After Remove file, can I get a previous version?

[Flossie]

Hi,
Say I start a new project and have file1 in my main code tree. I then 
want to release a software (eg) version 1.1.
Then say I start on v1.2 and remove file1 from my main source tree.

Can I then get all files for version 1.1, and there will still exist 
file1? I.e all files required to build version 1.1?

I assume:
a) If I simply tagged my entire source tree (as version 1.1) before 
moving on to v1.2, then removing file1 would mean I can't then go back 
and retrieve all files tagged as version 1.1 (including file1 as it was 
under version 1.1);
whereas
b) If version 1.1 was created by branching (rather than tagging) off the 
main source tree, then this 1.1 branch is a completely separate (and 
complete) copy of the source and is unaffected by what I remove (in the 
main source tree) after the branch has been done?

TIA