Dwight D. Eisenhower Library Oral History Collection. 1962 - 1998. Oral History Transcripts. 1962 - 1998. Oral History Interviews with Charles L. Bolte

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Dwight D. Eisenhower Library Oral History Collection. 1962 - 1998. Oral History Transcripts. 1962 - 1998. Oral History Interviews with Charles L. Bolte

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/648697

This is a transcript of three oral history interviews of General Charles L. Bolte. The first interview began with a discussion of Bolte's early military career. He focused on the value of military training and education and mentioned the infantry school at Fort Benning and the Army War College. During the remainder of the interview Bolte talked about his work in the early years of World War II with the U.S. Special Observers (SPOBS) in England. He mentioned the problems in communication, the use of cipher machines, and the problems in coordinating the U.S. and British forces. He ended the interview with a discussion of the arrival of General Dwight D. Eisenhower and the early plans for a cross-channel invasion that would become Operation Overlord. The second interview continued with more observations on SPOBS. He moved on to the U.S. assistance with British defenses which allowed Britain to concentrate on plans for the North Africa campaign. He mentioned the lack of resources to carry out a cross-channel attack. Bolte also described his inspections of defenses in Scotland and Northern Ireland. This interview ended with the development of a chain of command for U.S. troops in England and the arrival of Eisenhower. The last interview began with another discussion of SPOBS. Bolte also discussed U.S-British attitudes and social relations and mentioned Eisenhower's irritation with social functions. He again mentioned the lack of resources for a cross-channel attack before moving on to a discussion of the build-up of U.S. troops prior to Operation Torch in North Africa. He ended by emphasizing the importance of the SPOBS work in preparation for the later war effort and mentioned his post-war contacts with Eisenhower. Individuals mentioned in the interviews included Charles H. Gerhardt, John Clifford Hodges Lee, Mark W. Clark, Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold, George C. Marshall, Clare Boothe Luce, James E. Chaney, Kay Summersby, and Lord Mountbatten. There is specific mention of a few military units including the 91st, 69th, and 34th Infantry Divisions.

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Dwight D. Eisenhower Library

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SNAC Resource ID: 6496176

Dwight D. Eisenhower Library

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There are 8 Entities related to this resource.

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