| Original caption: “Patton, Marshall, and Arnold.” In front of the Hotel Anfa-Supérieur (the participants called it “Anfa camp”), the venue for the Casablanca Conference, from right to left: United States Army Major General George S. Patton (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945), Commander of I Armored Corps; United Kingdom Royal Army Field Marshal Sir John G. Dill (December 25, 1881 – November 4, 1944), Senior British Representative on the Combined Chiefs of Staff; United States Army General George C. Marshall (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959), Chief of Staff; and United States Army Air Force Lieutenant General Henry H. “Hap” Arnold (June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950), Chief of the Air Corps. Patton’s Headquarters for Operation Torch and the Casablanca Conference was the suite “Villa Mas,” Villa Mas was in Hôtel Miramar, the most luxurious residence in Anfa Supérieur, Casablanca’s most exclusive neighborhood. It was the home of Pierre Mas (December 8, 1891 – December 8, 1970), wealthy publisher of Le Petit Marocain and other Moroccan newspapers. The villa’s previous tenant was Generalleutnant der Luftwaffe Heinz-Hellmuth von Wühlisch (September 30, 1892 – September 20, 1947), Kommandant des Kontroll Inspektion Nordafrika (“Commander of Armistice Inspection North Africa”), so it was only fitting that Patton had commandeered it during Torch. Not without humor, Patton appeared at the Anfa reception room, revolver at his waist and, on his head, the colonial helmet adorned with a golden Germanic eagle that belonged to von Wühlisch himself: “I should wear this for our entry into Berlin!” The Americans also seized a Nazi standard: it would be the 1st Reich flag seized by the United States Army during World War II. Von Wühlisch, appointed military commander in Holland, was arrested by the Netherlander police and incarcerated from May 8, 1945, until he committed suicide in 1947. Patton wasn’t present at the Combined Chiefs of Staff Conferences that started on January 14, 1943; Marshall, Dill, and Arnold, among others, “outlined the broad problem facing the Combined Chiefs of Staff as the allocation of resources between the two major theaters of war — the Atlantic (which included for these purposes the Mediterranean) and the Pacific. He suggested as a concept on which to that this brand allocation should consist of seventy percent in the Atlantic theatre and thirty percent in the Pacific theatre.” Patton called on United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt (January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945) for the 1st time during the conference on February 17, 1943, with French Army General Charles A. Noguès (August 13, 1876 – April 20, 1971), Résident Général de France au Maroc (“Resident General of French Morocco”) whom he praised for good cooperation with Allied forces. Noguès received the last call from von Wühlisch before he fled to Spanish Morocco. (Noguès was sentenced to 20 years for treason in 1947, but released upon return to France in 1954.) Patton’s I Armored Corps provided logistical support for the conference, and were thanked for their efforts by the British at the conclusion on January 24. But despite Patton’s support, eventually the Vichy French were freed from prison at General Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower’s (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) insistence. Patton felt they neither had numbers nor political control to run French Morocco, so he left Noguès’s administration in place. It is unclear from the records when these 4 men decided to have this photo taken. Every night, practically, was a dinner party, either at Villa Mas, the Hotel Anfa, or both. The notes specifically lament the absence of alcohol at lunch or dinner, and Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) representatives are ordered to attend the parties on at least 1 occasion. President Roosevelt and United Kingdom Winston S. Churchill (November 30, 1874 – January 24, 1965) held a joint press conference at 1215 Hours on January 24, 1943, the last day of the conference. About 50 journalists attended. Roosevelt pronounces his “unconditional surrender” policy. It’s possible this photo was taken at the press conference, but it looks like it was taken at the evening light at 1 of the dinner parties, most likely January 18, when Patton hosted a dinner party at Villa Mas for Harry Hopkins (August 17, 1890 – January 29, 1946) while Roosevelt dined with his sons at his villa, “Dar Es Saada.” Chief Photographer’s Mate Arthur C. Black (September 23, 1912 – July 4, 1976) traveled with President Roosevelt’s party and took many of the photos of the Casablanca Conference proceedings. He enlisted in the United States Navy on November 17, 1933, and commissioned as a Lieutenant on September 15, 1943. He photographed World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. He retired on January 1, 1964, and was promoted to Commander. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0630.jpg |
| Image Size | 571.70 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2932 x 2380 |
| Photographer | Arthur C. Black |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | January 18, 1943 |
| Location | |
| City | Casablanca |
| State or Province | Casablanca |
| Country | Morocco |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NLR-PHOCO-A-4822258 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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