The Army Bureau of Current Affairs (ABCA) as an organisation set up to educate and raise morale amongst British servicemen and servicewomen during World War II.

ABCA pamphlets and publications The ABCA published two main series of pamphlets War and Current Affairs, both from September 1941 with the former series concluding after Victory in Europe Day in June 1945 and the latter continuing until December 1946. These pamphlets were published biweekly and usually contained 16 pages, including the front and rear covers. There are also seems to have been a French-language version of these pamphlets published for Canadian French speaking troops. A completely different series was made for the Middle East but not many come onto the market.

A further printed publication and different approach for discussion was an ABCA issued wall chart for use in barracks etc., of which not many seem to have survived the war. Last but not least, an ABCA song book was released in 1944 with an introduction by Williams himself.

The details of the War and Current Affair pamphlets are as follows:

1941 WAR No. 1 : 20 September — News-facts for fighting men No. 2 : 4 October — News-facts for fighting men No. 3 : 18 October — News-facts for fighting men No. 4 : 1 November — News-facts for fighting men No. 5 : 15 November — News-facts for fighting men No. 6 : 29 November — News-facts for fighting men No. 7 : 13 December — News-facts for fighting men No. 8 : 27 December — News-facts for fighting men

1942 WAR No. 9 : 10 January — News-facts for fighting men No. 10 : 24 January — News-facts for fighting men No. 11 : 7 February — News-facts for fighting men No. 12 : 21 February — Fifty-five days in Malaya No. 13 : 7 March — If invasion comes No. 14 : 21 March — The enemy in the east No. 15 : 4 April — The mind of a Nazi No. 16 : 18 April — The Libyan See-saw No. 17 : 2 May — The German army No. 18 : 16 May — How Russia fights No. 19 : 30 May — The Greeks fight on No. 20 : 13 June — In a desert battle No. 21 : 27 June — Libya, summer 1942 No. 22 : 11 July — The thrust for Egypt No. 23 : 25 July — The U.S. Army No. 24 : 8 August — Guide for Jap invaders No. 25 : 22 August — The Merchant Navy No. 26 : 5 September — The Indian Army No. 27 : 19 September — Life in the R.A.C. No. 28 : 3 October — Dieppe Summary No. 29 : 17 October — The British Soldier No. 30 : 31 October — I didn't think it mattered No. 31 : 14 November — Where did that one go (RA) No. 32 : 28 November — The Airborne Forces No. 33 : 12 December — Desert song No. 34 : 26 December — Army Food (+ CMP + selection)

1943 WAR No. 35 : 9 January — The trouble with Italians No. 36 : 23 January — And what did you see? (RA) No. 37 : 6 February — Little men, what now? No. 38 : 22 February — This is the Red Army No. 39 : 6 March — Battle report (16 p.) No. 40 : 20 March — Pass the Ammunition (16 p.) No. 41 : 3 April — "Be Mean and kill 'em" No. 42 : 17 April — He leads, the others follow No. 43 : 1 May — Full Supporting Cast No. 44 : 15 May — Casualty report No. 45 : 29 May — Operation Diary No. 46 : 12 June — The Royal Marines No. 47 : 26 June — The horse's mouth No. 48 : 10 July — Enemy: Japan No. 49 : 24 July — The documents in the case No. 50 : 7 August — Mediterranean Journey No. 51 : 21 August — The guards at Mareth No. 52 : 4 September — A night out in Sicily No. 53 : 18 September — ATS (progress report) No. 54 : 2 October — Daylight bombing No. 55 : 16 October — Coastal Forces No. 56 : 30 October — Soldiers' Battles No. 57 : 13 November — All orders faithfully executed (RE) No. 58 : 27 November — When in Rome No. 59 : 11 December — Parachuting as a career No. 60 : 25 December — Thought for food (and part two of Parachuting as a career.)

1944 WAR No. 61 : 8 January — Seaward watch No. 62 : 22 January — Frankfurt revisited No. 63 : 5 February — Recce Corps No. 64 : 19 February — Strictly G.I. No. 65 : 4 March — Salerno Diary No. 66 : 18 March — Louder and Faster (AA) No. 67 : 1 April — The man overhead No. 68 : 15 April — Self-preservation (booby traps) No. 69 : 29 April — One more river No. 70 : 13 May — The other army No. 71 : 27 May — Next of kin No. 72 : 10 June — Up in Arms No. 73 : 24 June — Preparations (16 p.) No. 74 : 8 July — D-Day No. 75 : 5 August — The case against Private Abbott No. 76 : 19 August — Tiger, tiger, burning bright No. 77 : 2 September — Two sides of battle No. 78 : 16 September — The Captain in search of his youth No. 79 : 14 October — Not only concerned with food No. 80 : 28 October — Gentlemen, let us not hurry No. 81 : 11 November — Five years of war No. 82 : 25 November — Yes, if he has no fingernails No. 83 : 9 December — Arnhem, part I No. 84 : 23 December — Arnhem, part II

1945 WAR No. 85 : 6 January — Look Homeward, Jap No. 86 : 20 January — Antwerp No. 88 : 17 February — Riding high No. 89 : 3 March — The Philippines No. 90 : 17 March — The Red Army advances No. 91 : 31 March — Incidental explosion No. 93 : 28 April — Report (20 p.) No. 94 : 12 May — Return via Dunkirk No. 95 : 26 May — From now on (16 p.) No. 96 : 9 June — The road to Rangoon No. 97 : 23 June — Swan song

