Editorial Note
The only record found of the discussion at this meeting is the following extract from the minutes of the 105th Meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held at 10 a.m., August 16, at which Marshall gave a report concerning his conversation with Churchill:
“General Marshall said that last night it was evident that the Prime Minister had been informed of the results of yesterday’s C.C.S. [Page 870] Meeting. Mr. Churchill did not mention the subject at first. He talked about Burma and the COSSAC command and referred to the misunderstanding with General Eisenhower about a certain dispatch. Finally, the Prime Minister got around to the subject of Overlord and said he had changed his mind regarding Overlord and that we should use every opportunity to further that operation, General Marshall said he told the Prime Minister that the Combined Chiefs of Staff had had a difficult meeting yesterday afternoon and that there had been frank differences of opinion but that he believed such a situation was excellent at the start. He said there was discussion regarding the ‘right’ and ‘left’ method of approach and that he informed the Prime Minister that he could not agree to the logic of supporting the main effort by withdrawing strength therefrom in order to bolster up the force in Italy. The Prime Minister finally dropped the subject, saying ‘give us time.’ “(J.C.S. Files)