Mission to Britain

by J Eugene Porter

  The session broke up early due to the air marshal’s scheduled meeting with the War Cabinet, but he was effusive in praise for the time he spent with the American officers. He singled out Jameson for a special word of praise.

  “Captain, you and your lieutenant, are a breath of fresh air. His optimism and command of the technologies and strategies to employ them give me much hope. If you can help us get just a few more planes and some of the new airborne radar systems, we can make a great difference. Please feel free to contact other members of the staff or me for additional information. Good luck, sir, and have a safe journey back to the States.”

  *****

  The trip back to the embassy was quiet for everyone. Margret kept glancing in the rearview mirror hoping to catch James looking at her, but he kept his head down furiously writing notes with Captain Jameson pointing to things he had written and asking about the formula being used. She decided to catch him once they were at the embassy and see if he could break free. She was anxious to spend time with him and perhaps do even more, but that would not be part of the plan due in part to her status as a lady of high breeding or as she put it, stuffed and primed but not available.

  She also realized that to get him alone for even a few minutes would require a commando operation to sidetrack the ever-present gunnery sergeant and his men. She would bide her time and see what plans she could make to at least spend some time with him. She liked James, much more than many of her other suitors of good breeding stock, as her father described them. Men with titles and men with money plus titles were what was on her dear father’s mind. Her two older brothers were serving in desk jobs for the Royal Navy and the RAF. Neither would ever set foot near the front lines, but as she often joked, all of England was on the front line. She looked at the mirror once more, sighed, and kept driving.

  After they had arrived at the embassy, Captain Jameson came up to her and made her an offer which was startling. “Petty Officer Bagley, could you find time to take James out this evening. I think some dancing or a movie would be in order. Anything to get his mind off the project he’s working on?”

  “Why of course, sir, it would be my honor. Should I be so bold as to suggest this or do you think he will take the proper course and ask me out?” She smiled a devilish grin that caught Jameson off guard, but he recalled his earlier thoughts about young love and how it had been for him so many years ago.

  “I will make the arrangements as a direct command and you, Petty Officer, will be there to pick up the lieutenant and calm him down.” At least he thought getting James away from his work projects would be helpful, but maybe the heat would turn up on the romance side of the equation. He wondered if his young friend could manage both fires at one time. Oh, to be young again, but he dropped the thought and told Margret to wait for his call.

  An hour after all the reports had been sorted on a large table next to the desk James occupied with his ever-present typewriter, Captain Jameson walked in with the gunny and Flannigan.

  “James, I have something I need you to do for me this evening.” Jameson looked more stern than usual. James straightened up at hearing the command wondering, what else am I going to have to do tonight?

  “Gunny has informed me that Vera Lynn is appearing at the Palladium this evening and the embassy staff has some tickets for us to use. It would be very bad for us to decline this generous offer. So you are going to ask Petty Officer Bagley to go with you and me plus the gunny to the concert. She is standing by in the entryway waiting for me to send her home or to take us to dinner. So, Lieutenant, put on your jacket, straighten your tie, and look like an officer and a gentleman.”

  James was dumbfounded. An evening out was the farthest thing from his mind since returning from the meeting. His mind was full of statistics, equations and a couple of new formulas, not going out to listen to music and perhaps dancing. He quickly closed the part of his mind that focused on mathematics and science and opened the emotional side. He had the strange ability to compartmentalize all sorts of facts, figures, and concepts in one part of his brain then jump to another problem or thought without losing any of the information he had been evaluating. Now his emotional side opened, and he was dizzy from the flood that overtook him. Did he think he was in love or was it just lust or what was it? He was confused, then he was angry at himself for being emotional and then he was back to a frenzied mess of nerves thinking about Margret. He looked over to Jameson who was waiting for a reply.

  “Sorry, sir, I was just trying to store away some odd facts and figures. I’m ready now for your new mission. I think it’s a good idea. I would like to hear Miss Lynn, and I’m sure Petty Officer Bagley would not mind coming as well.”

  Jameson had to stifle a laugh as did the gunny who knew how this kid was head over heels for the pretty young Wren but was so confused about what he thought; he didn’t know how to handle the emotion. The gunny thought it very funny for one of the world’s smartest people to be confused by a young woman, but then again, love is a silly thing.

  The tickets provided by the embassy were some of the best in the house. The strange foursome had a table next to the dance floor directly in front of the bandstand where the famous Lynn, known as the “Forces Sweetheart,” would be singing. They were one of only two tables with Americans in uniform and were pointed out through the night. They heard a lot of “Hello, Yank,” and “glad you’re here,” whenever they moved about the room. The captain ordered drinks. Margret and James had some sort of lemon drink which wasn’t very sweet, but at least it didn’t taste like water. Jameson and the gunny both had a beer which they finally agreed was not that bad as they were becoming partial to the dark stouts and porters in the city.

