The 1st March arrived and the family boarded the RMS Olympia for the six-day voyage departing from New York.
The family enjoyed the first class voyage, the parents relaxing in the lounge while the children played with the new friends they had made.
The Olympia was regarded as the finest passenger ship afloat; consequently the voyage went without incident and the ship berthed at London Docks on 7th March.
Joe, his wife and children were greeted by a Lieutenant attached to the Embassy and after they passed through immigration and customs they were driven to their new home in Richmond Park. London intrigued them all; they passed Buckingham Palace and saw Big Ben in the distance. All these sights would become very familiar to them over the coming two years.
The Dohertys soon settled into the London way of life, visiting London monuments and the many museums and art galleries dominated the first three months.
Joe also settled into his new role as Naval Attaché meeting his British, French and German counterparts. It became obvious to him that the European major powers were ramping up their arsenals. He submitted a report to Washington once a month.
May 1st 1910
Confidential Report to Rear Admiral Eugene Leutze
Dear Sir,
It has become very clear that the British and German navies are competing in a significant navy arms race.
The British, as you are aware, have recently launched the Dreadnought class Battleship.
HMS Dreadnought: 17,900 tons; 526 feet in length; ten 12 inch guns, eighteen 4
inch guns, five torpedo tubes; maximum belt armour 11 inches; top speed 21.6 knots.
I was able to take this photo recently.
My intelligence tells me they intend to build eight more Dreadnoughts over the next two years. The German navy is trying to match the British firepower by building their own Dreadnought class Battleships.
Both countries seem to be following the theory of Alfred Mayan: He who controls the oceans controls the world.
I have established the relative numbers to date by both sides.
I believe these numbers will increase substantially over the next few years.
This battleship race will obviously impact our own construction plans. I await your instructions.
Yours truly,
Captain Joseph Doherty
Lucy had settled into the London way of life although all her friends were American. They would meet for tea once a week and played Gin Rummy every Friday. She was rather hoping she would meet some nice English ladies but had not really had the opportunity to establish friendships as yet. Jack and Julie had settled into their new schools - Jack was even playing cricket, a sport he had never heard of, let alone played before.
The house the Government provided was a three-story terrace, which kept everybody fit with continually going up and down the stairs.
One Thursday morning Lucy went out to the letterbox to see if they had received any mail, not that they received much, just the odd letter from home and a few bills.
She noticed a letter with the British Royal Family crest and hurried back inside and opened the envelope.
BY THE KING’S COMMAND
A Reception
Will be held by
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS KING GEORGE
And
The Queen Consort
In the garden of Buckingham Palace
Wednesday, 29th July 1911, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Admit Captain Joseph Doherty and Mrs L Doherty
At the Grand Entrance, at the Grosvenor Gardens Gate, or the Constitution Hill Gate.
Lucy could not believe her eyes - they were going to meet the King and Queen of England! They were going to Buckingham Palace, the magnificent palace they drove past almost every day.
The time was four o’clock; Joe would be home at six. She would have to contain her excitement until he got home from the Embassy.
The time went slowly as she tried to busy herself, getting the evening meal together and doing some ironing. The children couldn’t understand their mother’s mood but she decided Joe should be informed first, then Jack and Julie.
At last she heard the Embassy car drop off her husband. He opened the front door to find Lucy in a great state of excitement.
‘What’s going on, Darling?’
‘Joe, we have received an invitation to a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. We are going to meet the King and Queen … can you imagine?’
‘Darling that’s wonderful, but I don’t think you should get your hopes up too high. There will probably be a couple of hundred people there with similar aspirations to us.’
‘I don’t care! The fact that we are invited is something very special, and you never know - we may meet the monarchs. I have to start thinking about what I should wear. Of course I’ll have to buy a new outfit. You’ll be okay I expect, you will be wearing your uniform.’
Joe just listened and agreed with his very excited wife.
‘This will do her the world of good,’ he thought.
He had heard from Admiral Leutze that day and that’s what preoccupied his thoughts. Joe retired into his study with a glass of single malt and thought about the Admiral’s directive.
He accepted Joe’s report as accurate and unbiased; he now wanted Joe to clandestinely determine all troop and weapons build-up of all the major powers, including Russia. The President was concerned that a major war was not far away.
Joe had been allocated a significant budget to pay officers of all sides to divulge state secrets. He had never thought of himself as a spy but that’s what he had been ordered to become.
