Post by Diarist on Dec 9, 2019 10:05:23 GMT 1
After leaving TRADOC I went to the Saffron Hotel to meet our two new German colleagues and I found them in the garden drinking beer. It's nothing like German beer but they seemed to be determined to drink it. I recommended that they try White Shields or a stout next time.
"This our unofficial Officer's Club although it's really our local," I explained. "There are a couple of other pubs which I visit but here is very popular with the TRADOC personnel. Most of them stay here until they find a house in the vicinity."
"Isn't here a bit too far from London?" Erich asked.
"Not if you have a car. There is also a train service to London. Hopefully there will soon be more Germans coming to London so I'm looking for something larger to accommodate all of you. Have you visited TRADOC?"
"No," Rheinard answered. "The driver brought us here then left after we had checked in."
"Well, your office space won't be ready for a least a week so you can either be a tourist or accompany me on the many visits I have to make. I was in Palestine and Europe for over a month so I want to say hello to people working on special projects which I'm promoting. I can't show you the top secret stuff though."
"Wilhelm Canaris isn't quite sure what exactly you do within the Ministry of Defence."
"Erich, sometimes I'm not quite sure myself. Winston Churchill sends me on 'errands' now and then but my official mission is to ensure we don't waste valuable resources on useless projects. I'm also following projects which I initiated when I worked in TRADOC last year. My family and I also own many firms which are vital for our armed forces so I am very much involved there too. In fact I shall be visiting one tomorrow morning if you wish to join me. They have new designs for trucks and an armoured car. We intend motorizing all our infantry divisions which go to Europe so it will be a large contract."
"All your infantry divisions?" Erich asked.
"Yes. No horses pulling equipment around. They will be motorized infantry divisions not Panzer-Grenadiers, also we don't have that many division assigned to European operations. The new British Army will be very mobile which means it will need a large support force."
There was then a telephone call for me from John Gort. He had called to ask what I have planned for Erich and Reinhard so I told him and suggested we meet at the crazy German restaurant for lunch tomorrow at 13:00. He agreed and arranged to meet me at my house in ca. one hour.
"This our unofficial Officer's Club although it's really our local," I explained. "There are a couple of other pubs which I visit but here is very popular with the TRADOC personnel. Most of them stay here until they find a house in the vicinity."
"Isn't here a bit too far from London?" Erich asked.
"Not if you have a car. There is also a train service to London. Hopefully there will soon be more Germans coming to London so I'm looking for something larger to accommodate all of you. Have you visited TRADOC?"
"No," Rheinard answered. "The driver brought us here then left after we had checked in."
"Well, your office space won't be ready for a least a week so you can either be a tourist or accompany me on the many visits I have to make. I was in Palestine and Europe for over a month so I want to say hello to people working on special projects which I'm promoting. I can't show you the top secret stuff though."
"Wilhelm Canaris isn't quite sure what exactly you do within the Ministry of Defence."
"Erich, sometimes I'm not quite sure myself. Winston Churchill sends me on 'errands' now and then but my official mission is to ensure we don't waste valuable resources on useless projects. I'm also following projects which I initiated when I worked in TRADOC last year. My family and I also own many firms which are vital for our armed forces so I am very much involved there too. In fact I shall be visiting one tomorrow morning if you wish to join me. They have new designs for trucks and an armoured car. We intend motorizing all our infantry divisions which go to Europe so it will be a large contract."
"All your infantry divisions?" Erich asked.
"Yes. No horses pulling equipment around. They will be motorized infantry divisions not Panzer-Grenadiers, also we don't have that many division assigned to European operations. The new British Army will be very mobile which means it will need a large support force."
There was then a telephone call for me from John Gort. He had called to ask what I have planned for Erich and Reinhard so I told him and suggested we meet at the crazy German restaurant for lunch tomorrow at 13:00. He agreed and arranged to meet me at my house in ca. one hour.