Post by Diarist on May 20, 2017 21:38:05 GMT 1
There wasn't much to do this morning. I helped with the Saturday morning shopping and made sure that Mum had enough money for the next few weeks. I've also received packages for George and Irvine. At midday we went to the Saffron Hotel where we met most of the other passengers and after lunch we were driven to RAF Duxford in a variety of cars. WO1 Jake Higgins had already done his pre-flight check but COL Windsor and I, (Edward was in uniform), did another one for the practice. "Edward, you are a passenger today. Jake is my reserve pilot. Have you done your theory yet for a four-engine aircraft?"
"Work in progress, Bob."
I'm aiming for a four-engine licence because I've arranged to have two Vickers Victoria aircraft to be upgraded to VIP passenger Valentias with more powerful engines. After a two and a half hour flight I again performed a text book landing at Paris-Le Bourget. Since King Edward was on board we were met by President Daladier and assigned rooms in the Élysée Palace. While Edward and John Gort had dinner with Édouard Daladier and Konrad Adenauer, Prinz Ruppert plus Sally and myself went to Hôtel Brienne to dine with the French and German military personnel. They had been having discussions since yesterday evening with moderate success. The main stumbling block was German troops being stationed in France especially in Alsace and Lorraine.
"Then don't station troops there," I suggested. "Instead have a German Alpine brigade assigned to a French Alpine Division and transfer one of its regiments to Bavaria. We could also have a joint British, French and German Armoured Division in Saarland and treat it as a training and evaluation division. It would help to standardize our equipment, training and organization."
"An excellent idea," Rupprecht said. "We should be concentrating on cooperation not squabbling about where to put troops. The main threat is in the East so why put German troops in France or Britain in the first place? We should decide on joint training and evaluation units for all branches."
Generals Maurice Gamelin and Ludwig Beck agreed to pursue the idea tomorrow morning. After dinner I had a chance to talk with a few of the people separately. General Beck was confident that a deal with France is possible. The other problems are minor issues with the exception of Saarland. France is delaying a decision to leave the state. I suggested that they propose a joint administration and I would do the same when I talk to Daladier tomorrow. Both General von Weichs and Charles de Gaulle confided that the French armour models are terrible. Charles asked if France could produce the British Crusader under licence. I replied that PM Daladier has already requested to produce the US tank engine in France and I'll also discuss that tomorrow.
Wilhelm was also in Paris and I joined him and Sally at a corner table. We joked about my recent visit to Berlin. I told him that we would soon be visiting Washington with a Royal Navy fleet. The fleet would then continue through the Panama Canal to Hawaii then Australia and/or Singapore to show the flag in the region. "Would the Kriegsmarine like to add a squadron around the Graf Spee and accompany us? We could also visit Shanghai."
"An interesting proposal. I'll suggest it to Raeder. The French?"
"We are proposing that a joint French-Dutch fleet also show the flag in the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean and later arrive in Indochine."
"And a large European fleet in the South China Sea would send a clear message to Japan I presume."
"We don't intend visiting the Japanese. The Americans can handle them. We are only looking after European interests in the region."
"I'm sure of that."
"What do you think of my article which will published in a few Spanish newspapers tomorrow?" I handed him a copy.
He read it carefully. "I like it. By concentrating on conservative values and excluding extremist ideas you are clearly ruling out cooperation with Communist governments."
"I had some help from Juan Rodriguez in the Spanish Embassy. Communists and Fascists tend to cancel regular general elections. I know other so-called non-aligned governments do that too but they don't start planning wars."
"That's true." He then informed me that German ambassador to Spain is not a Nazi so he will be meeting us in Madrid.
After returning to the Élysée Palace I had a 30 minute conversation with John Gort before retiring. He had warned the PM that I would be asking about Golan and the Circassians. I replied that there will be a lot of more to discuss.
"Work in progress, Bob."
I'm aiming for a four-engine licence because I've arranged to have two Vickers Victoria aircraft to be upgraded to VIP passenger Valentias with more powerful engines. After a two and a half hour flight I again performed a text book landing at Paris-Le Bourget. Since King Edward was on board we were met by President Daladier and assigned rooms in the Élysée Palace. While Edward and John Gort had dinner with Édouard Daladier and Konrad Adenauer, Prinz Ruppert plus Sally and myself went to Hôtel Brienne to dine with the French and German military personnel. They had been having discussions since yesterday evening with moderate success. The main stumbling block was German troops being stationed in France especially in Alsace and Lorraine.
"Then don't station troops there," I suggested. "Instead have a German Alpine brigade assigned to a French Alpine Division and transfer one of its regiments to Bavaria. We could also have a joint British, French and German Armoured Division in Saarland and treat it as a training and evaluation division. It would help to standardize our equipment, training and organization."
"An excellent idea," Rupprecht said. "We should be concentrating on cooperation not squabbling about where to put troops. The main threat is in the East so why put German troops in France or Britain in the first place? We should decide on joint training and evaluation units for all branches."
Generals Maurice Gamelin and Ludwig Beck agreed to pursue the idea tomorrow morning. After dinner I had a chance to talk with a few of the people separately. General Beck was confident that a deal with France is possible. The other problems are minor issues with the exception of Saarland. France is delaying a decision to leave the state. I suggested that they propose a joint administration and I would do the same when I talk to Daladier tomorrow. Both General von Weichs and Charles de Gaulle confided that the French armour models are terrible. Charles asked if France could produce the British Crusader under licence. I replied that PM Daladier has already requested to produce the US tank engine in France and I'll also discuss that tomorrow.
Wilhelm was also in Paris and I joined him and Sally at a corner table. We joked about my recent visit to Berlin. I told him that we would soon be visiting Washington with a Royal Navy fleet. The fleet would then continue through the Panama Canal to Hawaii then Australia and/or Singapore to show the flag in the region. "Would the Kriegsmarine like to add a squadron around the Graf Spee and accompany us? We could also visit Shanghai."
"An interesting proposal. I'll suggest it to Raeder. The French?"
"We are proposing that a joint French-Dutch fleet also show the flag in the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean and later arrive in Indochine."
"And a large European fleet in the South China Sea would send a clear message to Japan I presume."
"We don't intend visiting the Japanese. The Americans can handle them. We are only looking after European interests in the region."
"I'm sure of that."
"What do you think of my article which will published in a few Spanish newspapers tomorrow?" I handed him a copy.
He read it carefully. "I like it. By concentrating on conservative values and excluding extremist ideas you are clearly ruling out cooperation with Communist governments."
"I had some help from Juan Rodriguez in the Spanish Embassy. Communists and Fascists tend to cancel regular general elections. I know other so-called non-aligned governments do that too but they don't start planning wars."
"That's true." He then informed me that German ambassador to Spain is not a Nazi so he will be meeting us in Madrid.
After returning to the Élysée Palace I had a 30 minute conversation with John Gort before retiring. He had warned the PM that I would be asking about Golan and the Circassians. I replied that there will be a lot of more to discuss.