List of Normandy Letters
These letters are important because they document where Ellsberg was during the critical days leading up to the Normandy invasion and his contact with Churchill, as described in detail in The Far Shore. The problem was that the huge cement Phoenixes that were to be an integral part of the Mulberry harbors were solidly stuck on the ocean floor, and the Royal Engineers who were in control of the project could not raise them. Ellsberg had showed them how to, but realized that they weren't capable of the task. He communicated this to Admiral Stark, who, in turn, contacted the King, who used his influence in getting Churchill to visit Selsey Bill where Ellsberg was stationed. The facts surrounding Churchill's involvement in the Mulberry aspect of the invasion are practically unknown, and it is solely through these letters that his involvement is documented. Immediately upon reviewing the problem, Churchill went back to London, took the job away from the Royal Engineers and gave it to the royal Navy. Ellsberg and others had pushed for the Americans to get the job, but due to politics, that never could have happened. See The Far Shore for a full account of the events leading up to D-Day, and how Ellsberg's efforts changed the outcome of the invasion. It is important to note that the date the letter was written may not correspond to the postmark date. This will be especially important for those letters written prior to the invasion.
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NO.
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Date Written
5/3/1944 5/3/1944 5/5/1944 5/7/1944 5/9/1944 5/12/1944 5/16/1944 5/18/1944 5/21/1944 5/23/1944 5/27/1944 5/29/1944 5/31/1944 6/3/1944 6/5/1944 6/6/1944 6/9/1944 6/9/1944 6/12/1944 6/12/1944 6/18/1944 6/19/1944 6/20/1944 6/21/1944 6/22/1944 6/23/1944 6/24/1944 6/27/1944 6/29/1944 7/2/1944 7/4/1944 7/5/1944 7/6/1944 7/7/1944 7/7/1944 7/8/1944 7/9/1944 7/10/1944 7/11/1944 7/12/1944 7/14/1944 7/15/1944 7/16/1944 7/17/1944 7/18/1944 7/19/1944 7/20/1944 7/21/1944 7/23/1944 7/24/1944 7/25/1944 7/26/1944 7/27/1944 7/28/1944 7/29/1944 7/30/1944 7/31/1944 8/1/1944 8/2/1944 8/3/1944 8/4/1944 8/5/1944 8/6/1944 8/7/1944 8/8/1944 8/9/1944 8/10/1944 8/11/1944 8/12/1944 8/13/1944 8/14/1944 8/15/1944 8/16/1944 8/17/1944 8/18/1944 8/19/1944 8/20/1944 8/21/1944 8/22/1944 8/23/1944 8/24/1944 8/25/1944 8/26/1944 8/26/1944 8/27/1944 8/28/1944 8/29/1944 8/29/1944 8/30/1944 8/31/1944 9/1/1944 9/2/1944 9/3/1944 9/4/1944 9/4/1944 9/5/1944 9/6/1944 9/7/1944 9/8/1944 9/9/1944 9/10/1944 9/11/1944 9/12/1944 9/13/1944 9/14/1944 9/15/1944 9/16/1944 9/17/1944 9/18/1944 9/19/1944 9/20/1944 9/21/1944 9/22/1944 9/24/1944 |
LOCATION
London London London London London London Shore Shore Shore Shore London/Shore Shore Shore Shore Shore Shore Shore Shore Shore Shore At sea London London London London London London France At sea France London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London London |
CONTENT
Arrival General chat; cable sent General chat/food Censorship/walking around London Shaving/Mary/staying in a hotel General chat/mail from home/Forrestal Arrival at the shore/air raid Air raid/conference: Churchill Cottage/longjohns/tin hat/Italy campaign Air raid/air superiority Comments on invasion/Lord Haw Haw/navy's role Injured/air raid/his job as technical advisor Anniversary thoughts/D-Day hopes D-Day-3/pay D-Day-2/ on a sub-chaser/weather/Cathedral D-Day commentary I'm OK note Mail problems/general family chat/weather D+5, interesting comments on the invasion Mail & pay problems D-day results/feelings about French & Nazis Job ended;flying bombs;tribute to Lucy New assignment;surprise at lack of naval losses; lack of flying bombs Air raid; shell shock cases Act II job; life's dissatisfaction Course of war; flying bombs; finances New orders to far shore New assignment; weather New assignment; money; food in France; snipers Visit to Cherbourg; war report Jeep injury story - fascinating! Flying bombs; propaganda Cherbourg: no job in France - Sullivan there; beachheads working; people killed by flying bombs; Churchill's speech about the bombs; von Rundstedt replaced Newspaper-Churchill speech (no letter) Rommel's error; propaganda, love Ellsberg: main beachhead, Sullivan: Cherbourg; picked up a German rifle in Cherbourg; fall of Cherbourg a German disgrace War victories by Bradley & Monty; his hotel (Goring); people killed in Guards chapel Great love letter Finances; food was bad in France; food in London; thoughts on war: need to finish Germany off for good; propaganda & Jews Saw flying bombs; Patton coming soon; "A Bell for Adano" helping Goebbels & hurting Patton Propaganda, Craftsweld Flying bomb sites moving; desperate propaganda trying to split Allies; German fronts weakening "A Bell for Adano" Weather; general