Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to Vice Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly, Commander, Southern Ireland, 9/22/1917

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Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to Vice Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly, Commander, Southern Ireland

[Extract]

September 22nd. 1917.

My dear Admiral,

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 14th. as this was written on the day I left London for France, I received it only upon my return to the office this morning.1

. . . . During my absence in France I visited Brest, St.Nazaire, Bordeaux and inspected the installations in those ports , and I am glad to say that everything seems to be going very satisfactorily.2

I am returning herewith the letter from Bishop Brown which I have read with much interest. I have no doubt the good Bishop will be able to correct the impression caused by his hot headed subordinate. I hope the unfortunate incident to which he refers will be settled to the satisfaction of all parties concerned. . . .3

Source Note: TLS, DLC-MSS, William Sims Papers, Box 47.

Footnote 1: Bayly’s letter has not been found.

Footnote 2: Sims had recently accompanied Adm. Henry T. Mayo, COmmander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet, to France.

Footnote 3: Robert Browne, Bishop of Cloyne, Ireland, which included Queenstown. For more on the incidents referred to here, see: Sims to Josephus Daniels, 15 September 1917.

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