Casablanca Conference

22 
Sunday, 17 January

The first important caller of the day was M. General Charles A. Noguès, Resident General at Rabat, who had been met by Captain McCrea upon arrival at Casablanca. The General was ushered into the President just at noon. General Noguès was accompanied by Major General G. S. Patton Jr., Commanding General First Armored Corps, Brigadier General William H. Wilbur, First Armored Corps, and Mr. Robert D. Murphy, Special Representative of the President on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief North African Forces. Lt. Colonel Elliott Roosevelt was also present during this conference. At 12:45 General Noguès, accompanied by General Patton and Brigadier General Wilbur, withdrew to the Prime Minister’s villa. (Note: Conference notes, made by Captain McCrea, recorded separately),

Following the departure of General Noguès, the Prime Minister called at the President’s villa at 1:30 and remained for luncheon with the President and Mr. Hopkins, taking his departure at 2:50 p.m.

At 3:30 p.m., Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, Commanding General Fifth Army, called on the President, to depart momentarily at four o’clock. At 4:14 p.m., he returned, escorting General Henri Giraud, Commander of the French Armies in North Africa, who had an appointment to confer with the President. The President conferred with General Giraud from 4:20 until 5:30, General Clark, Minister Murphy, and Captain McCrea also being present during this meeting. (Note: Conference notes, made by Captain McCrea, recorded separately).

Upon the termination of the conference, General Giraud, General Clark, and Minister Murphy withdrew to the Prime Minister’s villa.

At eight o’clock in the evening, the Prime Minister, Lord Leathers, Admiral Cunningham, Admiral King, Lt. General Somervell, and Mr. Harriman dined with the President and his household. Following dinner, the main subject of the conversation was “shipping”, lasting until one o’clock in the morning when the President’s dinner guests took their leave.