 On 5 April 1944 , Blamey departed for San Francisco on board SS <unk> for the first leg of a voyage to attend the 1944 Commonwealth Prime Ministers ' Conference in London as part of Curtin 's party . The journey was made by sea and rail due to Curtin 's fear of flying . Also on board the ship were American military personnel returning to the United States , and some 40 Australian war brides . Blamey " was always attractive to women and attracted by them . Advancing years had not reduced either his taste for amorous adventures or his capacity to enjoy them " , and he brought with him several cases of spirits . The rowdy goings @-@ on in Blamey 's cabin did not endear him to the Prime Minister , who was a reformed alcoholic . The party travelled by train to Washington , DC , where Blamey was warmly greeted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff , and briefed the Combined Chiefs of Staff on the progress of the war in SWPA . In London Blamey had a series of meetings with the Chief of the Imperial General Staff , Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke , and was briefed on Operation Overlord by General Sir Bernard Montgomery and Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder . Blamey was disappointed to have to turn down an offer to accompany the invasion as a guest of General Dwight Eisenhower because Curtin feared that the invasion would lead to retaliatory German bombing , and wanted to be far away before it started . 
