1958-02-08 — Page 6

THIS is the Grin

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1958.

Aschlaleck (left) ane Well The Prime Allister wants to soch too and put the bike!

h place."

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ON May, 2, 1941, our

forces were out of Greece and, according to our information, 45,000 or more men had been taken off, out of 60,000. But all the heavy equip- ment was lost.

In the desert, the Germans were attacking Tobruk, and had pene trated a big sector of the defences.

General Wavell was un- easy about the defence of Crete; the Iruqis were shelling our airfield at Hab baniyah; and Malta had been heavily bombed, with much damage to shipping and to the harbour.

The whole situation in the Mediterranean had, In fact, deteriorated with: extraordinary klity. It the Germans had concentrated on the Middle East for the next few months, it is very doubtful whether we could, have hold ju Bu! Hitler: with his Russian plans, was about to come to our aid, as he so often did at critical moments of the war.

not

WINSTON QUOTES LLOYED GEORGE,

HE could not get rid of Haig

took three

It could not be denied that come suiffelent qualification for high of the performances of our command." With that post-war soldiers had been distinctly poor, observation of an historian, we men I knew and the repository crafted a telegram to Wavell, George did not trust Haig in the But Churchill could never mak. would all have heartily agreed of many condences. I told him to tell him how he should defend last war-yet he could not sack allowance for the fact that it at the time; but lot ine make it

him."

years to train and crystal clear that we never that many of us were thoroughly Crete,

to bo дурте Dill thought that Wavell's re- equip an army; he preferred to reused He also asked us to produce

of his easy at the way the machine

generals, sometimes slature, or to feel other than was running; and he replied that detailed plans for the occupa- moval would rock the Govern abuse the

deeply privileged to serve him, was the fourth person near tion of Syria, and many hours ment. He was the one big figure with Justice, often without.

were wasted on this. because in the Services at that stage of Someone, about Unis time,

He towered over us all lice the centre of things to tell hin

possess detailed the war, the public believed in said, "I don't see how we can a Colossus; but this would not that in the course of a few days.

we did He said it had been the knowledge of the dispositions of him, and so did the soldiers,

wia the war without Winston, be a true account of the atmmo- 012 the 20th the Prime but, on the other hand, I don't sphere in Whitehall nor of the same, in some ways, with Lloyd the troops in Wavell's command. Georke in the 1914-18 war; but For some reason, he would not Minister sent Wavell a stream of see how we cũn win it with angle from which

in which he urged him."

I saw the Lloyd George, though a rogue ask Wavell, whose business it telegrams,

Prime Minister, if I were to By him on to take inore active

shrink from recording our feel- elephant, had had two steady old was, to produce the plan.

Professor Butler, writing of Ings at the time, and the effects elephants to push han in the the end of the week everyone measures-"Victory in Crete is right direction, in the shape of was

by this futile essential," "Hurl reinforcements this period, says of the Prime of his constant bludgeon-stroke worn out

Into Crele," "What work.

about a Minister, "He was too much on our dally work. smuts and Milner,

the Germans stroke in the Western Desert?" Inclined to consider, boldness a I know

On May 19 that Hankey, and I

---(London Express Service). believe that

Menzies, both launched their attack on Crete, and so on. tackled the

things Prime Minister and

him with all these difficulties." direct concerning his methods ominous in Syria.

After luncheen the Prime Few Commanders - In-Chief of conducting the war; but they cannot have made any headway: Minister sent for Dill to come in history have ever had such have a row to hon as Wavell at this for the procedure remained un- to Downing Street and changed, and the struggle be-

BACK

Dill said to me,

were looking "Poor Wavell, I feel so sort Next week: Churchill's taunts

“ cup of coffee and a cigar" moment. His problem called

WAVELL-

OR SACK HIM...

Sir John Dill tells Churchill

tween personalities continued, with Churchill always in the ascendant, until Str Alan Brooke became Chief of the Imperial General Staff at the end of the year.

Meanwhile. he continued to Ground phy. Tom" Ticuler's across the dividing line which should properly separate the sphere of the statesman and that of the technical advisers. Often, as in the matter of the reinforce- ment of the Middle East, he was proved

abundantly right;,

for a most careful distribution of his forces and for a good mense of timing. The Navy wanted Cyrenaica to be cleared of the enemy if Crete had to be lost so that we should hold at least one side of the Eastern Mediter- ranean. It was important, too, to hold Cyprus, which was practically undefended.

