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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations

 

Cablegram Sent      August 23, 1917

 

To   Opnav    Washington                Serial No. 326

Via       N C B D

Sent 21 Aug 9 p.m.    Initials P.F.G.1 File No. 55-3-1

Copies to: C of S; J V B; Blakeslee.2

From Commander Naval Forces European Waters

To Chief of Naval Operations.

326. Reference operations letters number nineteen and twenty six comma, an allied radio and signal conference is being arranged to be held during Admiral Mayo’s3 visit period. To provide for future demands of administration and operation of communications between Department and Force Commander and Force Commander and the several units and bases under his command comma, it is considered that personnel as follows should be sent here at once for instruction preliminary to establishing communication offices at London, Paris, Bordeaux Brest, St. Nazaire, Queenstown and Gibraltar quote two communication officers comma, four electricians radio proficient in continental Morse comma, four experienced yeoman period. Lieutenant Blakeslee comma, communication officer suggests the following quote Lieutenant junior grade E. F. Whorton, U.S.N.R.F., Ensign C. A. Scott, U.S.N.R.F. comma, on duty First Naval District and chief electricians radio T. F. Millea comma, W. J. Stanton comma W. C. Cole, comma and B. J. Shimeall period 20021,4

Sims.

Source Note: Cy, RG 45, Entry 517B. There is a notation in the top left-hand corner: “Action Copy.”

Footnote 1: This person has not been identified.

Footnote 2: “C of S” is Sims’ Chief of Staff Capt. Nathan C. Twining; “JVB” is Sims’ aide Cmdr. John V. Babcock; “Blakeslee” is Lt. Cmdr. Edward G. Blakeslee. the head of the Communications Section on Sims' staff.

Footnote 3: Adm. Henry T. Mayo, Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet.

Footnote 4: In a letter to the British Admiralty on 30 August, Sims mentioned a conference he held with British Post Office officials about direct telegraph access for his London headquarters. See: Sims to William Graham Greene, 30 August 1917.