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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 October 2009
Sunday 1 January 7–30 pm. After some work and a bite of lunch I took a taxicab for fleet Street, calling en route at the Press Association Offices, at the Central News and the Exchange Telegraph, to see that Cecil Harmsworth has a good show in tomorrow's Press when his Peerage is announced. At the D.M. office I found Bob Prew by himself and congratulated him on being, even against his will, the acting editor of the Daily Mail. While we waited for the honours list he told me the inside story of the ‘sackings’ of Cranfield and Head and the resignation of Roberts, the Night Editor. It seems that Cranfield was away on holiday. The day before his return Esmond Harmsworth and Bell drafted a careful letter which they sent to Cranfield's flat, telling him to take six months holiday and saying they would announce his health was indifferent. But Cranfield came straight from the aerodrome to the office, to Bell's extreme embarrassment. Esmond was in Scotland and Bell didn't know if the letter had been sent. The next day and the next Cranfield appeared as usual. One night he and Prew arranged to go to their respective flats for dinner, before the proofs came down of the first edition. Prew then had a ring from Cranfield saying that they had both better return together as news had come that Neville was flying to Berchtesgaden the next day. Prew suggested that he would wait outside his own flat till Cranfield picked him up in the office car. He waited and to his surprise the car was driving past him. He attracted the driver's attention and climbed in. Cranfield was huddled in a corner. Prew began to report that by phone he had told them to be ready to open the leader page, had got a leaderwriter waiting, and so on. To all this Cranfield made no response.
1 Robert ‘Bob’ Prew: Ass. & then Ed. Daily Mail, 1939–1944.Google Scholar
2 R.E. Roberts (1879–1955); journalist; Literary Ed. New Statesman 1930–1932Google Scholar; Night Ed. Daily Mail.
3 Gordon Beckles (1901–54): journalist; staff of Daily Express 1928–1938Google Scholar; Ass. Ed. Daily Mail.
4 S. Horniblow: journalist, Daily Mail staff, Ed. 1944–1947.Google Scholar
5 Rothermere, ViscountWarnings and Predictions (London: Eyre and Spottiwoode, 1939).Google Scholar
6 Almeric Hugh Paget (1861–1949): Con. MP Cambridge 1910–17; whip 1911–17; Pres. National Union of Con. & Unionist Associations 1928–9, 1940–1; Dir. of several large companies; cr. Baron Queenborough 1918.
7 Lady Diana Cooper: wife of Duff Cooper, socialite & beauty, d. of 8th Duke of Rutland.
8 The Economics of Human Happiness (London: Routledge, 1933).Google Scholar
9 Cyril Edwin Mitchinson Joad (1891–1953): civil servant until 1930; then writer, teacher & popular philosopher; later a member of BBC's Brain's Trust along with Brooks.
10 Frank Whitaker (?1895–1962): Ed. John O'London's Weekly 1928–1936Google Scholar; Ed. County Life 1940–1958.Google Scholar
11 George Richard James Hennessy (1877–1953): Con. MP Winchester 1918–31; PPS, Min. of Lab. 1920–2; Jnr. Ld. of Treasury 1922–44; Vice-Chm., Con. Party 1931–41; cr. 1st Bart. 1927, cr. Baron Windlesham, 1937.
12 (Alfred) Ernle Montacute Chatfield (1873–1967): entered Navy 1886, Rear-Adm. 1920, Vice-Adm. 1930, Adm. 1935; 4th Sea Ld. 1919–20; 3rd Sea Ld. 1925–8; C. in C. Atlantic 1929–31, Mediterranean 1931–2; 1st Sea Ld. 1933–38; Min. for Co-ordination of Defence 1938–40; kt. 1918, er. Baron Chatfield 1937.
13 Reginald Hugh Dorman Smith (1899–1977): Con. M.P. Petersfield 1935–41; Min. of Agric. 1939–40; Gov., Burma 1941–6; kt. 1937.
14 The Mistery was a ‘masonic’ splinter group. C.B. was a member of both the Grosvenor Kin (which met at Claridges) and the St James Kin. The Mistery's ideal was to recover some of the lost values of older England, and to nuture men of all classes who might be fitted to, or worthy of, leadership.
15 Earl of Farquhar (1844–1923): Lib. Unionist MP Marylebone W. 1895–8; Con. Party Treasurer 1911–23; Ld. Steward 1915–22; cr. 1st Earl 1922.
16 Eamon de Valera (1882–1975): Sinn Fein MP Clare E. 1917–21; member of Dail for Co. Clare 1921–59, Pres, of Dail 1919–22; Pres. Sinn Fein 1917–26; Pres. Fianna Fail 1926–59; Min. for External Affairs 1932–48; Taoiseach 1937–48, 1951–4, 1957–9; Pres, of the Republic of Ireland 1959–73.
17 Charles Bruce-Gardner (1887–1960): Controller of Lab. Allocation & Supply at Min. of Aircraft Prod. 1943–4; Chief Exec, for Ind. Reconstruction at BofT. 1944–5; kt. 1938, cr. 1st Bart. 1945.
18 One of Rothermere's solicitors.
19 Anthony (Perceval) Harmsworth (1907–68): barrister.
20 Professor Frederick Lindemann (1886–1957): experimental pilot; Dir. of Physical Lab., RAF Farnborough 1914; Prof, of Experimental Philosophy, Oxford 1919–56; Personal Ass. to Churchill 1939–42; Paymaster Gen. 1942–5, 1951–3; cr. Baron Cherwell 1941, cr. Viscount 1941.