  The band had played one or two sets before the group arrived. James and Margret danced to several numbers. Jameson asked Margret for one dance, so he could talk to her without James knowing what they were discussing. He informed her the team would be leaving in two or maybe three days and he didn’t know when or even if they would be coming back to England. He told her to stay strong because he knew she liked James as much as he liked her.

  She accepted all of this in her best stiff upper lip English manner but finally said, “Captain, thank you for telling me about your plans and your thoughts about James and myself. You are very perceptive about both of us, and I know that I am in love with James. He is the kindest, most good-hearted man I have ever met and the most brilliant. He is a gentleman and knows what that means. I will be tearful later, but I will stay true as possible to my role now. Thank you for your caring words.”

  Jameson held her in a close, but not too close embrace and whispered, “It’s probably meant to be, and I think you two will survive the separation. Just keep him close as long as you can. He will truly look forward to your letters, and he will think of you constantly. He is a good young man, and I agree, a true gentleman.”

  When they sat down another round of drinks showed up, courtesy of a British colonel who had met them in one of their first briefings. He walked over, shook hands with everyone, and introduced his wife. He wished them a good evening and told Jameson, “Keep in touch through Field Marshal Dill, who is a very good man and a great team player. Safe travels, Captain and keep the young lieutenant safe.”

  Shortly after this conversation the emcee for the Palladium came on stage and with a flourish of drums announced the star attraction. “Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great honor and privilege to introduce to you the star of our show, the lady known as the “Forces Sweetheart” singing your favorite songs, Miss Vera Lynn!”

  Thunderous applause ensued as a young woman walked onto the stage with a huge smile. She waved to the crowd as they ran up to the stage for a closer look at the girl behind the voice. She smiled at all the young soldiers and sailors and then signaled the band. She started to say something but was drowned out by the crowd, tried again, and the place went quiet except for the band softly playing the first chorus of her most famous song, “We’ll Meet
Again.”

  She said, “I want to dedicate this song to every man and woman in uniform tonight, not just here but around the world. I also want to dedicate this song to the Americans who are with us here tonight and hope this song helps you as much as it has helped me in these trying times.”

  The song began, and almost nobody danced. People slowly swayed to the music and listened intently to the lyrics instead.

  We’ll meet again, don’t know where don’t know when, but I know we’ll meet again some sunny day.

  Keep smiling through, just like you always do, till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away.

  As she sang, the audience looked at her or the person next to them. Sometimes it was a member of the opposite sex, but often it was just one of their mates or perhaps someone in uniform they had not met before. Call it melancholy or just nostalgia for the better times before the war, but the dance floor was now transformed into something quite different. Here, for a few short minutes was a piece of home and family, which was missed by everyone standing to listen to Miss Vera Lynn. James was among them being dragged to the front by Margret so she could get a good look at the famous singer. She also wanted to get James alone, which could be considered impossible in a crowded room but they were alone in their eyes, and they held each other tight and kissed.

  The performance went on for several more songs, including “A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square” and “The White Cliffs of Dover.” At the end of her set, she thanked each member of the audience for coming out to see her and finished with her rousing rendition of “There’ll Always Be an England.”

  Finally, as she accepted the thunderous applause and a few flowers were thrown on the stage by her many young admirers, she announced one last song. “It is now time for you to join me in the last song of the evening. Maestro, if you would please.” There was a thunderous rumbling of drums, and everyone in the audience stood, and those in the military stood at attention. She began singing.

  God save our precious King, long live our noble King, God save the king.

  Send him victorious, happy and glorious, long to reign over us, God save the king.

  She sang each verse with a passion and a clarity of voice that made many a strong man in the audience cry. Jameson, Gunny, and James stood at attention, and they all saluted the stage where there were two British flags. Margret stood at attention and thought this display of respect for the King by the Americans was incredibly gracious and again demonstrated the character of the men, especially her James. When the song ended, there was tremendous applause, and much shouting as Miss Lynn took numerous bows and even the band stood and gave her a very loud and long round of applause.

  Jameson gave James the high sign that they needed to head back to the embassy and so the team plus Margret exited the Palladium, and as they did once again were given numerous “hellos” and “good to have you here, Yank” by the crowd. Jameson was quite impressed by this and hoped he could return to London soon, if for no other reason than to reacquaint himself with the wonderful people of Britain.

  18

  3 April 1942

  Headquarters of Combined Operations

  London, England

  • Adm. Chester Nimitz, U.S.N., is named Commander in Chief Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPOA) and is also Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC).

  The last meeting before they were scheduled to leave Britain was with Lord Mountbatten and the Combined Operations staff. Jameson wanted to spend more time with this group because of their experiences in Scotland. He was impressed by how Mountbatten’s group was molding elements of the RAF, Royal Navy, and British army into a successful combined arms organization. This experience could be helpful to American planners as they looked to the inevitable challenges of large-scale amphibious operations or the smaller raids which the commandos were mastering.

