Fuel Controller?
The debacle at Arnhem meant the war would not be over by Christmas. Arriving back in the UK from America at the beginning of December, Edgar Whitehead reported, as ordered, to the WO.
But they had no position for him momentarily so he was granted leave. After visiting all accessible members of his family, and making contact with Rhodesian friends, mostly RAF, Edgar retired to a hotel in Sussex to draft additional sections on the economic policy for post-war Rhodesia. He had picked up a lot of new ideas in the USA.
One of the lessons he had learned was the importance of speed in economic action. He was working in particular on the problems of the rapid resettlement of Rhodesia's ex-servicemen to clear the way for large scale immigration as soon as possible after the war. He had seen the mass-unemployment and distress of the returned soldiers after WWI and was determined this should not happen in Rhodesia.
He went to London fairly frequently and showed his work to many Rhodesians including Harwicke Holderness, one of Rhodesia's most famous bomber pilots who after the war was one of the MP's supporting Garfield Todd. He criticized Edgar's work for insufficient emphasis on the political and educational advance of the African. Edgar pointed out it was vital to raise the wealth of Rhodesia first to have the resources to expand educational, health and other services for the African people.
The last week in February Edgar was suddenly summoned to the WO. There the Major General interviewed him and disclosed his appointment to SHEAF (Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force) with a Lieutenant Colonel's rank as Fuel Controller of Norway.
"It's believed Hitler might make his last stand there and Norway's recapture is being planned. Your job is to form a fuel-distribution unit in Aberdeen and be responsible for coal supply to Norwegian harbors, railways and civilian users.
"General Browning of the Airborne will be in Command of the Expeditionary Force, but you'll be directly responsible to SHEAF. Do not let the Army Commander have any coal. Would you like to comment?"
"Sir, I know nothing about fuel!"
"We never appoint Commanders with specialist knowledge. The last time we made this mistake the Officer got away with a hundred thousand pounds. You will be given two technical Majors, who know all about it. We have looked up your record and decided you are the best man to administer this."
"I know General Brownings reputation from the Battle of Arnhem and doubt my ability to withhold coal from him."
"If General Browning tries to take coal from you, you will report immediately to General Eisenhower in Paris."
"Sir, how long do you expect me to last in these circumstances?"
"If you last six months you'll have done damn well. Don't you want to see your farm in Rhodesia again?"
"Yes Sir, but not by that route."
"Can't you see, Whitehead, its impossible to appoint a Regular Officer to this post; he might have to serve under General Browning after the war."
"I understand, but..."
"Don't look so worried. There isn't any bloody fuel anyway!"
Edgar departed to get SHEAF flashes sown onto his battledress and the usual inoculations on going to a new unit. He expected to leave for Aberdeen at any moment.
But just then, Huggins arrived in London...
The historical novel Whitewashed Jacarandas and its sequel Full of Possibilities are both available on Amazon as paperbacks and eBooks.
These books are inspired by Diana's family's experiences in small town Southern Rhodesia after WWII.
Dr. Sunny Rubenstein and his Gentile wife, Mavourneen, along with various town characters lay bare the racial arrogance of the times, paternalistic idealism, Zionist fervor and anti-Semitism, the proper place of a wife, modernization versus hard-won ways of doing things, and treatment of endemic disease versus investment in public health. It's a roller coaster read.
References:
- Sir Edgar Whitehead's Unpublished Memoirs, Rhodes House, Bodleian Library, Oxford University, by permission.
- Photo credit: Mine of Information, National Mining Museum.
