COURTING A RELUCTANT ALLY - National Intelligence University

y which British combat experience was transmitted to the technical bureaus andthe operating forces back in America.Ghormley personally met with the Committee some 14 times between Septemberand October 1940. Although unofficial, these talks became the basis for theABC-1 staff talks that were to occur after the New Year. Rather than deal withspecific technical exchanges, these meetings concentrated on the various areas inwhich the Bailey report recommended cooperation with America, to prepare forthe eventual U.S. entry into the war. As Kirk had done in his reports from earlierin the year, Ghormley related to the CNO how impressed he was with the Britishwillingness to provide information and their determination to see the war throughto the end. Although the exchange was going well, he did have some major concerns.What alarmed him most was the possibility the British would cut off theexchange due to a lack of reciprocation. While he had relatively free access to anyinformation he wanted, he had heard reports that the British naval attaché,RADM Pott, had been treated poorly. He wrote to Stark that267 “Memorandum for Admiral Bailey’s Committee No. 1,” Subject: H.M.S. Hermes, 12 September1940; Records of the Naval Operating Forces, U.S. Naval Forces Europe Subject File: FromBailey Committee thru Bolero, Record Group 313; Stack Area 370, Row 30, Compartment 1, Shelf05, NN3-38-90-3; National Archives Building, College Park Maryland, collection cited hereafter asBailey Committee Memos; “Memorandum for Admiral Bailey’s Committee No. 2,” Subject: RadioFrequencies, 12 September 1940; Bailey Committee Memos; “Memorandum for Admiral Bailey’sCommittee No. 3,” Subject: Royal Navy Publications, 12 September 1940; Bailey CommitteeMemos; “Memorandum for Admiral Bailey’s Committee No. 5,” Subject: Information on LandingOperations in Norway, 12 September 1940; Bailey Committee Memos; “Memorandum for AdmiralBailey’s Committee No. 11,” Subject: Anti-aircraft Projectiles Containing Wire, 14 September1940; Bailey Committee Memos; “Memorandum for Admiral Bailey’s Committee No. 13,” Subject:Asdic Pamphlets, 19 September 1940; Bailey Committee Memos; “Memorandum for AdmiralBailey’s Committee No. 19,” Subject: Asdic Attack Teacher Plans, 21 September 1940; BaileyCommittee Memos; “Memorandum for Admiral Bailey’s Committee No. 25,” Subject: New Construction,7 October 1940; Bailey Committee Memos; “Memorandum for Admiral Bailey’s CommitteeNo. 26,” Subject: Dakar Operations, 7 October 1940; Bailey Committee Memos.75