Evening star., 1947-05-21

fall off rapidly as our forces lano
Detailed conferences continued throughout
day until 1900 hours when local police inter-
vened having become suspicious OF increased
activity in rendezvous area. This event brought
conference to abrupt conclusion. Whne
Frenchmen few in all directions, our party
hid in empty repeat empty wine cellar OF the
mouse while an argument ensued with the
police We made for woods near beach during
lull In conversation with police. There we
awaited favorable surf conditions to permit us
to re-embark.
"one boat capsized and was damaged in ouf
first effort to re-embark and further attempt
was futile in view of high waves. Remaining
in hiding, we made another attempt to en-
bark at o43o on the 23d. After two had cap
sized at beach, all boats reached submarine,
but one was broken while boarding submarine.
Except for brief surfacing to send message
to Gibraltar, ran submerged during daylight
hours of 23d With conditions ideal for the
transfer to flying boat available morning Oath,
Gibraltar was asked to dispatch Catalina to
rendezvous with us at sea to expedite return
Will inform you time and place of arrival
in UK ENDS"
Generals Given Detailed Data.
Ike was delighted and phoned the Prime
Minister to tell him that was back. Churchill
asked us both for supper that night The
others were in London getting detailed mes
sages moving to implement what we had
learned in Africa
Gems. Patton, Anderson, Fredendall and
ryder, the field commanders of various parts OF
TORCH were given detailed data as 1t might
affect their units. 1t was reassuring to them
TO know we had corroborated much Of our own
original intelligence work.
A few days later was summoned to Bucklng-
ham Palace where King George talked with me
about the trip. The date was for 11:30 am. anf
Gen. Eisenhower was with me as the kim
wanted to bid him good-by before we took OF
for North Africa via Gibraltar.
My pants had already begun to make
history for the Kings secretary when intro
duced to me said, Il know all about you.
You're the one who made the fabulous trip.
Didn't you get stranded on the beach without
our pants?"
The King was waiting for us in large
oom from which all the chandeliers and
,ctures had been removed to avert bomb
iamage King George shook hands and Inn
1ediately plunged into discussion OF TORCH.
lie had heard all about my trip and said, Il
thoroughly enjoyed the statement in your
able that you had been forced to hide in an
empty repeat empty wine cellar"
King Expresses Distrust Of Darlan.
We talked for 40 minutes, discussing Giraud
al some length. The King said, No one
trusts Darlan." He recalled meeting the French
admiral at luncheon and said he clearly
remembered "Darlan's shifty eyes"
felt he was rather moved when he finally
bade us goodbye and said to each OF us, In
turn, "Good-by and Godspeed."
What remained then was to convert the
detailed information obtained on this story
booklike trip into detailed plans and to MAJ
it pay of. without exception, the data the
French gave us turned out to be accurat
Their confidence in us was I am sure
strengthened by our being able to CONF
through so quickly, not only with infornla-
ton, but with far greater operation thar
even they had hoped for.
Copyright 1947 by Mark Wayne Clark
Distributed By North American Newspaper Alliance.