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  4. Document 116

Defense Files

Memorandum by the British Chiefs of Staff1
secret
WW–8
Washington, January 8, 1942.

Post-Arcadia Collaboration

1. We think that the United States Chiefs of Staff will wish to know what representatives of the Minister of Defence and the British Chiefs of Staff organization it is proposed to leave in Washington after the departure of the Arcadia party.

[Page 218]

2. To avoid confusion, we suggest that hereafter the word “Joint” should be applied to Inter-Service collaboration and the word “Combined” to collaboration between two or more allied nations.

Representative of the Minister of Defence.

3. Field Marshal Sir John Dill is remaining in Washington as representative of the Minister of Defence. He will have contacts with such authorities on the highest level as may be arranged between the President and the Prime Minister.

Representatives of the British Chiefs of Staff.

4. The Heads of the Joint Staff Mission, Admiral Sir Charles Little, Lieut. General Sir Colville Wemyss, and Air Marshal A. T. Harris, will continue to represent the British Chiefs of Staff in Washington. It is hoped that a meeting between the United States Chiefs of Staff or their representatives and the representatives of the British Chiefs of Staff may be held weekly or more often if necessary. An agenda would be circulated before each meeting.

Combined Planning.

5. For the time being the British representatives on the Planning Staff will be—

  • Navy
    • Captain C. E. Lambe, R.N., Deputy Director of Plans, Admiralty
  • Army
    • Lieut. Colonel G. K. Bourne
  • R.A.F.
    • Group Captain S. C. Strafford

Combined Intelligence.

6. The arrangements for production of complete intelligence to serve the Planning Staffs are of great importance and we suggest that this matter should either be referred to the Combined Planning Staffs for report or considered by the Combined Chiefs of Staff at their next meeting.

7. We have here representatives of the Joint Intelligence Committee in London and these are available to work in conjunction with any organization the United States Chiefs of Staff may desire.

Priorities and Allocation.

8. In our view, the Combined Chiefs of Staff should settle the broad programme of requirements based on strategic policy. We suggest that it will be the duty of the Combined Planning Staffs, advised by appropriate Allocation Officers, to watch, on behalf of [Page 219] the Combined Chiefs of Staff, the production programmes and to bring to notice instances where output does not conform to strategic policy.

9. Similarly, the Combined Chiefs of Staff should from time to time issue general directives laying down policy to govern the distribution of available weapons of war. Effect should be given to these directives by appropriate Combined Allocation Committees. These would meet periodically and make both long-term allocations (on which planning and training of forces must be based), and short-term allocations to meet immediate military needs.

10. The British representatives on the appropriate Combined Allocation Committees will for the present be—

  • Navy
    • Rear Admiral J. W. Dorling, R.N.
  • Army
    • Brigadier D. Campion
  • R.A.F.
    • Air Commodore E. B. C. Betts

11. Allocation should be made as between the United States and the British Commonwealth, each caring for the needs of the Allies for whom it has accepted responsibility.

Military Movements.

12. The Combined Chiefs of Staff would settle the broad issues of priority of overseas movement. In order to advise the Combined Chiefs of Staff and to coordinate the movement of United States and British troops and equipment so that the shipping resources of both countries are put to the best use, it appears to us that a Combined Body is desirable. The British representatives for such a body are available under Brigadier H. R. Kerr.

13. It is suggested that this Combined Body should work in close touch with the Combined Planning Staffs through whom their advice to the Combined Chiefs of Staff would be submitted.

Secretariat.

14. A British Secretariat under Brigadier Dykes is available to serve the above organizations and to work in with any similar Secretariat system which the United States Chiefs of Staff may establish.

  • Dudley Pound
  • J. G. Dill
  • A. T. Harris

(for Chief of Air Staff)
  1. The source text was circulated on January 10 and was attached as Annex 4 to JCCSs–8; see ante, p. 174.↩