A.B.C.A. series CURRENT AFFAIRS

1941 Current Affairs No. 1 : 27 September — A background bulletin No. 2 : 11 October — A background bulletin No. 3 : 25 October — A background bulletin No. 4 : 8 November — A background bulletin No. 5 : 22 November — A background bulletin No. 6 : 6 December — A background bulletin No. 7 : 20 December — A background bulletin

1942 No. 8 : 3 January — A background bulletin No. 9 : 17 January — A background bulletin No. 10 : 31 January — A background bulletin No. 11 : 14 February — A background bulletin No. 12 : 28 February — A background bulletin No. 13 : 14 March — A background bulletin No. 14 : 28 March — A background bulletin No. 15 : 11 April — A background bulletin No. 16 : 25 April — A background bulletin No. 17 : 9 May — South Africa and the War No. 18 : 23 May — Britain's Acres go to War No. 19 : 6 June — Cripps on India No. 20 : 20 June — Women at War No. 21 : 4 July — Hitler's Own War No. 22 : 18 July — Meet the Americans No. 23 : 1 August — The British Empire No. 24 : 15 August — The Chungking Angle No. 25 : 29 August — The Russian Background No. 26 : 12 September — Here are the Americans No. 27 : 26 September — Town Planning No. 28 : 10 October — What price Victory? No. 29 : 24 October — Development of Nazism No. 30 : 7 November — How can we abolish War? No. 31 : 21 November — Taking Stock No. 32 : 5 December — North Africa No. 33 : 19 December — The Beveridge report

1943 No. 34 : 2 January — The Mediterranean No. 35 : 16 January — Rumour No. 36 : 30 January — North African Resources No. 37 : 13 February — The Nation's health No. 38 : 27 February — The Middle East and Turkey No. 39 : 13 March — Spain No. 40 : 27 March — Latin America No. 41 : 10 April — Germany's New Order No. 42 : 24 April — The Colonies No. 43 : 8 May — Problems in the Pacific No. 44 : 22 May — Women after the war No. 45 : 5 June — Social Security No. 46 : 3 July — Facts about Italy No. 47 : 17 July — Balkan Background No. 48 : 31 July — When the Lights go on No. 49 : 14 August — The trouble with Germans No. 50 : 28 August — You are going to Europe No. 51 : 11 September — What about our schools? No. 52 : 25 September — Transatlantic Soundings No. 53 : 9 October — Here's Tae Us! No. 54 : 23 October — What we'll Find in Europe No. 55 : 6 November — Are we United Nations No. 56 : 20 November — Building the Post-war Home No. 57 : 4 December — Farming in Soviet Russia No. 58 : 18 December — What about France?

1944 Current Affairs No. 59 : 1 January — You and the Americans No. 60 : 15 January — Armies of Occupation No. 61 : 29 January - Woman's Place No. 62 : 12 February — What we'll Find in Germany No. 63 : 26 February — This Business of Public Opinion No. 64 : 11 March — The Yank in Britain No. 65 : 25 March — What is good food No. 66 : 8 April — Belgium and Holland No. 67 : 22 April — How about Japan No. 68 : 6 May — Partners in Battle No. 69 : 20 May — The Nazis in Scandinavia No. 70 : 3 June — Electing the President No. 71 : 17 June — Work for All No. 72 : 1 July — So you're going to France No. 73 : 15 July — Partisan Setting! No. 74 : 29 July — Friends in Need No. 75 : 12 August — After the Blitz is Over? No. 76 : 26 August — Schools for Tomorrow No. 77 : 9 September — The Japanese Way No. 78 : 23 September — "Show me the way to go home" No. 79 : 7 October — Brush-up for civvy street No. 80 : 21 October — Parisian come-back No. 81 : 4 November — A Weapon against want No. 82 : 18 November — What happened at home? (20p.) No. 83 : 2 December — Fewer children No. 84 : 16 December — Men from the Dominions No. 85 : 30 December — The cinema and the public

1945 Current Affairs No. 86 : 13 January — Japanese purpose No. 87 : 27 January — What price Peace? No. 88 : 10 February — Chinese prospect No. 89 : 24 February — A practical democracy (on New Zealand) (20 p.) No. 90 : 10 March — The more we are together No. 91 : 24 March — 'Jolly Swagman' No. 92 : no details No. 93 : 21 April — Theirs is the Future No. 94 : 5 May — On thinking geographically No. 95 : no details No. 96 : 2 June — The artist and the public (20 p.) No. 98 : 30 June - The "Cost" of the War (20 p.) No. B1 : 21 July — Bridging the Gap No. B2 : 4 August — A matter of choice (16 p.) No. 3(B) : 18 August — This business of migration (20 p.) No. 4(B) : 1 September — The prospect before us (16 p.) No. 5(B) : 15 September — We all go the same way home (16 p.) No. 7(B) : 13 October — Look before you leap! (30 p.) No. 108(A) : 17 November — South African Survey No. 10(B) : 24 November — Hungry World No. 109(A) : 1 December — Indian Background (20 p.) No. 110(A) : 15 December — Housing Brief (20 p.) No. 12(B) : 22 December — Work in hand (20 p.) No. 112 : 12 January — Burning Issue (20 p.) No. 117 : no date — "What Manchester thinks to-day..." (20 p.)

Note: Between July and December 1945 ABCA 'Current Affairs' had a 'B'-series in between the normal bi-weekly issue, with a B prefix for the book number.

References