This collection of papers constitutes the fifth deposit made by the Society and supplements the 1961-1971 decennial accession, which was made earlier than usual due to the Society's move to new premises. These papers cover roughly the same period as the previous accession, though some later and some earlier material is also included. Some gaps in the earlier accession are supplied here, notably in the section relating to the Committee for the Welfare of Africans in Europe, the papers here going back to the 1920s (H4 / 1-4); conversely, some previously very full sections are not represented here at all, such as the series of annual reports and accounts, and the section of press cuttings.

This accession also contains some entirely new sections of material, for example the series of correspondence with various charities (D11 / 23) and the papers relating to publications on slavery (D12 / 1-5), and there are also some deeds and other documents concerning the different premises rented by the Society from the 19th century onwards (D11 / 22).

The papers in this accession have been sorted and listed as far as possible in accordance with the arrangement as set out in the guides to the four earlier deposits of the Society's papers, which should be studied in order to learn about the history and the archives of the Society. Thus section D contains office correspondence and material relating to the administration of the Society; section G contains material arranged by territory or subject, and section H concerns the Committee for the Welfare of Africans in Europe. The original file titles are shown in quotation marks, and reference codes noted in square brackets preceded by 'Soc.', for instance [Soc. OV/04].

During the period mainly covered by this accession the office of Secretary was held by Commander Thomas S. C. Fox-Pitt, from 1954 to 1963, and by Colonel J. R. Patrick Montgomery, from the end of 1963 onwards. The post of Chairman was held by Denis A. J. Buxton, from 1960 to 1964, and by Sir Douglas Glover, from 1965 to 1974.