21 Sir Mayson Beeton (d. 1947): Special Visiting Comm., West Indies for Daily Mail 1896Google Scholar; Pres., Anglo-Newfoundland Development Co. 1903–13; Administrator, Newfoundland Forestry Corps 1915–18; s. of Mrs Beeton, cookery writer.
22 B.G. Catterns (1886–1969): Dep. Gov. of Bank of England 1936–45.
23 Philip Tonstall Fairer (1887–1966): served European war 1914–19; ADC British Military Mission, Albania 1919–20; Priv. Sec., Ld. Pres, of Council 1922–4, to Ld. Privy Seal & Leader of HofL. 1924–9, to 4th Marquess of Salisbury 1929–39.
24 Eric Chaplin (1877–1949): sue. 2nd Viscount 1923.
25 Meaning the King and his immediate entourage. The phrase is a play on words referring to Buckingham Palace.
26 Lord Philimore (1879–1947): co-founder of the Imperial Policy Group, suc. 2nd Baron.
27 George Drummond (1883–1963): banker; Chm. of Drummond's branch, Royal Bank of Scotland; High Sheriff of Northampton 1927; Member House of Keys 1946–51.
28 Mervyn Horation Herbert Clive (1904–43): RAF Squadron Leader; suc. Bart. 1929.
29 Cecil Harmsworth King (1901–87): journalist, Ed. & Dir.; Chm. of Mirror Group; Dir., Reuters 1953–9; Dir. Bank of England 1965–8.
30 H.G. Tibor Eckhardt: Hungarian politican. On first meeting him in Budapest, Brooks noted that ‘he is to Hungary exactly what Winston [Churchill] is to us, a man of great brilliance whose judgement is not trusted, a man who has somehow missed his real chance now and belied his promise’. Journal 23 October 1938.
31 Leslie Burgin (1887–1945): MP Luton 1929–45 (Lib. until 1931 thereafter Nat. Lib.); P.S. Bof T. 1932–7; Min. of Transport 1937–9; Min. of Supply 1939–40.
32 Suffering from a thrombosis — ordered to lay up for 3–4 weeks.
33 Walker-Smith, Derek and Clarke, Edward, The Life of Edward Clarke (London: Butterworth, 1939).Google Scholar
34 Gen. J.S.S.P.V. Gort (1886–1946): career soldier; C-in-C, BFF 1939–40; Chief IGS 1937–9; Gov. & C-in-C Gibraltar 1941–2, Malta 1942–4; High Comm. & C-in-C Palestine & Transjordan 1944–5; suc. 6th Viscount, later Field Marshal.
35 Sir John Anderson (1882–1958): Ind. MP Scottish Universities 1938–50; civil servant 1905–32; Gov. of Bengal 1932–7; Ld. Privy Seal 1938–9; Home Sec. 1939–40; Chanc. of Exchequer 1943–5; cn Viscount Waverley 1952.
36 Gen. Maurice Gamelin (1872–1958): French C-in-C until 20 May 1940.
37 Reference to the letter written in 1916 suggesting the need for a negotiated peace. The author was Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice Lansdowne (1845–1927): Under-Sec, for War 1972–4; Under-Sec, for India 1880; Gov.-Gen. Canada 1883–8; Viceroy of India 1888–94; Sec. of War 1895–1900; For. Sec. 1900–5; Min. without Portfolio 1915–16. suc. 5th Marquess 1866.
38 See Appendix D for ‘draft’.
39 Joseph Stalin (1879–1953): Gen. Sec. of the Central Ctte. of the Soviet Communist Party 1919–53; Chm. of the Council of People's Commissars 1941–6.
40 Queen Wilhelminia (1880–1962): Queen of the Netherlands 1898–1948; suc. Father 1890 with Queen Emma acting as Regent.
41 King Leopold III (b. 1901) Belgian King 1934–51, exiled following German invasion May 1940 but not allowed to return to throne after the war; abdicated in favour of son.
42 Robert Molesworth Kindersley (1871–1954): company dir.; merchant banker; Pres., National Savings Ctte. 1920–46; Dir., Bank of England 1914–46; Senior Rep., Dawes Ctte. 1922; member Bankers' Ctte. on German Finance 1921–5; cr. Baron 1941.
43 The subject of the pamphlet was thrift and it was prepared for the National Savings Committee.
44 W. Buchanan-Taylor: acting publicity director for Twentieth Century-Fox Films until 1940; early 1900s involved with Lyons; Hon. Publicity Adviser, National Savings Ctte. from 1940; post-war publicist for Bertram Mills circus.
45 Capt. Eric U. O'Brian Olyer: Royal Regiment of Artillery. Appointed Personal Assistant to General Gort, 4 September 1939.
46 Geoffrey William Hugh FitzClarence ‘Boy’ Munster (1906–75): Ld.-in-Waiting 1932–8; Paymaster-Gen. 1938–9; PUS for War 1939; ADC & Priv. Sec. to Gen. Gort 1939–40; PUS for India & Burma 1943–4; suc. 5th Earl 1928.
47 R's solicitor/lawyer.
48 His position was Honorary Press (Editorial) Director of National Saving Ctte.
49 Samuel Clement Leslie (1898–1980): lecturer in philosophy 1922–5; Publicity manager, Gas Light and Coke Co. 1936–40; Hon. Publicity Adviser, Nat. Savings Ctte. 1939–40; Home Office 1940–5; Dir., Council of Industrial Design 1945–7; Head of Information Div., Treasury 1959; member Northern Ireland Development Council 1955–65.
50 George Russell Strauss (1901–93): Lab. MP Lambeth N. 1929–31, 1934–50; Lambeth Vauxhall 1950–79; Jnr. Min. 1945–7; Min. of Supply 1947–51, cr. Baron. 1979.