Mission to Britain Page 8
Tedder had requested more time with Brand than Ramsey, and the two got along well. Tedder, in his capacity as commander of the RAF in North Africa, had seen firsthand the impact of too few planes trying to cover ships against an aerial attack. German and Italian forces had ravaged Greece, Crete, and many of the Malta convoys. The unescorted ships sustained a worse blow and usually succumbed to the enemy. Coordination was one of Tedder’s major themes. Both he and Ramsey pushed the need of joint command, control, and responsibility. More battles were lost than won because of the lack of communication between the separate services. Tedder implied jealousy, previous grievances or just plain stubbornness got in the way of making good decisions. Many of the old-line commanders were still in place in the army and navy and the new team, the RAF, had to work very hard to make the other services understand what they could and could not do.
Radar and other technologies were very important to Tedder, and he was excited to listen to Brand explain some of the ongoing research in America. He especially liked the aerial rocket that could be used as a ground support weapon or as the anti-submarine weapon. The British had been working on this for about a year, but the propellant issue was becoming a major impediment. Brand informed him of the work now underway at Cal Tech to improve the propellant and the metallurgy to make this weapon a reality. The air marshal saw how the rocket could be used as an anti-personnel weapon or against hard targets such as artillery, trucks or even tanks.
The radar discussion was also high on Tedder’s list of wants because of nighttime flying operations. The Germans had done a significant amount of damage to the British in North Africa by flying night bombing attacks against targets like Tobruk and even as far as Alexandria. Any airborne radar which could be installed in an aircraft, such as a Beaufighter, would be a major advantage.
Brand wrote his reports while Jameson conducted high-level meetings with Admiral Ghormley and General Chaney, mostly on logistical issues and gaining more facilities from the British. Chaney wanted to build many airfields scattered across Britain for use in the strategic bombing campaigns as well as supporting fighter bases throughout the country. These would tie up supply ports, requiring thousands of support troops and engineers.
Ghormley, ever the diplomat, worked well with the British government and the Royal Navy. He won several concessions on port facilities in Northern Ireland near Derry plus expansion of the bases on the River Clyde near Greenock. Without expanding these port areas and improving the transportation systems, there would be no Second Front nor would there be any large bombing campaign in Europe.
The admiral was very concerned with the continuing menace of the U-boats and the strain placed on the American forces currently working out of Britain. The American Atlantic Fleet was now providing escort services with their few remaining large capital ships and cruisers on the Murmansk run. This treacherous water passage to the Russian Arctic ports of Murmansk and Archangel came within reach of German air bases in Norway, plus the still sizeable German surface navy hiding in the fiords along the coast. The last time one of the German capital ships ventured out of their Norwegian ports it caused an uproar in the British command. The command ordered the scattering of the convoy which was then torn apart by the Luftwaffe and the ever-present U-boats.
Admiral Ghormley was also working to establish more of an American naval presence in the British Isles and at the same time build more coordination into the system of operations. This included everything from forming convoys to such items as signaling, codes, radio operations and command structure. Jameson saw firsthand how the admiral was very good at setting up the processes and procedures to establish the U.S. Navy in Britain. He was concerned, however, about the speed in getting things accomplished or in delegating efforts to his staff. The staff had increased since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, but it appeared to Jameson they spent a significant amount of time on things that didn’t really matter. Jameson did think the admiral was doing a commendable job in England and was not only well liked by the British but worked well with the British admirals.
Flannigan received approval to visit the Commando training center in Scotland. Jameson told him to take three of the Marines with him but to leave the gunny in London. Flannigan decided to take Staff Sergeant Laird, Corporal Dillard, and Corporal Dean plus Pharmacist Mate Hamlin with him on the trip. Lord Mountbatten had secured them passage on a flight to Prestwick. From there, they would drive to the base at Achnacarry. Jameson told the men to be on their best behavior and respectful of their British comrades.
Flannigan went further by telling the three Marine non-coms and the navy medic, “The Brits have been at war for over two years. The commandos have been fighting some very tough battles and know what they’re doing. They may even want to goad you into saying or doing something stupid. Don’t let them. Any activity that reflects poorly on the Marine Corps will be severely punished.”
The men understood the order and the gunny had told them that any man who made the captain look bad would have to face him upon return and that was not a pleasant picture to have in one’s head.
Flannigan also told the men they were there as observers, although Lord Mountbatten told him that they would be asked to participate in some of the activities and he looked forward to the Americans’ assessment of not only the training but the men involved. Flannigan was very excited to be finally doing something important instead of babysitting Brand and to a lesser degree, Captain Jameson. He liked them both, and he felt a strange attachment to Brand like he would to a kid brother. The trip north would be a good change of pace for him and the other Marines. He just wished that he could stay with the British and go on one of their raids, but he knew that was not in the cards.
