Personal Narrative Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Software, E-Resource Audio Recording Alexander Standish Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: G-2 (Intelligence) Section, 12th Army Group
- Location of Service: England; Northern France; Normandy; Germany
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/8404
Alexander Standish was old enough to be the father of many GIs he served with-he was 42 when the U.S. entered the war-but his experience and poise proved invaluable in intelligence work. He worked with Generals Eisenhower and Bradley in planning the D-Day invasion and subsequent strategy for taking back Europe from the Nazis. British intelligence was able to decode German messages, whose contents were often passed directly to Standish to relay to Bradley.
Alexander Standish Collection
Interview / Recording
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PlayHow and why he was recruited for intelligence work at the age of 42; assigned to anti-submarine duty in New York City; getting a break: a transfer to North Africa. 00:00:08.7 - 00:07:22.7
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PlayWhy the British were superior in their intelligence gathering; description of how the V-1 missiles worked; intelligence leading to bombing missions against their launching sites. 00:09:28.0 - 00:14:12.1
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PlayEisenhower's instructions to Standish on intelligence gathering as it might affect the Normandy invasion; in praise of Ike's management skills. 00:15:21.5 - 00:17:28.5
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PlayGetting briefed by Churchill on the British code-breaking activities at Bletchley Park; Churchill's ultimatum on revealing the secrets; passing on the decoded messages to Omar Bradley. 00:18:08.8 - 00:22:22.0
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PlayFinding out about German poison gas shipments to the western front; seeing a message threatening retaliation if the gas were to be used. 00:23:05.3 - 00:25:05.3
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PlayTwo weeks before the Battle of the Bulge, Germans stopped using radios altogether, perhaps suspecting that their codes had been broken. 00:25:44.2 - 00:26:59.2
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PlayDeception plans to decoy the Germans in advance of D-Day; landing after D-Day; halted by Germans until Patton's troops arrived; plan of attack on the German army. 00:34:41.8 - 00:39:30.8
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PlayMaking his way to Paris (against orders) just before it was officially liberated; seeing a mob kill a Nazi; briefing Eisenhower on conditions; congratulated on his ingenuity. 00:41:46.4 - 00:47:02.8
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PlayComparing the leadership styles of Eisenhower, Bradley, and Patton. 00:48:40.0 - 00:58:28.4
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PlayHis worst moment of the war, during the Battle of Bastogne: recommending shelling that killed 68 civilians. 01:28:01.0 - 01:30:51.0
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PlayThe spirit and cooperation of the British civilians under trying circumstances; bad behavior by American GIs stationed there. 01:42:40.0 - 01:45:28.0
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About this Item
Title
- Alexander Standish Collection
Names
- Standish, Alexander
- Thurnberg, Jon C.
- Thunberg, Jon C.
Headings
- - Standish, Alexander
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Army.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Race
- White
Status
- veteran
Service History
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World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: G-2 (Intelligence) Section, 12th Army Group
- Location of Service: England; Northern France; Normandy; Germany
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Dates of Service: 1942-1945
- Military Status: veteran
- Service History Note: The veteran was chief, Intelligence Branch under 12th Army Group Commander Omar Bradley. His responsibilities included interpreting the Ultra intercepts, which were secret Nazi military and diplomatic cables.
Materials
- Audio: CD [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 1981-12; 1994-12-31)
- Audio: CD [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 1981-12; 1994-12-31)
- Manuscript: Correspondence [14 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 1943-1945)
- Manuscript: Memoirs [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 1979)
- Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Electronic file of manuscript (collected 2006-04; 2002)
- Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [48 items] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected unknown)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/8404
Cite as
- Alexander Standish Collection (AFC/2001/001/8404), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- audio
- image