atlantic Coast
X. Joint Services Committee, East Coast
XI. Joint Services Sub-Committee, Newfoundland
XII. Canada-United States Military Cooperation Committee
XIII. Chiefs of Staff Committee Miscellaneous Memoranda
XIV. Chiefs of Staff Committee Meetings
XV. Chiefs of Staff Committee - Permanent Joint Board Defence Documents
XVI. Chiefs of Staff Committee - Commonwealth Security Forces Organization and Administration (Canadian Section)
XVII. Chiefs of Staff Committee - Joint Defence Programme
XVIII. Chiefs of Staff Committss - Mobile Striking Force – Defence Against Enemy Lodgements
XIX. Chiefs of Staff Committee - Annual Reviews of NATO Defence Build-Up
XX. Chiefs of Staff Committee – Mobilization Planning – Canadian Army Defence Plan
XXI. Chiefs of Staff Committee – Organization – Air Defence
XXII. Chiefs of Staff Committee – Organization – Defences Against Enemy Lodgments
XXIII. Chiefs of Staff Committee – Canada-United States Regional Planning Group
XXIV. Chiefs of Staff Committee- Military Component Canadian Delegation in Laos
XXV. Chiefs of Staff Committee- Defence – Collaboration with United States
XXVI. Chiefs of Staff Committee – Defense – Collaboration with USA Alcanus
XXVII. Chiefs of Staff Committee – Interdepartmental Committee on Vital Points
XXVIII. Chiefs of Staff Committee – Sub-Committee on Mapping and Charting
XXIX. Chiefs of Staff Committee - General Reference (1)
XXX. Chiefs of Staff Committee - General Reference (2)
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Series 1-4 were received from the Dept. of National Defence (DND) Shared Support Services / Training and NATO documents in June 2002.
Series 5-6, 8-11 and 13-14 were formerly part of the Kardex Collection and were transferred to 2002/17 in 2005.
Series 7 and 12 were transferred from the Kardex Collection in 2005 and 2006.
Series 15-19 were transferred from the Kardex Collection in 2006.
Series 29-30 were transferred from the Kardex Collection in 2007.
Arrangement
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Classified material is stored in Boxes 27-47, 103-104 and 129-134.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Copies of the finding aid are located in the first file of the fonds and in the Reading Room at the Directorate of History and Heritage. Electronic copies are also available.
Associated materials
The finding aid to Library and Archives Canada accession 1983/84/167, documents sharing the same provenance as those in this fonds, is available in the Document Collection: 91/292.
Numerous Kardex documents in the 112.3M2.009 section seem to share a provenance with the materials in this fonds.
Library and Archives Canada have the following holdings:
The Joint Staff and Chiefs of Staff Committee series of the Dept. of National Defence fonds: R112-41-5-E (formerly RG 24-B-1)
Central registry files of Naval Headquarters: Accession 1983-84/167 (formerly : 1983-00007-8 ; RG 24 D-1-c)
Accession 1997-1998/260. [Researchers should note, however, that most files in this accession remain classified as Top Secret.]
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
General note
It is thought that the Kardex documents in the 112.3M2.009 section, the Joint Staff fonds, and the two accessions at Library and Archives Canada constitute the entirety of the materials originally held by a Joint Staff registry. The finding aid to Library and Archives Canada accession 1983/84/167 (documents sharing the same provenance as those in this fonds) is available in the Document Collection: 91/292 Researchers interested in further NATO documents may want to consult NATO finding aids held in the document collection: 99/34. Also of particular interest at the Directorate of History and Heritage are the Chiefs of Staff Committee fonds (2002/4) and Series I of the George Lindsay fonds (87/253). 9 photographs are stored in Series VIII - Joint services Committee, Pacific Coast
General note
It is thought that the Kardex documents in the 112.3M2.009 section, the Joint Staff fonds, and the two accessions at Library and rchives Canada constitute the entirety of the materials originally held by a Joint Staff registry.
General note
Researchers interested in further NATO documents may want to consult NATO finding aids held in the document collection: 99/34.
General note
Also of particular interest at the Directorate of History and Heritage are the Chiefs of Staff Committee fonds (2002/4) and Series I of the George Lindsay fonds (87/253).
General note
9 photographs are stored in Series VIII - Joint services Committee, Pacific Coast