Beschreibung:

EISENHOWER, Dwight D.] SUMMERSBY, Kathleen, driver, secretary and aide to Eisenhower . Typed transcript of a portion of her personal diary, various places (London, France), 1 June - 31 December 1944. Together 23 pages, folio, minor marginal fraying and tears. EISENHOWER'S HEADQUARTERS, FROM THE NORMANDY INVASION TO THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. A unique record of the crucial last six months of 1944, recording conferences, meetings, important communiques and events on the battlefields, as recorded by Summersby, a close observer at Ike's Headquarters. It begins with the days leading up to the D-Day landings: 2 June 1944: "E. is dining with M[ontgomery] at 8. p.m...A protest submitted by Monty on changes on Air Plan for the afternoon of D. Day...The weather forecast is bad, E. is very depressed...D. Day will have to be postponed." 4 June: "...De Gaulle is very difficult, sees only his point of view..." 5 June: "...E. drives to three airfields to watch the men getting ready to board [the transport planes]...Gen. [Maxwell] Taylor [commander of the 101st Airborne] was about the 1st person to get aboard his ship..." 6 June: "...E. has done everything in his power to ensure success and all he can do now is to wait for reports to come in...8 a.m. a report came in to the effect that the airborne landings were very successful, only 21 lost. The landings on the beaches are going according to schedule, except on Gen. Gerows's beach [Omaha], very heavy artillery fire making landings impossible." (Unfortunately, the page which covers events from December 1 to 27 is not present). Provenance: The Summersby papers (sale, Sotheby's 26 June 1988).