Post by Diarist on May 12, 2016 18:41:23 GMT 1
We arrived in Paris just before lunch and were driven to the Hôtel Ritz where rooms had been reserved for us. They weren't rooms but suites and very luxurious. We gave the hotel personnel uniforms to be cleaned and pressed. None of us were enthusiastic about a 5-star lunch we took a stroll and found a small but busy restaurant serving the French menu and drank a 1929 Chateau Canon, supposedly a very good year for Bordeaux wines. Later in the early evening we were taken to the Palais de l'Élysée. In a short ceremony LG Smith was awarded the Médaille Militaire and to my complete surprise I received the Croix de Guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieurs avec une palme de bronze et une étoile d'argent, (War Cross for foreign operational theatres), also called the Croix de Guerre TOE for short. The bronze palm and the silver star are for the despatches. General Gort received nothing.
Apparently the French are very emotional about 'their' victory and they love to award medals. Seeing that I was somewhat embarrassed General Gort told me that all the senior officers know how much I contributed to the success of the campaign. It was my idea to invade NW Italy, my idea to use old destroyers as 'fireships', my idea to land troops north of the Eritrean port Massawa and also my suggestion to frock George Patton to a 3-star General. In addition, the hundreds of photos that Sally and I took in August on our 'honeymoon' were of enormous value. So I should quit being modest and enjoy the moment. Patton had also built up a reputation for discipline and endless training but the troops in the Mobile Corps are proud to be a part of the formation and are sorry to see their General leave.
Winston Churchill and the CIGS arrived later and there followed an informal Conseil de défense meeting. It was mostly about French forces so it was pretty boring for us TRADOC guys. Secretary Churchill gave a brief résumé of his trip to Libya and Egypt. It was a late night but hopefully I will be sleeping in my own bed tomorrow night.