Evening star., 1947-05-19

SAID we QdQ pCttST IOt uy u tdhCO4 uA1tI
morning. We spent the night sleeping very
little, but getting = lot OF details and equip
ment together In minimum OF space and
weight
Money Collected for Mission.
Army finance had scurried around to get
money! thousand dollars in Canadian IS and
$40 gold pieces for possible use In buying our
way out of . jam. (This Is the money OF which
a considerable part was lost when our small
boats overturned In the surf later. We had no
bribing to do, but at the end Of the trip had
only four Of the gold pieces carried left. and
purchased them for souvenirs for Gen. Eisen-
hover, Admiral Cunningham and Gen. Walter
Bedell Smith; the fourth I still carry for a
luck piece)
We got money belts for the whole party and
divided up the gold pieces. had some United
States dollars along, too, but the whole amount
was about $2,000-not the much larger sum
mentioned in news dispatches.
It was not until dusk Of the 18th that my four
colleagues and arrived at the 9Th Air Force
Bomber Base at Polbrook, 73 miles northwest
Of London. wore lieutenant colonel insignia
on my shoulders when I left London. Even
most of the people ut headquarters thought I
was on my way to join Gen. Eisenhower in
Scotland.
was plenty keyed up and although went
to bed I didn't sleep much. The most disturb
ing things were time elements and the difhculty
of communications; not only with Murphy but
through him to the French who might already
be on their way to the rendezvous. was afraid
that If we did not arrive on time the French
would feel badly let down and might question
our good faith.
had left short note behind to be delivered
to Mrs. Clark in the event did not return
I had carefully gone over procedures with Gen.
Lemnitzer and Col. Holmes for them to carry
on and to do the job If one or more OF us
dropped out for any reason.
final cable had been received from Wash
ington saying that agree" a code name for
myself, "is to proceed at once with the mis-
sion." But nothing was said to allay my gnaw-
ing fear that We could not make 1t in time
Guns Of Bills Fully Manned.
They called me about $50 am. We had some
breakfast. climbed into the planes for q quick
takeoff. Gen. Lemnitzer was carrying all the
secret documents in q heavily weighted tube
I instructed the pilots that under no circum-
stances was either plane to land in Spain or
Portugal. The base commander had had word
Of some German fighters along the coast. We
didn't have an escort, but the guns Of our two
Bits were fully manned.
Even before we had identified Gibraltar from
the air, Spitfires were shooting up to look us
over. Gen. Lemnitzer,s plane went in first.
One Of the pilots had already climbed out OF
my plane when the British rushed up and
motioned to everybody to stay inside. They
explained the Gibraltar field was always under
full observation by German agents IN Spain
tThe runway Is only about 800 yards from
Spanish territory)
The arrival Of two B-17s-the nrst sent there
would give the Nazis enough TO think about
without them spotting high Officers aboard
The British suggested we leave Oh our coats
and hats; big car with drawn curtains pulled
up as close as possible to the plane; We jumped
swiftly into it and we're whisked Oh to the Gov
ernor's house.
Here 1t. Gen. Mason MacFarlane and some
British admirals. including Vice Admiral Col
Inns and the commander Of British submarines
in the Mediterranean, Capt Barney Fawkes.
welcomed us. I asked my four colleagues TO
stay Ia their rooms The less seen Of any Of us
1ses OPERATION TORCH. Page A-SJ