*****
Brand settled into his research routine with his notes stacked around him and a cup of tea sitting on a small typewriter table supplied by the embassy. James preferred to use his portable typewriter and set it up on the large desk in the office assigned to him. The room was very ornate with dark wood paneling and huge windows overlooking the interior courtyard of the embassy. The windows were taped over to prevent shattered glass from entering the room, or as James thought, slow it down a bit and break it into smaller pieces should a bomb strike. The windows had huge blackout curtains that reached the floor and were impervious to light. Every evening an Embassy Marine would go to each office before sunset to make sure all were correctly closed. If they were not, the ambassador would be notified, and he was not happy when this occurred. James made sure the curtains were shut before sundown because he did not want Ambassador Winant to put him on his bad person list.
Late in the afternoon, as he struggled with one of the reports for Admiral Ramsey with a blind copy to Admiral Willson, he was interrupted by a knock on the door. He yelled for the person to enter because the room was large and the doors were solid and sealed very tightly to keep in the heat in winter as well as secrets year around.
Petty Officer Margret Bagley entered and came to attention and then saluted saying, “Lieutenant Brand, sir. May I enter?”
Brand liked the petty officer, but that was about it and was somewhat annoyed at being disturbed. However, he probably needed a break.
“Sure thing, Petty Officer Bagley, come on in. What can I do for you?”
Bagley looked around the room and was quite impressed with the size of the room and the enormous desk that the lieutenant was sitting behind. He had the typewriter directly in front of him and piles of papers and folders scattered around the desk. She decided to be somewhat direct in trying to connect with the young man everyone held in such high regard.
“Lieutenant, as you know, I have been assigned to you for the duration of your visit. I have been waiting for you to want to go somewhere or do something, but I hear nothing from you or your gunnery sergeant. It appears you have a lot of work to do, but it may be a good thing for you to take some time off and see some of the city or have dinner or do something different.”
“Petty Officer Bagley, it’s nice of you to be so concerned about me, but as you see, there are lots of things I must do. People are expecting my reports, and I must devise some new theories on how these ideas might work. But perhaps we can arrange something for later this evening?”
Bagley appeared somewhat hurt. Or was she annoyed or was it something else? “Lieutenant, you need some time to decompress. Even our fighter pilots who are on call or waiting in their planes deserve a chance to say to hell with it.” She looked at him with a startling intensity. She wasn’t too sure why she said what she did, but it got his attention.
James looked at her again and thought, what an ass I’ve been. Here is a lovely young woman who invited me on a date. He had never even been on a date, except some social gatherings at the various universities where he had worked, so this was a new thing for him. He didn’t know how to reply.
Margret was now getting a bit steamed. She had just told a superior officer he needs to take some time off and had implied a date with her as the main offering. She started to get a bit red in the face at the thought of spending time with Lieutenant Brand. Was she getting pushy, as the Yanks say?
James took a deep breath and decided to go with emotion for once and not logic. “Petty Officer Bagley, you are correct. I’ve spent too much time in my cage and should take some time off to explore the city, especially with you.”
He blushed at the thought, and she could see him turn red. So there was life in the young scientist, Margret thought
“Lieutenant Brand, that is a very sensible thing to do, and I relish the idea of being your tour guide of my city. And, if I may be bold again, please call me Margret, except of course when we are on official duty or in the company of your team members.”
Brand smiled and replied to the request with gusto. “Margret, you should also call me by my given name, James. This would reduce the formality so that we can enjoy ourselves, but of course, we can only do that when we are alone, correct?”
“Yes, James, we should only use our given names when we are alone. Perhaps we can find more time to do that so we can practice each other’s name, right James?”
Brand beamed at the thought and turned redder. “Margret, thank you for granting me the privilege of using Margret, instead of Petty Officer Bagley. It’s so much easier this way.”
He stood up and walked over to her and then picked up her hand as if to shake it but instead held it and looked at her closely.
She was a bit startled at first by his holding her hand but calmed as she returned the gaze.
“Margret, I apologize for being so forward, but I wanted to see if what I was told by an old Navajo man about looking into another’s eyes while holding the other person’s hand would be true.”
He did not squeeze her hand, nor did he lifelessly hold it. He held her hand with his on the bottom and hers on top with gentle pressure. He looked at her hand and again at her face, then he looked just at her eyes. She started to tear up at the tenderness she felt from him, which was different from the boys she had grown up with or men she occasionally dated. He was warm, terribly affectionate, and seemingly dazzled at the experience of being with her. She felt that she was the only woman in the world from the attention he was focusing on her but without feeling strange or intimidated. It was a natural feeling, one that was calming and erotic at the same time.
