Post by Diarist on Sept 11, 2016 17:29:58 GMT 1
I had lunch with Winston Churchill at the MoD before walking across the road to meet with Louis, Orde and Thomas, (the Middle East SOE group). Winston liked the idea of shadowing German warships if they venture into the Atlantic.
"We need access to Portuguese airfields in the Atlantic," I commented.
"There is already movement there, Bob. We've agreed to upgrade their air and naval facilities in exchange for access."
"I like that."
"How long do you expect to be gone?"
"Probably a fortnight. In Iran it will be more private than official because of my family's involvement in the oil business. I shall talk to my father before I leave to hear what's been decided in the last couple of weeks."
"What are your plans in the Middle East?"
"Primarily a fact-finding mission. In the long term do we still intend Palestine not being part of Transjordan? Reserved for a possible Jewish state?"
"That hasn't been decided yet, Bob although the Nuremberg Laws have resulted in a new dynamic."
"The Emir, Abdullah, appears to be someone we can rely upon because we do need an Arab ally in the region. Thomas Shaw knows the politics there well and I've been picking his brains. I'll be having a meeting with the Middle East SOE after lunch."
"Just don't make any promises over there. The Foreign Office doesn't like people interfering in their business."
"I realize that but if fighting breaks out counter-terrorism is not their mission."
"It hasn't got that far yet."
"I know but we need to be prepared for it. What can we offer the Jews there in order to keep them quiet? We need them to support our mandate in Palestine. Can we equip them 'legally' with some of the Italian equipment?"
"A lot of that equipment may well be given back to the Italians to help them build a new army."
"We should help ourselves to the good stuff first. Not all of it is outdated."
"That's true."
"I'm heading to my Ministry. Tomorrow I'll be a bit late because I want to vote in Saffron Walden before driving to London."
"Do you know Rab Butler? The Conservative MP there."
"We've met a couple of times but before I became a minister."
"Then until tomorrow."
"We need access to Portuguese airfields in the Atlantic," I commented.
"There is already movement there, Bob. We've agreed to upgrade their air and naval facilities in exchange for access."
"I like that."
"How long do you expect to be gone?"
"Probably a fortnight. In Iran it will be more private than official because of my family's involvement in the oil business. I shall talk to my father before I leave to hear what's been decided in the last couple of weeks."
"What are your plans in the Middle East?"
"Primarily a fact-finding mission. In the long term do we still intend Palestine not being part of Transjordan? Reserved for a possible Jewish state?"
"That hasn't been decided yet, Bob although the Nuremberg Laws have resulted in a new dynamic."
"The Emir, Abdullah, appears to be someone we can rely upon because we do need an Arab ally in the region. Thomas Shaw knows the politics there well and I've been picking his brains. I'll be having a meeting with the Middle East SOE after lunch."
"Just don't make any promises over there. The Foreign Office doesn't like people interfering in their business."
"I realize that but if fighting breaks out counter-terrorism is not their mission."
"It hasn't got that far yet."
"I know but we need to be prepared for it. What can we offer the Jews there in order to keep them quiet? We need them to support our mandate in Palestine. Can we equip them 'legally' with some of the Italian equipment?"
"A lot of that equipment may well be given back to the Italians to help them build a new army."
"We should help ourselves to the good stuff first. Not all of it is outdated."
"That's true."
"I'm heading to my Ministry. Tomorrow I'll be a bit late because I want to vote in Saffron Walden before driving to London."
"Do you know Rab Butler? The Conservative MP there."
"We've met a couple of times but before I became a minister."
"Then until tomorrow."