chat; candy & fruitcake not wanted Rommel's mistakes; war critics Mulberries' effect on invasion Present: silver tea kettle New flying bomb tactics; Tojo's ouster; attempt on Hitler; feelings about Hitler Family; Hitler; attack on freedom Views on FDR's 4th term; '36 trip on "Exeter" ME chit-chat; H. Laski's book Flying bomb close by Armed Services editions of his books; German problems on the Eastern Front German radio; propaganda lies; Lady Gowers; General McNair killed LBE injury; no future war with Russia Life in London dull; Lunts; Bradley on the move; the far shore again for EE? Made stove for tea Life in London; Buckingham Palace w/o window glass Patton taking the field To Far Shore again? Mulberries revealed & their importance in supplying the troops & making the Invasion "stick" - EE went over on one Politics - will FDR be a perpetual leader?; democracy; war progress in Brittany Patton blitzkreig; Hitler shooting generals; views on going after Nazis if they should flee "Torpedo Junction" book Propaganda campaign causing rift among allies Military tactical mistakes by the Germans Patton's successes in France & German errors LBE gets to ME; family; making tea with a lamp ESU; BBC vs. US radio programs Draft evasion?; war progress; propaganda; de Gaulle's army Bomb damage on Fleet Street; humor; Mary's car Nazis about to retreat; ME Nice assault begins; Patton is revealed as in command of the Third Army Curtain coming down on Rommel; radio Berlin and Axis Sally; Vichy LBE's accidents; no work since 7/4; won't become a British citizen; view on "indispensable" leaders; Moon's death; Patton's progress; German mistakes LBE's g-gmom; Vichy fleeing; Capt. Ives killed; going after "terrorists"!! Frustration over waiting for his job that he was sent over for to begin Rain; war results in France; bomb damage nearby War success; propaganda; are Germans dumb: how can they believe all Goebbels' propaganda? Bad weather; flying bombs; love Paris free; Marseilles captured;German war effort crumbling rapidly Westminster Abbey bells ring for liberation of Paris; Goebbels' propaganda changes; war strategy Family stuff; casualty ratios; Harry Kemp's book on communists V-2 bombs launched?; Ned Benson (my dad) Ready to go home; record for no flying bombs; English go to beaches; Selfridge's breaks out allied flags Strategy in France; effect of bombs; evacuation; future trips with Lucy Nazis collapsing; good analysis of Goebbels' tactics; end will be different than 1918; grapes @ $2 a pound Emlyn Williams' broadcast Fewer flying bombs; forces advance quickly in France; German 7th Army crushed & 15th coming to cover them Patton's strategy; killing of Jews Bradley, Patton & Montgomery's progress; Montgomery made Field Marshal Job prospects; ME house; Pope's broadcast; "Invasion Calling;" victories; military songs Adm. Irish:possible promotion; Oradour massacre;V-1 fading; "people's army;" Goebbel's propaganda machine Brit. edition of Capt Paul; importance of the artificial harbors; war progress; hates peacetime salvage Belgium entered; Finland withdraws from war; death of von Kluge Chandler & Drew Pearson trying to cause trouble between Allies; Brussels is freed Sees Ned Benson at his camp Flat tires; short war vs. Bulgaria; no war criminals in some countries; propaganda; Germany looking for "political decision;" false armistice Bad car ride; blackout lifting; flying bomb defense tactics released; German radio using scare tactics about occupied countries' conditions OK to use oil in Westfield; no coal: no fog in London; sees Ned Benson End of the flying bombs; reason for evacuation of London; Germany encircled; the end is near; planes over Germany Amery's vicious statement for the Nazis; sunny day; doing ironing; Model is C-in-C in the west Next job was to be Brittany, but probably won't go as the war has moved to the east Le Havre falls & its value; view of FDR as a perpetual candidate Air raids over Germany; Goebbels' new tone & no talk of V1 & V2 or invasion Lucy's mother fractures hip; evacuees coming back; opinion of Bullitt; who are we fighting?; helping our enemies EE has a cold; bombing German cities; progress against Siegfried Line & the Philippines; view of Russian neutrality Sees Richard III; Ned Benson goes to France; Siegfried Line is crossed;more flying bombs Airborne lands in Holland; blackout ends; sympathisers; von Rundstedt is back Benson letter; blackout ends but not much changes; flying bomb hits Lost laundry; importance of airborne assault EE chides LBE for driving in a hurricane; LBE's mother; Brest falls Good view of flying bomb; bombs coming from new direction; ultra-violet & infra-red treatment for cold LBE's parents' health; trip ME to NJ Orders to go home coming Sent cable about going home; cryptic message about a ship; last letter |