The Army Air Forces in World War II, Vol. 1 (archived PDF)

T H E A R M Y A I R F O R C E S I N W O R L D W A R I 1
devices. Leaders of the AAF were fortunate in the opportunity to
base their major effort in one of the highly industrialized countries
of the world, for the British were in a position to render a variety of
substantial services that would hasten greatly the Eighth's entry into
operations. Fortunately, too, there had been opportunities before
Pearl Harbor to consider with British leaders some of the particular
problems to be faced, and to agree tentatively on an approach to their
solution.
The RAF had operated with American-built aircraft long before
America's entrance into the war. American-built Catalinas had played
a prominent part in the North Atlantic search for the battleship Bis-
marck in May 1941;P-40's had fought against the Italians and Ger-
mans in Africa; and RAF Turbinlite night fighter squadrons and some
bomber squadrons had been equipped with the American A-20 dur-
ing 1941. Subsequent to the adoption of lend-lease in March of 1941,
the RAF pool of American-built aircraft had been increased to such
proportions that maintenance of the aircraft became a problem of
special concern to the British. T o render assistance in this matter,
and a t the same time to extract valuable information from the experi-
ence of the RAF in the use of our equipment, a small number of
American maintenance personnel was present in the United Kingdom
as early as June 1 9 4 1 . ~ ~The following month, Prime Minister
Churchill in conference with Messrs. Harry Hopkins and Averell
Harriman requested that this assistance be greatly e~panded.'~
In accordance with War Department instructions, the AAF in
August sent Maj. Gen. George H. Brett, Chief of the Air Corps, to
England for study of the problem. Specifically, he was instructed to
study British needs and to recommend such action as the Americans
might take under a general plan to provide civilian personnel who
could be spared without serious interference with American produc-
tion."' The scope of his inquiries was broadened in September to
include British needs in the Middle East;'"' and was still further
extended by a request from SPOBS that in any consideration of
facilities to be provided he bear in mind the needs of an American
force much larger than that specified in RAINBOW No. 5 . Through
Brig. Gen. Joseph T. McNarney it was indicated that SPOBS already
had under consideration the establishment of a depot for the repair
of American-built aircraft a t Langford Lodge in Northern Ireland.lo2
At the end of October, General Brett submitted his report to
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