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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 Sir Lewis Bayly, R.N., Commander, Southern Ireland

September 21st.1918.

My dear Admiral,

          This is to inform you that a number of American business men of London have contributed ₺2000 for the Officers Club at Queenstown. This has been placed on deposit in the Farmers Loan and Trust Company to my personal credit, and it is now available for the use intended. Will you therefore please inform me as to what I should do with it.

          I hope the negotiations for acquiring the necessary building for the Club are going along favorably.

          I am looking forward to the pleasure of seeing Pringle here within a few days bound home on a liaison trip.1 He certainly richly deserves a bit of a holiday. I believe we may safely assume that he will be back again on his same duty.

          Yesterday I received from Admiral Mayo2 a personal letter as follows:-

     “After spending sufficient time at the Queenstown Base to see something of each one of the activities covered by United States Naval Forces at that point, I desire to heartily congratulate you and all concerned in carrying on these activities, upon manifestly thorough organization, system, and general efficiency. The spirit and high sense of duty maintained by the entire personnel of these activities is to be congratulated and the harmony and spirit of co-operation maintained between the American and British personnel at that point was most apparent.

     The above remarks may also be applied to our Air Stations on the Irish Coast although due to regrettable difficulties these stations are not yet in full operating condition.”

Very sincerely yours,        

Source Note: Cy, DLC-MSS, William S. Sims Papers, Container 47. Addressed below close: “Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly, R.N./Admiralty House,/Queenstown.”

Footnote 1: Capt. Joel R. Poinsett Pringle, Chief of Staff, Destroyer Flotillas. For more on Pringle’s trip to the U.S., see: Sims to Pringle, 16 September 1918.

Footnote 2: Adm. Henry T. Mayo, Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet. For more on Mayo’s European tour, see: Mayo to Benson, 18 September 1918.