Thousands of government papers "vanished" from UK's National Archives

Thousands of government papers “vanished” from UK's National Archives

Thursday, December 28th 2017 - 10:07 UTC

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Thousands of government papers detailing some of the most controversial episodes in 20th-century British history have vanished after civil servants removed them from the country’s National Archives and then reported them as lost. Documents concerning the Falklands war, Northern Ireland’s Troubles and the infamous Zinoviev letter – in which MI6 officers plotted to bring about the downfall of the first Labour government - are all said to have been misplaced. Read full article

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:o))
The Car Wash Files too are heading for the SAME fate?
Dec 28th, 2017 - 10:53 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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Brit Bob
The war because of an usurpation - The Argentine government describe the British activities of 3 January 1833 as, 'on 3 January 1833 a British Royal Navy corvette with the support of another warship in the vicinity, threatened to use greater force and demanded the surrender and handover of the settlement.' And 'The act of force of 1833, carried out in peacetime without prior communication or declaration by a government friendly to the Argentine Republic...'

Falkland Islands – The Usurpation (1 pg): https://www.academia.edu/34838377/Falkland_Islands_The_Usurpation
Dec 28th, 2017 - 11:00 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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DemonTree
That's pretty shit really. Anyone who doesn't think those files have gone down the memory hole?

@ :o))
Definitely, if your politicians can get their hands on them.
Dec 28th, 2017 - 12:23 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
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Chicureo
Probably files regarding the secret underground atomic missile launch pad directed towards Buenos Aires were stolen by MI6...
Dec 28th, 2017 - 05:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Conqueror
@Chicureo. “secret underground atomic missile launch pad directed towards Buenos Aires” was generally referred to as a Resolution class ballistic missile submarine. And could have been anywhere within a radius of 4,600 km. Trident is so much better.
Dec 28th, 2017 - 05:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Chicureo
Conqueror

The neat part is how they disguised it underneath the post office in Port Stanley...
Dec 28th, 2017 - 09:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Roger Lorton
It all depends how they've figured this out.

In the case of older 18th/19th century) files, the original letters etc were transcribed into the records, but more often than not, any attachments, even if referred to within the letter, were detached.

I suspect back in the day this was to try and keep some order within the archives but it is now very frustrating. Such attachments may have been filed under the authors name, or his department's name or even a subject heading, or - I suspect - binned because some twerp didn't know where it should go.

And if it comes down to incompetence by civil servants, what's left to be said.

In some cases, documents seem to have been retained by the authors, often a Minister of something or other, and then, after he'd died, flogged off to some Yank Library.

All these files had been declassified, so there shouldn't have been anything sensitive in them anyway.

Research can be really frustrating at times.
Dec 29th, 2017 - 12:25 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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Patrick Edgar
ONLY the Falkland's War? ... I would bet anything, that among the many documents lost there or by other means, we would find documents that are pertinent to the island's possession prior to the war of 82. Britain's War of Shame
Dec 29th, 2017 - 04:22 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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Roger Lorton
Pat Edgar - a man on the edge LOL

You need to stop smoking that stuff Pat, how can kicking off Argie trespassers for the second time in 150 possibly involve any shame. Argentina was ordered to leave by the UN. Argentina ignored that mandatory resolution by the Security Council leaving the UK with no choice but to take the matter in hand.

Argentina chose trial by combat. Argentina lost.

The matter is now settled.
Dec 30th, 2017 - 01:54 am - Link - Report abuse +1
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:o))
@DemonTree
REF: “Definitely, IF your politicians can get their hands on them.”:

The politicians are much more efficient!

They surreptitiously and gradually WILL make not only the papers but also the ENTIRE investigation, the proofs, AND even the investigators + the witnesses DISAPPEAR AS IF THEY DID NOT EVEN EXIST! :o))
Jan 04th, 2018 - 01:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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