THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
TO BE KEPT UNDER LOCK AND KEY.
It is requested that special care may be taken to ensure the secrecy of this document.
239
Ch.
103
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CRET.
C.0.S.(40)239.( Also 1.P.(40)67).
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COPY NO.
WAR CABINET
CHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITTEE.
HIGHER COMMAND OF BRITISH LAND FORCES OPERATING
I
FRANCE.
REPORT
It has recently come to light that there is some misunderstanding as to whether the British Expeditionary Forec in France is under the Command of General Georges (Commander of "Front Nord-Est") or directly under the Command of General
It has Gamelin (Commander-in-Chief, Forces Terrestros).
always been understood in the War Office that the British Expeditionary Force had been laced by General Gamelin under the Command of General Georges, and Lord Gort, himself, has held the same view. One or two matters have recently occurred
In order to clarify the which throw doubt on the situation. matter, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff wrote a letter to Goncral Gamolin, the rovelant extracts of which aro as follows:-
11
I suggest that the matter of the issue of orders to the British Sxpeditionary Force in Franco requires clarification.
are prepared to accept any reasonable conditions considered necessary by the French High Command.
We considon that it is desirable that one
that is that the condition should be fulfilled British Expeditionary Force should be under one French authority. All dual authority should be avoided. Should the Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force receive orders direct from you, it is undesirable that an intermediate authority such as the Commandor of a Group of Armies should be inserted between the British
Should you, Expeditionary Force and yourself. however, decide to place the British Expeditionary Force under the orders of the Commander of a Group of Armios, then, in my opinion, the latter Commander alone should issue orders to the
Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary
Force.
器
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H
*
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