M ycompliments to Joan and staff on the idea for and the implementation of The Saturday Evening Email.

Many thanks for your thoughtful and courteous replies.

I was not upset or slighted by the article; indeed, I said how well General Smith described the situation and found it a fascinating account of the difficult time.

The Evening Post offers many interesting, thought provoking articles and long may it continue to do so.

Good luck from this side of the pond.

Ian.

I’m sure my great uncle “Beetle” Smith did not intentionally slight the British when writing about the D Day invasion. I think he was writing , as an American, to an American audience.

If we could ask any American GI today about their experiences during the second World War, I’m sure they would remember well their British brothers-in-arms and recognize fully their sacrifice and service.

Of the individuals mentioned, only two are Americans: Smith, the narrator, and Eisenhower. Three are British: the Scottish meteorologist (Stagg, though his name is not given), Admiral Ramsay, and Field Marshal Montgomery. (You did notice the prominent mention of Montgomery’s attendance?)

So there is no ignoring of anyone’s contribution.

As for Churchill, he had nothing to contribute. He was a political leader. He was not consulted, and did not expect to be. Unlike Hitler, he knew better than to meddle in military operational decisions.

Cunningham (whom Eisenhower admired greatly) was not present, but the Royal Navy was ably represented by Admiral Ramsay.

Harris was not consulted, but why should he be? He had no part in the planning of the invasion, except to approve the use of Bomber Command planes in support. He had no knowledge of the details of the landing operations. The RAF was represented at the conference by Air Marshals Tedder and Leigh-Mallory.

Smith doesn’t mention Tedder and Leigh-Mallory in this excerpt – but neither does he mention any other Americans – and I’m sure Omar Bradley was there.

There’s nothing here for anyone to be offended at.

General Walter Bedell Smith describes Mr Eisenhower’s decision very well and offers interesting observations of the difficulties faced when making the decision to invade.

However, as with a number of US films and books, your article completely ignores the presence of the British and other allied forces which landed equal numbers of troops and equipment and casualties were similarly shared. The order of battle was:

• British 6th Airborne Division
• British I Corps, British 3rd Infantry Division and the British 27th Armoured Brigade.
• Canadian 3rd Infantry Division, Canadian 2nd Armoured Brigade
• British XXX Corps, British 50th Infantry Division and British 8th Armoured Brigade.
• 79th Armoured Division
• U.S. V Corps, U.S. 1st Infantry Division and U.S. 29th Infantry Division.
• U.S. VII Corps, U.S. 4th Infantry Division.
• U.S. 101st Airborne Division.
• U.S. 82nd Airborne Division.

But it is inconceivable that Mr Eisenhower would have made the decision in complete isolation, as implied by the article.

Andrew Browne Cunningham, first sea lord and chief of naval staff, would have been better placed to have advised about sea conditions. Arthur Travers (Bomber) Harris, commander in chief, Bomber Command, would definitely has been consulted as air support was an essential contributor to the plan and it is impossible to believe that one of the most successful Generals of all time, Bernard Law Montgomery, commander, Twenty-first Army Group, was not closely involved.

The major omission in the article of Mr Winston Churchill, prime minister and minister of defence, simply cannot be a true description of events. Mr Eisenhower and Mr Churchill would have been in close contact at all times.

I find the archive articles which you print in the Post extremely interesting and a valuable insight into American social history but the contribution of the British and Commonwealth contingent and our European allies in WWII should not be ignored.

Thank you for allowing me to express a view.

Ian Keeves, England.

James Martin Stagg, the weather man
Whose advice launched the D Day plan.