The Gathering Storm Part 26

First Lord to First Sea Lord and D.C.N.S.

25.II.40.

I should like Salmon Salmon to go to Devonport as you suggested as an extra practice submarine for a few months after the severe and distinguished service she has rendered. There would be advantages in having Commander Bickford in the Plans Division of the Admiralty for, say six months, in order to bring them in close and direct contact with the very latest conditions prevailing in Heligoland Bight. This officer seems to me very able, and he has many things today about anti-U-boat warfare which I trust will be gathered at the earliest opportunity. to go to Devonport as you suggested as an extra practice submarine for a few months after the severe and distinguished service she has rendered. There would be advantages in having Commander Bickford in the Plans Division of the Admiralty for, say six months, in order to bring them in close and direct contact with the very latest conditions prevailing in Heligoland Bight. This officer seems to me very able, and he has many things today about anti-U-boat warfare which I trust will be gathered at the earliest opportunity.2. Is there any reason why Ursula Ursula should not go, on escort to the Norwegian convoy? should not go, on escort to the Norwegian convoy?3. There may be other vessels which R.A.S. (Rear Admiral Submarines) would say have also had heavy strain. Perhaps this might be looked into later.4. If the war were general and everybody engaged to the hilt there would be no need to consider these variations of duty. But considering that the peculiar brunt falls upon very few at the present time, and that nothing is comparable to submarine work amid the minefields and all its increasing dangers, I am strongly of the opinion that we should keep a rotation, shifting boats and crews which have had a particularly hard time, or have distinguished themselves, to easier duties, and letting others have a chance of winning renown. Is there any possibility of arranging a certain number of relief crews for submarines, suitable for the Bight so as to divide the strain among a larger proportion of the personnel? I should like this to be studied.5. Have the men of the Salmon Salmon and and Ursula Ursula received their medals and honours? The officers have already been decorated. Let special measures be taken to ensure that the men have these rewards before they go to sea again. received their medals and honours? The officers have already been decorated. Let special measures be taken to ensure that the men have these rewards before they go to sea again.

First Lord to Second Sea Lord and Fourth Sea Lord.

24.III.40.

Backgammon would be a good game for Wardroom, Gunroom, and Warrant Officers' Mess, and I have no doubt it would amuse the sailors. What happened to the one thousand pounds Lord Rothermere gave me for various kinds of amus.e.m.e.nts? Is it all expended, and how? I have no doubt I could get some more if necessary. Backgammon is a better game than cards for the circ.u.mstances of wartime afloat, because it whiles away twenty minutes or a quarter of an hour, whereas cards are a much longer business.

First Lord to First Sea Lord and Second Sea Lord.

25.III.40.

I see charges of looting preferred against our men in the German press. I should not think it necessary to mention this but for the fact that it has come to my notice that the Captain of the Altmark's Altmark's watch, chronometer, and Iron Cross were stolen, and are now in the hands of some of the sailors as souvenirs. Anything of this kind must be stopped with the utmost strictness. No souvenir of any value can be preserved without being reported and permission obtained. Personal property of enemies may be confiscated by the State, but never by individuals. watch, chronometer, and Iron Cross were stolen, and are now in the hands of some of the sailors as souvenirs. Anything of this kind must be stopped with the utmost strictness. No souvenir of any value can be preserved without being reported and permission obtained. Personal property of enemies may be confiscated by the State, but never by individuals.

First Lord to Second Sea Lord.

7.IV.40.

I have seen the three candidates. Considering that these three boys were fifth, eighth, and seventeenth in the educational compet.i.tive examination out of more than ninety successful, 320 qualified, and 400 who competed, I see no reason why they should have been described as unfit for the Naval Service. It is quite true that A has a slightly c.o.c.kney accent, and that the other two are the sons of a chief petty officer and an engineer in the merchant service. But the whole intention of compet.i.tive examination is to open the career to ability, irrespective of cla.s.s or fortune. Generally speaking, in the case of candidates who do exceptionally well in the examination, the presumption should be that they will be accepted. Similarly, those who do very badly in the educational examination may nevertheless in a few cases be fit to serve. But the idea of rejecting boys at the very top of the list, unless some very grave defect presents itself, is wholly contrary to the principles approved by Parliament.I am sure if the Committee, when they had these boys before them, had known that they were among the cleverest in the whole list, they would not have taken so severe a view and ruled them out altogether on the personal interview. It seems to me that in future the Committee ought to conduct the interview after after the examination, and with the results of it before them. Furthermore, it is wrong that a boy should be allowed to sit for examination, with all the stress and anxiety attached to it, when it has already been settled that, even if he is first on the list, he has already been ruled out. the examination, and with the results of it before them. Furthermore, it is wrong that a boy should be allowed to sit for examination, with all the stress and anxiety attached to it, when it has already been settled that, even if he is first on the list, he has already been ruled out.I also feel that there is no need for any mention of a disqualifying standard for interview and record. The Interview Board should also be instructed that they may award different marks to the same candidate for different branches of the Service. It is obvious that a boy may be much more suitable for the Paymaster than the Executive Branch, and the Committee should be able to differentiate accordingly.There will, of course, be no need for the Interview Committee to see all the candidates. There must be a qualifying educational standard. This is four hundred marks at present, out of a total of 1,350. I notice that all the successful boys in the last examination had well over six hundred marks. Surely it would ease the work of the Interview Committee if the qualifying educational standard were raised?Pray make me proposals for rearranging the present system so as to achieve the above conditions. Cadetships are to be given in the three cases I have mentioned.

