PLANNING AND PREPARATION continued...

...At the Washington Conference in January 1942 the two World Leaders established a “Germany First” policy and jointly agreed to form the Combined Chiefs of Staff to
co-ordinate Allied War Planning. The Atlantic Bridge was formed as war material and troops were poured into the Port of Liverpool where the Western Approaches Command was based.

The luxury Cunard Liner, the Queen Mary, was
requisitioned for conversion as a troopship along with her Sister ship the Queen Elizabeth. Painted in Battleship Grey and making most advantage of their extraordinary 29 knot cruising speed, the two ships
became affectionately known as ”the Grey Ghosts”.

During the course of the War, the Queen Mary successfully carried nearly 1 million men across a total of 650,000 miles. Among the American divisions being prepared for the eventual Second Front was the 1st Infantry Division, most of whose members hailed from New York and New England.

The “Big Red One” was considered by many to be America's premier Army Division. In early August 1942, the entire 1st Infantry Division of over 16,000 men was crammed aboard the converted Queen Mary, and shipped from New York to Scotland, and from there by rail into southern England for more training.

Repeated many times, this massive transport effort turned Britain into a huge military camp as preparations for D-Day were made all over the Country. Training was extensive, with mock landings carried out in Scotland and the West Country. Decoy bases and depots were constructed in the South East of England to indicate preparations taking place at Dover.

The civilian population joined in with their valiant contributions. Women took on traditional men’s roles, becoming welders and technicians in munitions factories all round the Kingdom. Land Army girls worked on farms helping to overcome shortage of agricultural workers, and the Merchant Navy ran the U-Boat gauntlet to bring vital provisions into the island fortress...