The British Army, information management and the First World War revolution in military affairs

Information Management (IM) – the systematic ordering, processing and channelling of information within organisations – forms a critical component of modern military command and control systems. As a subject of scholarly enquiry, however, the history of military IM has been relatively poorly served. Employing new and under-utilised archival sources, this article takes the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) of the First World War as its case study and assesses the extent to which its IM system contributed to the emergence of the modern battlefield in 1918. It argues that the demands of fighting a modern war resulted in a general, but not universal, improvement in the BEF’s IM techniques, which in turn laid the groundwork, albeit in embryonic form, for the IM systems of modern armies. KEY WORDS: British Army, Information Management, First World War, Revolution in Military Affairs, Adaptatio

Military report on the Transvaal /

[A.1076.], [A.1132.].; At head of title: South Africa.; Includes index.; Includes 1 folded map in rear pocket of v. 1.; Includes 4 folded maps in rear pocket of v. 2: "Transvaal (provisional issue)", scale 1:1,000,000, TSGS 2187, 1906/1907 ; "Map of the Transvaal colony shewing post office, agencies and mail routes", scale [1:1,900,800], TSGS 2168(a), 1906 ; "Transvaal route diagram", scale 1:2,534,400, TSGS 2168(b), 1906 ; "Sketch map of the Transvaal postal telegraphs", not to scale, TSGS 2168(c), 1906.; National Library of Australia's copy missing map from rear of v. 1. ANL; Maps from rear pocket of v. 2. also available online http://nla.gov.au/nla.map-vn451985. Contents:- v.1. General. - v.2. Communications

Military report on Basutoland /

"A.1384".; At head of title: South Africa.; "Note. Military Report on Basutoland, vol.I (General), which will be confidential, is now in press and will be distributed shortly - War Office, May 1910." -- Slip tipped in opposite title page, v. 2.; Includes folded color map in rear pocket: "Route diagram to accompany vol. II of the Military Report of Basutoland", GSGS 2494, 1910.; Maps from rear pocket also available online http://nla.gov.au/nla.map-vn1973012. Contents:- v.1. General -- v.2. Routes

Military report and general information concerning the Straits settlements 1906 /

Includes index.; Includes 2 maps folded in rear pocket: "Sketch map of Federated Malay States Railways", scale 1:1,267,200, TSGS 2065, 1906 ; "Map of Singapore and surrounding country", scale 1:253,440, IDWO 1140, Jan. 1896, corrections April 1906.; "For official use only."; Covers Singapore, the Cocos or Keeling Islands, Christmas Island, Malacca, Penang, Province Wellesley and the Dindings.; Maps from rear pocket also available online http://nla.gov.au/nla.map-vn1130908

Military report on Cyprus /

"A 1643"; Includes index.; Folded map in rear pocket: "Cyprus", scale 1:348,480.; At head of title: "For official use only. This book is the property of H.B.M. Government."; Map from rear pocket also available online http://nla.gov.au/nla.map-vn2498515

Liberia 1905

Loaned by the American Geographical Society to the Peace Conference at Versailles, 1918-1919. Relief shown by form lines and spot heights.Color;1:1,000,00

Annaba, Algeria 1942

Relief shown by contours. In upper margin: Algeria 1:10,000. "Revised and copied from an intelligence plan dated 1935." Military grid.Color1:10,00

Afghanistan.

Relief shown by contours and spot heights.Shows railway, road and telegraph lines."War Office, June 1912"

East Africa 1905

1 in = 1.5783 mi. "G.S.G.S. no. 2224."Grayscale;1:250,00