Post by Diarist on Oct 27, 2015 23:24:22 GMT 1
It was nice to sleep late but at 12 o'clock we were in the Saffron Hotel restaurant. The good news is that today has been declared a rest day - no work. Our guests were told that there's a golf course a few minutes from here and there are stables if our cavalry guests wanted to go riding. There is a cricket match if someone is interested. I offered to take up to up to two people to Cambridge and maybe Norwich. Guderian said he would like to see Cambridge. General Gort said he would drive us in his car - my nice car has left-hand drive, something I overlooked when I bought it. I've already contacted the main Citroen dealer in London and they said would exchange it, for a fee.
It took less than one hour to drive to Cambridge. We parked the car at a large restaurant with tables outside on the bank of the river Cam. We ordered a cold buffet so that we could also order wine. Guderian asked me what I do at TRADOC. That got General Gort and I smiling - he answered before I did saying that we all have several duties. I was hired as the unit historian but I'm also General Gort's personal assistant and the Project Officer for the Parachute forces. My boss said that I'm sometimes his eyes and ears because he can't be everywhere at the same time. That's why I'm going to Egypt and Sudan next month to 'inspect' the progress there. (Maybe I should explain that Sally was translating General Gort's English into German while I was translating Colonel Guderian's German.)
It appears that Germany and Britain have similar problems. The Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine receive the lion's share of the military budget just like here. Also there is a lack of understanding about the potential of armoured formations. Surprisingly it is Hitler who is supporting the new ideas, not the top General officers. We have Winston Churchill supporting us. If he were replaced, who knows what would happen to TRADOC because we have made enemies. Despite there being economic woes in both countries the Germans are better off than we are because the civilian sector is being deliberately neglected. A dictatorship doesn't have the problems of a democracy and to compound the situation, we have a coalition government! We talked for a while about armour and I was sort of pleased that we had both pretty much reached the same conclusions.
There are differences though. They are planning on having a large air force so they are less worried about anti-aircraft support for their armoured formations. Our armour guys are suggesting that two anti-aircraft tanks be added to the HQ platoon of a tank company and that each tank have a heavy MG that can be used in the anti-aircraft role. There are a lot of conflicting views about the structure of a tank company and battalion. Guderian was really in his element here and it was as if we had forgotten that we shall probably be on different sides in a few years from now.
We had an evening meal then drove back to Saffron Walden. Major Collins had returned from Lisbon. Admiral Keyes and George Patton had been there so lot had been discussed about the information I had brought out of Italy. The Plan 'B' has been shelved and the original plan was now the only one being considered. I remembered that Major Collins' wife will be coming to England soon so I asked if he has a place to stay. He hadn't found anything yet so I offered him our house in Church Street. I told him about our lucky streak in Monte Carlo, etc. and that we intend renting out our current house and buying a larger one. We have a deal. He would also help Sally move into the new house while I am in Sudan.
Another interesting day is over. Our German guests are flying home Tuesday morning. They'll be at the HQ at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. Time to get some sleep.
It took less than one hour to drive to Cambridge. We parked the car at a large restaurant with tables outside on the bank of the river Cam. We ordered a cold buffet so that we could also order wine. Guderian asked me what I do at TRADOC. That got General Gort and I smiling - he answered before I did saying that we all have several duties. I was hired as the unit historian but I'm also General Gort's personal assistant and the Project Officer for the Parachute forces. My boss said that I'm sometimes his eyes and ears because he can't be everywhere at the same time. That's why I'm going to Egypt and Sudan next month to 'inspect' the progress there. (Maybe I should explain that Sally was translating General Gort's English into German while I was translating Colonel Guderian's German.)
It appears that Germany and Britain have similar problems. The Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine receive the lion's share of the military budget just like here. Also there is a lack of understanding about the potential of armoured formations. Surprisingly it is Hitler who is supporting the new ideas, not the top General officers. We have Winston Churchill supporting us. If he were replaced, who knows what would happen to TRADOC because we have made enemies. Despite there being economic woes in both countries the Germans are better off than we are because the civilian sector is being deliberately neglected. A dictatorship doesn't have the problems of a democracy and to compound the situation, we have a coalition government! We talked for a while about armour and I was sort of pleased that we had both pretty much reached the same conclusions.
There are differences though. They are planning on having a large air force so they are less worried about anti-aircraft support for their armoured formations. Our armour guys are suggesting that two anti-aircraft tanks be added to the HQ platoon of a tank company and that each tank have a heavy MG that can be used in the anti-aircraft role. There are a lot of conflicting views about the structure of a tank company and battalion. Guderian was really in his element here and it was as if we had forgotten that we shall probably be on different sides in a few years from now.
We had an evening meal then drove back to Saffron Walden. Major Collins had returned from Lisbon. Admiral Keyes and George Patton had been there so lot had been discussed about the information I had brought out of Italy. The Plan 'B' has been shelved and the original plan was now the only one being considered. I remembered that Major Collins' wife will be coming to England soon so I asked if he has a place to stay. He hadn't found anything yet so I offered him our house in Church Street. I told him about our lucky streak in Monte Carlo, etc. and that we intend renting out our current house and buying a larger one. We have a deal. He would also help Sally move into the new house while I am in Sudan.
Another interesting day is over. Our German guests are flying home Tuesday morning. They'll be at the HQ at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. Time to get some sleep.