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

43
Black Saturday
ON 28 AUGUST, Colonel Raymond Lee accompanied Admiral Robert
Ghormley and his US naval ‘observation’ team to Dover as guests of the
Prime Minister. It was Lee’s second trip in a week to what the journalists
had christened ‘Hellfire Corner’, and once again he felt it did not seem
quite so dangerous or knocked about as the press were making out. The
children had long ago been evacuated, but the shops and pubs were still
open and he could only see a few destroyed houses and buildings.
Fighting had developed above them, however. They could clearly see
aircraft droning and whirling about the sky, machine guns occasionally
sputtering. Then one German plane dived down almost vertically with a
high-pitched whine, finally crashing with a dull ‘whoomph’, followed by a
pilot drifting down in his parachute. At the same time, a German bomber
hurtled into the sea with a large splash.
They lunched at Dover castle, from where they could clearly see Calais.
‘It seemed queer to observe the long stretch of French coast,’ noted Lee,
‘and think that along it are strung the hordes of Hitler, crowding up against
the Channel for a pounce upon England.’
A few days later, Ambassador Kennedy invited Churchill and Admiral
Ghormley and his team to dinner at the Embassy. The Prime Minister
suggested they call it the ‘Destroyers Dinner’ since the deal was due to be
signed the next day. The Ambassador was still feeling sidelined and
humiliated, having been completely ignored in the negotiations. Over
dinner, however, Kennedy learned that the Prime Minister knew almost
nothing about the ships that were to be handed over and was learning very
little from Admiral Ghormley. ‘Will they be able to come across the ocean
on their power?’ Beaverbrook eventually asked impatiently.
‘Perhaps,’ Kennedy replied.
‘Well, I always expected that if I made such a gesture,’ said Churchill
cheerfully, ‘you would have to give us something, and, of course, I believe
that something is going to be, sooner or later, big financial credits or gifts.’