The Battle of Britain Five Months That Changed History, May—October 1940 by James Holland (z-lib.org).epub

who had in turn been talking to a member of the new Cabinet, Brendan
Bracken. Macmillan had asked Bracken what Churchill’s mood was like.
‘Profound anxiety,’ Bracken had replied. It was nothing less than what
Harold and many of his parliamentary colleagues were feeling.
‘I spent the day in a bright blue new suit from the Fifty-Shilling Tailors,’
noted the 25-year-old Jock Colville, ‘cheap and sensational looking, which I
felt was appropriate to the new Government.’ Jock was one of several of
Chamberlain’s secretaries who had been kept on by Churchill. He was fond
of Chamberlain and felt his boss had been unfairly treated, but he was
deeply worried about the prospect of Churchill as the new Prime Minister.
He rather thought that it had been Churchill’s impetuousness that had led to
the debacle in Norway, and had heard plenty of rumours about how difficult
a man he could be; as far as he was concerned, the new PM was little more
than an adventurer with friends unfit to be trusted with positions of high
office and authority at such a time of national crisis. The thought of
Churchill running the show sent a chill down his young spine.
The son of well-to-do and well-connected parents, Jock had left Trinity
College in Cambridge in 1936, having had three fabulous and hedonistic
years. He then travelled to Russia, crossed Asia Minor and travelled back
through Europe, teaching himself French and German in the process. Once
back in London, he realized it was time to settle down to some work, but a
life in the City like his two elder brothers had not appealed. However, it
turned out that his combination of intelligence and languages enabled him
to sit the exhaustive exams for entrance into the Foreign Office. Much to his
surprise, he won a place and was allotted to the Eastern Department, where
his specific concern was Turkey and Persia. Then, soon after war had been
declared, he was asked if he would like to join No. 10 as one of the Prime
Minister’s secretaries. He was promised it would be long hours and often
very boring, but Jock accepted all the same; the chance to be ‘in the know’
at a time of war such as this seemed too good to pass over. So it was that on
Tuesday, 10 October, Jock started his first day at Downing Street.
Now, seven months on, he had a new boss. Jock might not have thought
too much of Churchill but he had to admit the man had drive. Whatever
happened, he felt certain the new PM would get things done.
The same day, the US Ambassador, Joe Kennedy, saw Lord Halifax at
the Foreign Office, and congratulated him on being in the new Cabinet.