One of Lee's first concerns was to find a suitable location for his SOS headquarters. He found limited space at its initial location at No. 1 Great Cumberland Place in London, and decided to locate the headquarters in southern England where most base installations would be located. Brigadier General Claude N. Thiele, Lee's chief of administrative services, suggested Cheltenham, in Gloucestershire, about northwest of London. The British War Office administrative staff occupied of offices there, but were willing to return to their old London location. A regional organization was adopted on 20 July, with the UK divided into four base sections.