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Post by Diarist on May 16, 2016 7:32:47 GMT 1
We left the Dorchester very early arriving at our new home before 07:00. Sally had done a great job decorating the house. It has a large garden and a garage for the car. It is about 50m from the town centre and a 5 min walk to the HQ, simply perfect. We walked to work and I had a long chat with I.D. White who has been sitting at my desk while I was away. Most of our personnel had returned from the war but Orde Wingate was in Alexandria and a couple of our French colleagues are still in France. After I.D. had filled me in I studied the Army Regulations about military personnel and business in the civilian world. The good news is that there is nothing against it but considering that army is a 24/7/365 job one wouldn't have time to run a business efficiently. I don't want to run a business, just be on the Board of Directors. I would need the permission of my Commanding Officer so that he can decide whether it would interfere with my duties in the army.
The tricky part is doing business with Government agencies. I wouldn't be allowed to use my insider information to benefit my business but that can also be waived at MoD level if it were beneficial to the armed forces. Given the current circumstances, (preparing for war), that shouldn't be a problem. We are already encouraging firms to consult each other if they encounter a problem and we constantly tell firms how someone else solved similar problems. Also at TRADOC we are involved in decisions within manufacturers the whole time. I still need official approval, though. General Gort had not yet arrived so I went to have a chat with Prince Edward about our trip to Scotland next weekend. Everything's on track so I looked through the progress reports from the aviation companies. The Rolls Royce PV-12 engine, they have named it Merlin, is producing 950hp at 11,000 feet in a Hawker Horsely. They are working on an improved version. The current Merlin B uses 100% ethylene glycol as coolant now that we have secured sufficient supplies from the USA.
MG Fuller was looking for me so I made my way to his office. He first congratulated me on my promotion, my decorations and my new job. I told him that nothing much will change because I will still be here in TRADOC but Secretary Churchill will be expecting reports directly from me, not through channels. He then told me that Winston Churchill and General Gort will be at the hotel for lunch and we are both 'invited'. I then told him about our house-warming party tomorrow - mandatory formation for him and his wife. I excused myself because I wanted to make final preparations for the meeting and then go to the hotel early to say hello to Luigi Cardese and family. |
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Post by Diarist on May 16, 2016 9:42:20 GMT 1
When I arrived at the Saffron Hotel Luigi and his wife Clara had just come back from a stroll around the town. They really like it here. This is merry England and there are no mountains in this part of the world. We discussed his situation - technically he is a member of the Royal Italian Army and since he's a LTC he would be one of the last batch of POWs released. He is not allowed to leave Saffron Walden nor drive a car. He is a guest of TRADOC so General Gort is his commanding officer. Starting Monday he will have to sign in at our HQ not later than 0800 each morning. There will be questions asked by military intelligence sometime next week but in the long term we hope to send him to Scotland where we are forming a Mountain Brigade.
Just after I'd finished and ordered a ginger ale Winston Churchill, the CIGS and LG Gort arrived. We introduced Luigi and that he was a battalion commander in the 1st Alpini Division and hopefully he can help us with our mountain troops. When Luigi commented that there aren't any mountains in England I replied that we won't be fighting the war on English soil but our potential enemies do have mountains. "You are in Britain, Luigi and we British don't understand the logic of defeat. What's the point of fighting a war if you don't intend winning it?".
I had Luigi sign a document stating that he had been informed of the rules and that he understands them and will abide by them. Time for a working lunch. |
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Post by Diarist on May 16, 2016 16:01:40 GMT 1
During lunch we talked about the new structure suggested for our armed forces. It is very similar to the German forces except that they don't have a combined TRADOC like we do, each branch having their own R&D section. TRADOC's position within the organisation surprised me and I said so. Churchill replied that there was no opposition because he'd made it quite clear that the plan that devastated the Italian armed forces originated in TRADOC and it was their personnel who meticulously planned the operation and commanded key elements of the invading forces. The significant change is that TRADOC is now part of the MoD and no longer out on a limb fighting for recognition. The other side of the coin is that more will be expected from us now and we shall be receiving more directions from the MoD, i.e. we'll be less independent. When I asked what my new position entails I was told that we'll discuss that later.
It was now my turn to describe my meeting with the Mitchell family at the Gresham Club yesterday evening. I stated quite clearly that I don't want to leave the Army for private industry but I do want to be a member of the Board of Directors at both Vickers-Armstrong and the investment bank. I also mentioned what the regulations say and it is a decision which Secretary Churchill has to make and I don't want either of us to go to jail sometime in the future. Churchill agreed with me when I said that these rules about use of insider knowledge shouldn't apply because we are officially doing the exact opposite at the moment - a military exigency....