  The meeting began with Mountbatten introducing everyone to his staff which included a full colonel from the British army, a Royal Navy captain and an air commodore from the RAF. These men served in the role of liaisons for their respective services and would provide input as required. Also, there were another dozen officers of lesser ranks who reported directly to Lord Mountbatten. There was another officer who outranked everyone on the staff, and his name was Maj. Gen. Frederick Morgan. Lord Mountbatten introduced him as the present commander of the Fifty-fifth West Lancashire Division who was sent by General Brooke to observe how the Combined Operations group functioned.

  Lord Mountbatten had everyone sit down at a very long table. He uncovered several large maps one at a time and began his talk with his usual excitement and exuberance. “Captain Jameson, Captain Flannigan and my good friend, Lieutenant Brand, what I am about to show you is top secret, but I have received approval by the Chiefs of Staff to reveal some of our recent operations. I may not be able to answer all your questions, but I will try. The first map I want to show you is of coastal France, near Le Havre.” He pointed to the map, so the Americans could see the distance from the English coast and then to a location on the coast called Bruneval.

  “Gentlemen, this location housed something we needed to know. The Germans have found out that radar is a very good thing to have and are now setting up a network starting in Norway and going all through occupied Europe to the Spanish border. This network called “Wurzburg” is a large-scale system, and I know, James, you want to know all the technical details, but I will not discuss those today. Rest assured you will receive a complete technical analysis at the end of the meeting to study and use on your return to America.” He looked at his notes and started again.

  “We know that any system has faults and countermeasures can be found to diminish the capabilities of a system such as Wurzburg. We discovered this system on the coast through our aerial photography program. Next, we needed to find out what was there and how it operated. To do this became a task of Combined Operations. We began working with the newly created First Airborne Division under the command of General Browning and with the Royal Navy to see how we could get in, secure the information we needed, and successfully exit France.”

  James stared at the map and the size and complexity of the Wurzburg system, and had to force his concentration back to Mountbatten. The admiral continued by saying, “I will not go into great detail, gentlemen, but on the night of February 27 a handpicked force of one hundred twenty men dropped into France and attacked the radar station. They encountered little resistance at the radar location but met serious resistance nearby.”

  Mountbatten pointed at various locations on the map, which included distance and topographical challenges the commandos would be facing. He looked at James and with a flourish continued his speech.

  “The equipment we wanted to examine at greater length was removed, along with a large amount of documentation, and a few key personnel. Explosive charges were set with a timer. Then the entire command left France from the beach with the capable assistance of the Royal Navy. The mission lasted about four hours from the time the paratroopers landed until they had returned via the beach. The Germans think we were there to destroy the installation, which we did in good form, but the actual mission was for our experts to look at their system and bring back some of the parts that make this system function for analysis. We did have two men killed in this action, and six are listed as missing and presumed dead. Any questions?”

  Flannigan asked the first questions, “Sir, how did you know what you wanted to look for or take back?”

  “Good question, Captain. We trained our paratroopers on the mission to destroy the radar facility, but we had one man on the mission who knew the technology and what to take. He is a radar specialist for the RAF and volunteered for the operation. He disassembled key parts of the system, took photographs of everything useful, and grabbed every bit of documentation in the building. We are still going through it. It is a good thing our German enemy is so good at record keeping and building technical manuals.”

  Everyone around the tab
le laughed at Mountbatten’s joke and knew this trove of information was a godsend to British intelligence. The information was useful, but the structure and amount of detail told the intelligence community a great deal about methodology and the bureaucracy that created it.

  “By the way, Captain, this young RAF sergeant who performed this mission had never parachuted in his life until he jumped out of the plane over France. Truly a brave lad.”

  James wondered if he would be that brave, or as Flannigan had told him several times about people who volunteer for dangerous missions, that stupid. Either way, the RAF technician had performed well on what could have been a one-way mission.

  Lord Mountbatten then discussed other aspects of the mission and how the intelligence had been gathered. This was very important to Jameson in understanding the need for having some sort of organization to seek out information and if necessary, send people into enemy territory to see firsthand and report back to high command. Gathering information like this was truly an area for experienced individuals and the United States had no such intelligence organization. Clandestine adventures had not been considered by American high command since the days of the Civil War, and most of those experiences had been amateurish.

  “Now gentlemen, if there are no further questions on the radar operation, I have been authorized to tell you about our latest and most daring raid. We called it Operation Chariot, and it occurred only a few nights ago. We are still trying to determine the totality of the results, but it appears we have achieved our objective.”

  Mountbatten motioned to his aide who removed the cover from the second series of maps. The first showed the southern coast of Britain and a course laid out from Falmouth to St. Nazaire, France. The second map showed more detail of St. Nazaire and its location at the mouth of the Loire River on the north end of the Bay of Biscay. The third map, the one with the most detail, showed the port of St. Nazaire with specifics of the harbor and a large dry dock.