I
n his seminal article Is Strategy an Illusion? Richard
Betts opined: “strategy is a series of relationships.”^1
Effective relationships, like strategy, are built and
conducted over significant periods of time. Winston
Churchill certainly believed this; he considered that sta-
bility in the American and British Chiefs of Staff (COS)
during the Second World War provided “an inestimable
advantage for all.”^2 Following the appointment of Gener-
al Sir Alan Brooke as Chief of the Imperial General Staff
(CIGS) in early 1941, the lone replacement on the British
COS Committee for the remainder of the war was due to
the death of First Sea Lord Sir Dudley Pound in 1943.
The longest-serving of all the military chiefs during
the war was Sir Charles “Peter” Portal, leader of the RoyalAir Force for more than five years. Nevertheless, Portal
remains largely unknown, even within his former service.
Study of him has been extremely limited because he was
uncontroversial and kept no wartime diaries. Yet Portal’s
detailed organizational knowledge, his patient and logical
disposition, and his grand strategic outlook enabled him
to forge a remarkably important relationship with Prime
Minister Churchill that proved crucial to the British war
effort.Rising StarP
ortal’s appointment, at only forty-seven years old,
was inevitable as “the accepted star of the RAF.”^3
A decorated commander in the First World War,Churchill and Portal:
A Strategic Relationship
By Rich Milburn
I
n hisseminalarticleIs Strategyan Illusion?Richard
Betts opined:“strategy isa series ofrelationships.”^1
Effective relationships, like strategy, are built and
conducted over significant periods of time. Winston
Churchillcertainlybelievedthis;heconsideredthatsta-
bilityintheAmericanandBritishChiefsofStaff(COS)
duringtheSecondWorldWarprovided“aninestimable
advantageforall.”^2 FollowingtheappointmentofGener-
alSirAlanBrookeasChiefoftheImperialGeneralStaff
(CIGS)inearly1941,thelonereplacementontheBritish
COSCommitteefortheremainderofthewarwasdueto
thedeathofFirstSeaLordSirDudleyPoundin1943.
The longest-serving of all the military chiefs during
the war was Sir Charles “Peter” Portal, leader of the RoyalAir Force for more than five years. Nevertheless, Portal
remains largely unknown, even within his former service.
Study of him has been extremely limited because he was
uncontroversial and kept no wartime diaries. Yet Portal’s
detailed organizational knowledge, his patient and logical
disposition, and his grand strategic outlook enabled him
to forge a remarkably important relationship with Prime
Minister Churchill that proved crucial to the British war
effort.Rising StarP
ortal’s appointment, at only forty-seven years old,
was inevitable as “the accepted star of the RAF.”^3
A decorated commander in the First World War,A Strategic Relationship
By Rich Milburn