TIMES

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R.D.

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Your message very disappointing – first word I’ve had of any sort since leaving, apart from short wir4eless message filed in evening, which is rationed to 400 words and necessarily rather late since we don’t get a briefing till 5.30, all my pieces have been sent by bag leaving at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to catch courier plane. I cannot control order in which this is censored in London, and all this delay must be at your end (occasionally the aircraft is cancelled for weather). Will now try to get this material censored here before going in bag, but difficulties are great. I’m out all day and night looking for material, the censorship is miles away from house where I’ve dug in, and given any lack of lumiere at night, there’s little enough time for writing. Once I got a long message away by wireless on Signals (don’t know if you ever received it) on my own initiative, but it took 5½ hours to do it. I’ll do my best but would emphasize that initiative must come from your end. It’s pitiful that British correspondents are still rationed to 400 words by wireless, which doesn’t always work, when Americans have direct transmission to New York by Press Wireless. Cross-Channel cable is laid, and there’s no reason why we should not have telephone or up-to-date teleprinter. B.B.C., of course, is getting favoured treatment for broadcasts by army channels. Could you please have a Times posted to me? I never see one. Regards.

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YOUR SERVICE MEMO RECEIVED FULLSTOP REALIZE YOUR DIFFICULTIES TRYING HELP BY PRESSURE THIS SIDE FULLSTOP FOR GUIDANCE OUR FIRST NEED IS FOR PROMPT HALF COLUMN DAILY TRAVERSING YOUR ACTUAL FRONT SUPPORTING AND AMPLIFYING COMMUNIQUE WITH LOCAL COLOUR OF COURSE ALLOWING FOR SPECIAL CLOSEUPS WHEN OPPORTUNE FULLSTOP THANKS FOR EXCELLENT MAQUIS STORY RECEIVED 2045 HOURS FULLSTOP FAMILY SEND LOVE ALL WELL FULLSTOP SENDING PAPERS BEGINNING TOMORROW

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JS ++++K

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We entirely agree with you that our service from Normandy has been largely a failure thanks to sluggishness in transmission and delivery stop We haven’t a word of our own in the paper this morning again stop Every possible opportunity is being used here to press for an improvement stop Please don’t be discouraged and continue filing but importantest you file direct not newyorkwise.

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June 29, 1944

R. Deakin, Foreign News Editor

COMPLIMENT YOU ON SPLENDID EFFORTS STOP EXTREMELY ANXIOUS TO HAVE CONFIRMATION THAT YOURE RECEIVING OUR SERVICE MESSAGES NAMELT THURSDAYS AND TUESDAYS STOP PRESUME YOULL SAFEGUARD YOURSENF HEREAFTER AGAINST TRANSMISSIONS NEWYORKWISE WHICH HAVE NO ADVANTAGE WHATEVER AND ANYWAY OBJECTIONABLE STOP FOR INFORMATION HEATHERINGTON’S SERVICE USWARD ENTIRELY SILENCED BECAUSE HANDLED NEWYORKWISE STOP EVERY EFFORT MUST BE MADE TO ESTABLISH DIRECT TRANSMISSION STOP YOURS FROM HEADQUARTERS TUESDAY EVENING WAS SUCCESS PROMPT BEST THANKS ACKNOWLEDGE

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Will do best comply, but so far rarely see the day’s communique. All dispatches now censored in field and continued delay delivery thanks its worth ascertaining that promise is being kept not submit such dispatches to farther scrutiny by Shaef.

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If any these dispatches are appearing in the times it is in spite of public relations service that must be one most inept tone operated in any theatre war stop Correspondents are called for many miles from their sectors to wait hours for conferences that never take place and are regimented with an officialness that comes straight out of pantomime stop service stop thanks for your messages which eyeve noted stop eye filed newyorkwise because was led believe twas only possible means reaching you with some description fall cherbourg but wont use route in future stop cooper end

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