Hayes Adlai Kroner

Hayes Adlai Ashby Clarke Kroner (October 20, 1891 – November 27, 1975) was an American soldier, diplomat, General, and Christian minister. For most of World War II, he ran an echelon out of the War Department called the Military Intelligence Service, which was integral for the Allied effort in winning the war against the Axis powers. He is a co-founder of "The Pond," intelligence agency, and also worked closely with the British in London around the time of the development of M.A.G.I.C., where he met Sir John Dill. He was a lifelong diplomat, representing the interests of the USA abroad. After the war, he returned to attache duties, and also went to work for the Philips company. He spent much of his life dedicated to building Christian bible study groups and organizations.

Early life Kroner was born 1891 in the town of Winterville, Georgia, to parents Mr. and Mrs. FH Kroner. He lived in Atlanta for some time, and attended Georgia Tech, obtaining a degree in civil engineering. Every single possession the couple owned was lost in the flames; family photographs, wedding presents, letters from friends, and especially many items they had brought with them from Tientzen.

In May 1933, while Kroner was enrolled in postgraduate classes at the Army War College, he was transferred to the Army National Guard to serve as an instructor.

In August 1934, Kroner was appointed Assistant Military Attache to the American Embassy in London. His wife packed up their belongings at Hartford, Connecticut and joined him in London. From 1934 to 1939, Kroner served as the US Army military attache to London.

In 1939, Colonel Kroner was assigned as the Commander of Fort Brady, at which time he became the concurrent Commander of the Fort Brady Civilian Conservation Corps. In the middle of July, Kroner took over the management of the Intelligence Branch of the G-2 from the retiring Colonel C.H. Mason. He remained in this posting for the majority of the war.

In 1944, Kroner was assigned as a military attache to Brazil, where he remained until 1945.

Retirement Kroner wound up in some capacity working for the American Philips Company. Philips had approached the War Department when the Nazis had invaded the Netherlands, and offered to fully fund The Pond for the duration of the war. Dwight D. Eisenhower called him an old friend.

He died in England in 1975.

Religious group While he was performing his duties at the War Department during the 1940s, Kroner would host Bible study and prayer groups on Tuesday evenings. In 1943, Kroner, Gordon Nichol, and Mr. Irwin H. Linton created the Officers’ Christian Union of the United States of America. OCU spread as members were posted around the world during World War II. After the war, he visited Annapolis to preach to the midshipmen and cadets of the service academies there.