Finally, James spoke and slowly dropped her hand. “The old man was right. He told me as a young boy that trust can be passed between two people by touch and sight. He also told me that once you share trust, everything else is possible.”
He continued to look at her and knew he was emotionally connected as he had never been connected before. Was it that thing called love or was it something different, simply the interdependence of two people in times of stress and loneliness?
Margret put her hand by her side and smiled timidly at the intense gaze that James was giving her. She felt out of place for once in this room. She was a member of the nobility, lesser nobility for sure, but noble none the less. She had been trained from early childhood to shield her emotions and look at others with mostly contempt for everyone not of her class. She felt this way of thinking was outmoded and costly regarding human attachment, but it was hard to put aside completely.
At Cambridge, where she had been a top student for two years before the war intervened, she was always engaged in discussions of future societal changes brought about because of the expansion of science and technology. Her ability to live in both a feudal world and the evolving new world caused her a great deal of internal conflict. The war was showing her new possibilities that were going to reduce her noble birth to a mere line on some stationary or a coat of arms hanging over some mantle. Science would be the leader in the future, and those who could not adapt would slowly lose their place in this new world.
James stepped back a few paces, looked around the room to offer her a chair so they could sit and chat.
“Margret, I’m not a very chatty person when I’m out of my area of expertise, so I apologize up front, as you might say, at my lack of witty banter.” He grinned at her as he said this and she smiled back knowing both of them were now at a turning point in this budding relationship.
Lady Bagley, now sitting close to him, observed his kind face and replied, “James, there is nothing worse than witty banter that is contrived and designed to entice or entreat one person to the next. A true conversation of merit is with a person you can trust, as you said. Do you think this is true?”
“Why yes, it’s true, but everyone wants to think they are witty or funny or smart, so the banter pulls down barriers for some. I don’t have the time to be witty, so I just do my job and try to be creative.” James looked at the young Wren with caring eyes and longed to touch her hand again, but he was very afraid of any more actions that would scare this lovely woman away.
“James, I like your honesty, and I do appreciate your kindness and concern. Perhaps we should communicate, as you put it, on things that are important to us as individuals.” She decided to ask about the thing she wanted to know about him but was unsure.
“James, can you tell me who you really are and why everyone wants to meet you and ask you questions? I have heard rumors about you since the day you arrived in London, and nobody knows much about you other than you are very important. Can you tell me something without, of course, revealing secrets that I should not be allowed to know?”
James smiled, sat back in his chair, and gave out a short laugh catching Margret off guard.
She quickly responded, “What is so funny about me wanting to know more about you? Is that a secret too?”
James smiled again and began his story. “Margret, or should I say Lady Margret Bagley, daughter of the sixth Baron Bagley, granddaughter of Vice Adm. Sir William Bagley.” He smiled again, and Margret turned red in the face. He held up his hand, so she would not speak.
“Air Vice Marshal Tedder informed me of your heritage on my second meeting with him. I asked him about you, and he told me who you were, but felt it best if I kept it from the others on the team for your sake and theirs. Americans love noble families, and as I have gotten to know you, I feel the same way.” He looked at the pile of papers on his desk and then continu
ed his tale.
“Margret, I know you are very bright and attended Cambridge and possess strong mathematical skills but for some reason or the other, you wanted not to be put in some warehouse doing computations all day long. I understand that feeling, and I too did something similar. That is why I’m in the navy and not locked up in a research center in the States doing theoretical work on radio waves or explosives.” He pointed to the pile of papers on the desk and continued his story.
“I have been sent here as part of Captain Jameson’s research team to examine some of the work Britain has done on specific parts of the war effort. We are looking at anti-submarine efforts, communications, operations, radar, and the command and control systems currently used by the British military. I cannot go much further than what I have just told you, but our work is very important. With the kind of cooperation, we are getting from your leaders, I am certain we can not only win this war but reduce the time and cost of the war as well.”
Again, he looked at her, sensing a growing connection. “And now I have been given an opportunity to spend time with a lovely young woman who I know shares many of my passions and I believe she can understand what I do for the war effort.”
Margret shook her head in understanding about his work and the secrecy involved as well. “James, what you have said makes a great deal of sense. But why you? There must be many scientists in the United States who could do this kind of work, but you are very young, and most of the scientists I have met in Britain are old men with bad eyes. So, tell me, James, what makes you so special? I want to know the whole story of why you are here.”