The conversation didn't last long because Winston Churchill said that I have his approval and I'll receive it in writing next week. I then mentioned that John and Robert Mitchell will be visiting us tomorrow to discuss my response and to attend our house-warming party, everyone here is also invited. Before we could retire to discuss my future job FM Montgomery-Massingberd reminded Sec. Churchill that we need to address the medium bomber issue. The Air Ministry is upset because TRADOC has recommended that all the aircraft designs be rejected in their current form. He quoted us, "as if they are deliberately designing aircraft to be obsolete before they enter RAF service."
They are referring to three aircraft from an AM Spec. for a twin-engine medium day bomber. They all have inadequate defences, are underpowered and scarcely fly faster than 200 mph. We have four, maybe five fighters on the drawing board which are almost twice as fast. I added that one of them is from Armstrong Whitworth, a subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrong. Our aviation guys rejected them, I agreed with them and forwarded the reports to General Gort. Another is the Bristol Type 142m. It is so cramped that several key controls are behind the pilot's seat and he has to hope he finds the right control while flying. I told Churchill that they have the nerve to call it Blenheim! A more appropriate name would be Balaclava. Secondly, the Bristol aircraft has 830hp Bristol Mercury engines. They should wait for their Hercules engines which are designed to be 1500hp then design an improved aircraft for them. General Gort added that there are also two designs which are very promising and won't be obsolete in a couple of years.
The first basic problem is that we don't yet have the necessary proven and reliable next-generation technologies. Then we need aircraft designs which can evolve as these technologies improve. The Supermarine 300 will still be around in 10 years but with engines twice as powerful, heavier payload and better protection for the pilots. The designs which we have recommended for rejection will be reclassified as flying-coffins on the first day of the next European war and be grounded but only after hundreds of our aircrew are dead or missing. Nobody added anything so the meeting was over. |
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Post by Diarist on May 16, 2016 20:20:47 GMT 1
We ordered drinks then since it's a mild and dry day we sat outside in the garden. Churchill began by confiding that the organization change at the MoD means that he has to rethink where to put me in his staff. In the meantime there is office space in a building just down the road from the MoD. There are half a dozen offices and a conference room plus other amenities. He wants a TRADOC section set up with an office for each branch of the armed services. I added an economics, science and manpower section supporting the three branches. He wants the section to be fully operational before the end of the year.
The next matter he wanted to talk about was an upcoming exercise at Salisbury Plain scheduled for the end of next month. What role can TRADOC play? General Gort and I looked at each other. We asked who the attacking force is and it's General Wavell's 2nd ID plus armour support. That's about 20,000 troops. He also has 8 RAF squadrons available. The General and I left the table to confer and when we returned we made an offer. We'll defend the line with 8,000 troops and 3 squadrons of aircraft and we choose our forces. Agreed, but not any unit that was involved in the Italian conflict.
The third issue was our secret aircraft project. I suggested that we add it to something I would like to discuss which involves this aircraft. The owner of the aviation company will be having lunch here tomorrow to meet the Mitchell brothers and I'm hoping that one or even both of them can also be here. (In the morning I'm driving to Kent to pick up my mother then to Bromley to collect Sally's parents but I should be back in time for lunch.) Obviously the company is not part of Vickers-Armstrong but they do own Rolls Royce who have the engines we need. I'm hoping we can order half a dozen Merlin C engines which should be available in December. I'm further hoping that if John Mitchell sees what we need them for he'll be more inclined to produce an extra six engines if we pay cash in advance. They are only prototype engines but we don't need the final production version for our prototypes and 950hp is more than enough to get the plane airborne. I told Churchill that if you want to see the design we'll need to know when you will be available. He pressed me for a name and I told him Geoffrey de Havilland. The aircraft is being designed and built at a separate secret location. He admitted that the whole story is becoming more and more intriguing. He suggested Thursday morning, 0900 at TRADOC.
That finished our discussion so I went back to TRADOC to find George Patton - it's time to organize La Grande Armée again. He listened then smiled when I told him that we are only outnumbered 2.5 to 1 - that's fair odds, right? I then called home and Sally told me that several wives of our officers are helping out. I told her to get used to it because she'll be doing the same once we're married. I then made a call to my mum's neighbour, (we never had a phone at home). Mum was there expecting my call and I told her about the house-warming party and I'll be at her house at 9 o'clock sharp so be ready. I also mentioned that she'll be meeting my fiancée.
I tidied up my desk then was about to leave but General Gort wanted to talk to me. 8,000 troops and three squadrons? He then gave me a map showing the boundaries of exercise area. He'd received it last month but since we weren't involved it was filed and forgotten. I took it and gave it to George Patton asking if he sees what I see. The forest on our right flank and it extends about 20km deep into their territory. He said that we need to check what kind of tracks go through the forest and I replied that if they can't take trucks we'll have to organize a bicycle battalion.
I finally got home and Sally was with Madame General Gort drinking port wine. I poured myself a pale sherry and joined them. I told them about the TRADOC section in London and I need a Chief Secretary, hint....
Tonight I'll finally be sleeping in my own bed. |
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