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Octagon Conference
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
ww2dbaseThe second Anglo-American Quebec conference saw a major disagreement between Winston Churchill and Ernest King regarding the British return to the Pacific. A year ago, the Americans had pressured for British presence in the Pacific, but Churchill offered limited assistance due to British aims to settle the European conflict before committing deeper against Japan. Now, with Germany starting to become pinned down, British reinforcements to the Pacific became unwanted. Churchill had political reasons for becoming involved in the Pacific, aiming to reclaim the vast territories the British Empire had lost to Japan. Admiral King did not wish to be seen assisting an European colonial power, especially now when the US Navy had already controlled the Pacific Ocean and could maintain control without British reinforcements. Churchill was started to feel irritated that he had offered the British fleet to help only to be rejected when Roosevelt stepped in to mediate.
ww2dbaseIn the end, to King's dismay Roosevelt accepted the British fleet's help in the Pacific, but the American president also rejected British request that British zone be established with a British commander. Therefore, the greatest concentration of British naval strength with four fleet carriers and two battleships, with a full compliment of cruisers, destroyers, and various support ships, became the United States Navy's Pacific Fleet Task Force 57.
Last Major Update: Dec 2006
Octagon Conference Interactive Map
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Octagon Conference Timeline
15 Sep 1944 | Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill signed a secret agreement, granting Joseph Stalin's demands for Sakhalin Island, Kurile Islands, and a portion of Korea in return for a Soviet declaration of war on Japan. |
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Visitor Submitted Comments
15 Jun 2014 05:42:15 AM
My father Hugh Carr was a British Royal Marine, and formed part of Churchill's guard at the Second Conference in Quebec, in 1944. He is now 88 years old and living in Australia.
15 Jan 2016 06:57:37 AM
My uncle John Clark (of Bristol, England) was also a Royal Marine who formed part of the Royal Marine Guard of Honour for Prime Minister Churchill and President Roosevelt at the Quebec Conference in September 1944. I have a photo of the Guard of Honour taken at The Citadel, Quebec. Sadly, my uncle died in 1994.
22 Apr 2017 05:39:31 AM
Hello Stuart Clark, I hope you see my reply. I would love to see a copy of that photo if possible. Are you able to email to me? michael.carr@avant.org.au
All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.
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Winston Churchill, on the RAF
1 Feb 2014 05:21:04 PM
I was an RCAF airman in the guard of honor at the 1944 Quebec conference shown in your photo on the plains of Abraham where the open limos are parked with the ChateauFrontenac is upper left in the photo. I have a signed photo of the guard at Ancienne Lorette during practice. Signed by Eleanor Roosevelt. Sgt Robert White age 89