Post by Diarist on Jun 21, 2016 22:51:10 GMT 1
We had a 90 minute drive to Chartwell House in Kent. Winston Churchill met us at the porch and led us to the library.
"Welcome to England, Rommel. I have to confess that we weren't expecting you this weekend. Why the sudden rush?"
"I'd sold our house in Württemberg and I was offered an excellent house near Potsdam. The longer I didn't buy it the more suspicious it would be. There were already questions being raised when it became known that I was with the British forces in Africa and not the Italians. I spoke to Admiral Canaris and he arranged this for us."
"Good. I must ask why you are here."
"I'm a soldier, Herr Minister, but I don't want to fight for Hitler's Germany. I want my family to grow up in a country like England. I enjoyed my short visit to TRADOC in August and welcomed the opportunity to be in Africa with your forces. I was with fellow soldiers who I consider fine comrades. This is where I want to be and one day I want to see a Germany free of Hitler and his kind."
I said, "I think that I can speak for all three of us when I say that we have nothing against Germany. However, we recognize the threat that Nazi Germany poses. Hitler is on the road to war and nothing within Germany will change that. We don't want war but it is being forced upon us and it's not just Hitler."
"Indeed. The post-war generation is being condemned to another terrible war. As if the last one wasn't terrible enough."
"Can we assign Rommel to TRADOC HQ and if yes, in what capacity?"
"This Luigi is still with you, correct?"
"He reports in every day but he is not yet assigned to us."
"There is a difference, Mr. Secretary. Technically Luigi is still a POW. Erwin isn't. Also Erwin now has a new identity, Irvine Miller. Erwin Rommel will have a fatal accident soon while on holiday in Portugal." I added.
"That is a huge difference. What other plans have been made?"
"One option is that he is from Cameroun which would explain his German and Miller is pronounced Millé, the French way."
"That's a good cover. How many people at TRADOC know him as Erwin Rommel?"
"Too many," General Gort said. "We need to prepare them before he arrives and he needs to get used to being Irvine Miller."
"We could hide him at our forward HQ near Salisbury. Only COL van Voorhis knows him there. I can arrange that tomorrow if you wish."
"He'll have to wear civilian clothes though."
"Or fatigues without insignia. Without insignia it's not a uniform." I explained to Irvine.
"That is a satisfactory solution for the moment. See to it, Bob."
"Yes, Mr. Secretary."
In London Irvine and I got out at a military surplus store while General Gort went to the Dorchester to explain the plan to Sally and Irvine's family.
"Welcome to England, Rommel. I have to confess that we weren't expecting you this weekend. Why the sudden rush?"
"I'd sold our house in Württemberg and I was offered an excellent house near Potsdam. The longer I didn't buy it the more suspicious it would be. There were already questions being raised when it became known that I was with the British forces in Africa and not the Italians. I spoke to Admiral Canaris and he arranged this for us."
"Good. I must ask why you are here."
"I'm a soldier, Herr Minister, but I don't want to fight for Hitler's Germany. I want my family to grow up in a country like England. I enjoyed my short visit to TRADOC in August and welcomed the opportunity to be in Africa with your forces. I was with fellow soldiers who I consider fine comrades. This is where I want to be and one day I want to see a Germany free of Hitler and his kind."
I said, "I think that I can speak for all three of us when I say that we have nothing against Germany. However, we recognize the threat that Nazi Germany poses. Hitler is on the road to war and nothing within Germany will change that. We don't want war but it is being forced upon us and it's not just Hitler."
"Indeed. The post-war generation is being condemned to another terrible war. As if the last one wasn't terrible enough."
"Can we assign Rommel to TRADOC HQ and if yes, in what capacity?"
"This Luigi is still with you, correct?"
"He reports in every day but he is not yet assigned to us."
"There is a difference, Mr. Secretary. Technically Luigi is still a POW. Erwin isn't. Also Erwin now has a new identity, Irvine Miller. Erwin Rommel will have a fatal accident soon while on holiday in Portugal." I added.
"That is a huge difference. What other plans have been made?"
"One option is that he is from Cameroun which would explain his German and Miller is pronounced Millé, the French way."
"That's a good cover. How many people at TRADOC know him as Erwin Rommel?"
"Too many," General Gort said. "We need to prepare them before he arrives and he needs to get used to being Irvine Miller."
"We could hide him at our forward HQ near Salisbury. Only COL van Voorhis knows him there. I can arrange that tomorrow if you wish."
"He'll have to wear civilian clothes though."
"Or fatigues without insignia. Without insignia it's not a uniform." I explained to Irvine.
"That is a satisfactory solution for the moment. See to it, Bob."
"Yes, Mr. Secretary."
In London Irvine and I got out at a military surplus store while General Gort went to the Dorchester to explain the plan to Sally and Irvine's family.