The Cabinct were pressing him to occupy Syria before the Germans could get there. This, he had said, would require three divisions

of (one

.them

AL this time, criticism of Churchill was bitter and general, and it was said that all was not well with the machinery for the military control of the war. The gist of the criticism was that we were living from hand to mouth on a diet of improvisa tion and opportunism; that no clear-cut military appreciations were being laid before the War Cabinet, for their discussion and approval or rejection; that from their very Inception, military opinions were being distorted and coloured by the formid- able advocacy of the Prime Minister; in fact, that he was not only advocate but witness, prosecutor and judge, He was alsa criticised for sending per-

Director of Military Operatio na 1840-43, Apalstant, Chief of sonal directives to the

ions and Intelligence) 1943-45. Imperial General Staff (Operat Commanders-in-Chief without professional advice;

(in neither of which he ever armoured), and he had only one and for, but we sometimes longed for a

division to spare. He had alsa exhausting the Chief-of-Staff leader with more balance and Indulged). In the point of danger.

On his return, Dili told me been told to setze Iraq in order ¿ On the morning of May 6, that Churchill had Anally de- to forestall the Germans, and a Among the most outspoken of when I went to see Sir John cided to get rid of Wavell, and coluing which had been sent to his critics was Mr Menzies, who

Dill, the Chief of the Imperial to put Auchinleck in his place, do this, in conjunction with the was still in London. I never dis- General Staff, he said: "There le intended to send Wavell to troops landed at Basra, was stuck cussed the higher control of the is a serious matter to be settled India where, he thought, he half-way to Bagdad, One thing war with him, but I often heard today.

Prime Minister would enjoy sitting under the seemed quite certain to us--lbat

idsa brilliance.

The

▼

Prime Minister was the man who mattered'.

GEN SIR JOHI

KENNEDY

hini pronouncing on it, and puts wants to snck Wavell and but goda tree." Churchill had if the battles were to be fought ting into words what many of General Auchinleck into the said he could not have Wavell from london, a mess would be But this was us felt in our hearts, that only Middle East,"

hanging around in London, living made of them. Churchill's magulâcent and

In a room in his club. Di tu not the Prime Minister's view. Dill intended to tell him that, repeated courageous leadership compen-

his former advice: We were still suffering from him or sated for his deplorable strategic since it was obvious that he had Back

sackt him," the effect our national habit sense. When he heard Churchill rust confidence in Wavell, it was Churchill had replied: "It is of neglecting to create an army describing Wavell's plan for a right that he should get rid of not so simple as that, Lloyd until after the outbreak of war. possible evacuation of Egypt as him; that he, himself, had not "defeatist," Menzies said to him lost confidence. but that the that a general who had not thought of this would not be fit

I said that, on reflcellon, I for his job.

thought it would be a mistake Churchill had spoken 10 16 sock Waveil it would shake Menzies also about the poor per- public confidence, and it might formanco of our troops on appear that he was being made various occasions. “He does not a scapegoat, Dil told me later stem to realize," said Menzies, that the Prime Minister was in- "that men without proper equip- furiated by the advlee he gave ment, and with nothing but him "You must back him or rilles, do not count in modern saels him." war after all, we are not living

·

in the age of Omdurman."

I met Lord Hankey one

During the following week

the Prime Minister abandoned

morning on my way to the War for the moment his talk o

Office; he was one of the wisest

sacking Wavell.

He was con- centrating on details of the dis- positions of forces in Crete, Ho Tobruk and East Africa. NOTE-According to agenty

Air Mics

seat to the War Office for in- denied

of the "ut he had ever said formation, but many

Ble "directly or indirectly that Winston Churchill had deplorable particulars he required we could not supply. In the end he strategic senso."

*

OMMENTAR

BY FRANK OWEN

AFTER condemning the Prime (from Britain, which

In

the of 1941, the Goldlers Ministar, Winston Churchill, summer

Invade) for advocating his own military sit expected Hiller opinions ("In frot, he was not. Winston was dead right.

Prime only advocate, but witness, pro- It is true that the saputor and Judge"), General Minister turned out to be wrong Konnody declares that until when he kept pressing General offensive Gonorel Ble Alan Brooke became Waveli to launch an Chlef of Imperial General Staff in the Western Desert, against the Civiilan "continued to play that. Commander's own Round Tom Tiddler's Ground across Judgment. But the Chiefs of the dividing line which should Star In Whitehall themselves in this arror, as the property "separats the aphere of shared the statesman' and that of the reader will, who lator fin Inntm) -

the ment b) technical adviseru."

C.1.0.9. himself But whore 18 that line? For admitted

So Im- General Kennedy himself,

who was trespassing on mediataty afterwards, admits Tom Tadler's ground pr. this that on the lesue of sending re- occasiony Inforcements to the Middle East -

-(London1 Express Services,

kept US on our toes

Sir John Kennedy fishing in the

grounds of his home, at Penrith.

OPENING OF,PARLIAMENT, SOUTH POLE

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