Notes.

Book One

Chapter 1.

1Siegfried Sa.s.soon.

Chapter 2.

1 Conservatives 413, Liberal 40, Labour 151. Conservatives 413, Liberal 40, Labour 151.

2 Theodore Lessing, murdered by the n.a.z.is, September, 1933. Theodore Lessing, murdered by the n.a.z.is, September, 1933.

Chapter 5.

1 Four years later, Sir Thomas Inskip, Minister for Co-ordination of Defence, who was well-versed in the Bible, used the expressive phrase about this dismal period, of which he was the heir: "The years that the locust hath eaten." Joel, 2:25. Four years later, Sir Thomas Inskip, Minister for Co-ordination of Defence, who was well-versed in the Bible, used the expressive phrase about this dismal period, of which he was the heir: "The years that the locust hath eaten." Joel, 2:25.

2 Now Major Sir Desmond Morton, K.C.B., M.C. Now Major Sir Desmond Morton, K.C.B., M.C.

3I cannot resist telling this story. The Oxford Union invited me to address them. I declined to do so, but said I would give them an hour to ask me questions. One of the questions was, "Do you think Germany was guilty of making the last war?" I said, "Yes, of course." A young German Rhodes scholar rose from his place and said, "After this insult to my country I will not remain here." He then stalked out amid roars of applause. I thought him a spirited boy. Two years later it was found out in Germany that he had a Jewish ancestor. This ended his career in Germany.

4 I his excluded the Russian losses. I his excluded the Russian losses.

Chapter 6.

1 j.a.pan. j.a.pan.

Chapter 7.

1 The amendment stood in the names of Mr. Churchill, Sir Robert Horne, Mr. Amery, Captain F. E. Guest, Lord Winterton, and Mr. Boothby. The amendment stood in the names of Mr. Churchill, Sir Robert Horne, Mr. Amery, Captain F. E. Guest, Lord Winterton, and Mr. Boothby.

2 The Marquess of Londonderry, The Marquess of Londonderry, Wings of Destiny Wings of Destiny, 1943, page 128.

Chapter 10.

1 See also my conversation with Count Grandi. Appendix A, Book I. See also my conversation with Count Grandi. Appendix A, Book I.

Chapter 11.

1 Keith Felling, Keith Felling, Life of Neville Chamberlain Life of Neville Chamberlain.

2 It was actually smitten. It was actually smitten.

3 This was the reverse of the truth at this time. The signers of the Peace Ballot were at one with me upon armed collective security. This was the reverse of the truth at this time. The signers of the Peace Ballot were at one with me upon armed collective security.

Chapter 12.

1 See Appendix C, Book I. See Appendix C, Book I.

Chapter 13.

1 See Appendix D, Book I. See Appendix D, Book I.

Chapter 14.

1 Feiling, Feiling, op. cit., op. cit., page 338. page 338.

2 Ibid. Ibid.

Chapter 15.

1 Schuschnigg, Schuschnigg, Ein Requiem in Rot-Weiss-Rot Ein Requiem in Rot-Weiss-Rot, page 37 ff.

2 Nuremberg Doc.u.ments Nuremberg Doc.u.ments (H.M. Stationery Office), Part I, page 249. (H.M. Stationery Office), Part I, page 249.

3 Schuschnigg, Schuschnigg, op. cit op. cit., pages 5152.

4 Hitler's Speeches. .h.i.tler's Speeches (N. H. Baynes, Editor), volume 2, pages 140708. (N. H. Baynes, Editor), volume 2, pages 140708.

5 Schuschnigg, Schuschnigg, op. cit., op. cit., pages 6672. pages 6672.

6 Nuremberg Doc.u.ments, Nuremberg Doc.u.ments, Part I, page 251. Part I, page 251.

7 Schuschnigg, Schuschnigg, op. cit., op. cit., pages 10203, and pages 10203, and Nuremberg Doc.u.ments, Nuremberg Doc.u.ments, Part I, pages 25859. Part I, pages 25859.

8 Feiling, Feiling, op. cit., op. cit., pages 34748. pages 34748.

9 Lord Chatfield, Lord Chatfield, It Might Happen Again, It Might Happen Again, chapter XVIII. chapter XVIII.