BLISWORTH EVENTS & MEMORIES OF WORLD WAR II

This tentative calendar of wartime events in Blisworth is offered as a basis for a hopefully more complete recollection of wartime Blisworth.  Intended as a catalyst for the recall of memory it is hoped to arouse the interest of those who were in Blisworth at any time during the second world war years.  This is intended as a shared co-operative project for the interest and enjoyment of all those concerned. 

            The period from the 1^st of January 1940 to the 3^rd of June 1941 is covered by a diary kept by George Freeston.  This was terminated as far as Blisworth was concerned, except for short periods of leave, on his call up to the R.A.F.  At the moment this is the most complete period we have but fortunately it records the transition in Blisworth from the ‘Phoney War to the Battle of Britain and on to the Blitz and up to its end in May 1941.  Blisworth Parish was recorded as ‘having had more incidents from enemy bombers than any other town or village in Northamptonshire’.

            The more prominent events of the general war are recorded in italics in order to provide a background reference.  All Sundays are recorded as a guide to weekdays.  Events in Blisworth regarding crashed aeroplanes, bombs, military manoeuvres etc. are printed in red.  Aircraft crashes in adjacent parishes are also included.  German aircraft losses as recorded by George are contemporary British claims.  Those recorded during the Battle of Britain were later decreased substantially with access to German records after the war.  Those recorded during the later blitz are probably more accurate though from the British point of view regretably small, our night fighters became increasingly successful towards the end of the winter helped by airborne radar.

            The war in the Pacific is less fully dealt with than events closer to home.  The Russian war is not greatly detailed.  In general events most likely to be in the minds of Blisworth people such as the air war in Europe are more fully covered.  Fuller details of events considered to be of interest are given in order to give some sort of scale to these very eventful and tragic years.

            If any have memories of Blisworth in the 2nd world war and are willing to share them they will be gratefully received and recorded under the name of the contributor.  Please keep this calendar for reference.  It is hoped that there will be enough copies with added contributions around to ensure that wartime Blisworth 1939 to 1945 will be remembered.  If successful a copy of this project will be offered to the Northamptonshire Records Office.

             Robin Freeston

The Calendar

Explanatory notes are within square brackets.

[For the first 18 months of the war at least The Blisworth Choral Society met on Wednesday evenings, and the Scouts on Thursday evenings.  The Northamptonshire Libraries local Library Centre was open in the Old Schools [now the village hall] on Friday evenings.  There was also a popular tennis club.]

SEPTEMBER 1939

Friday             1^st          Germany invades Poland.

Sunday       3^rd          Britain, France, Australia, and New Zealand declare war on Germany.  The liner Athenia is torpedoed with the loss of 112 lives.

Tuesday         5^th          South Africa declares war on Germany.

Sunday       10^th          Canada declares war on Germany.  The British Expeditionary force commanded by General  Gort begins landing in France.

Sunday       17^th               The USSR invades Poland.  The aircraft carrier Courageous is sunk by U39 off S.W. Ireland.

Sunday       24^th

OCTOBER 1939

Sunday       1^st

Sunday       8^th

Saturday        14^th                 The battleship Royal Oak is sunk in Scapa Flow with the loss of 736 lives.

Sunday       15^th

Sunday       22^nd

Sunday       29^th

NOVEMBER 1939

Sunday       5^th

Sunday       12^th

Sunday       19^th

Thursday       23^rd               The armed merchant cruiser Rawalpindi patrolling off the Faroe Islands comes into contact with the german battle cruisers Schharnhorst and Gneisenau which were attempting to break out into the Atlantic to attack British convoys.  After transmitting the position of the german ships Captain Kennedy decides to fight rather than surrender.  The Rawalpindi sinks within 40 minutes with the loss of 238 lives including that of Captain Kennedy.  The German cruisers return to their home base rather than face the British Home Fleet.  Captain Kennedy was the father of Ludovic Kennedy the writer and broadcaster.

Sunday       26^th

Thursday       30^th          The USSR invades Finland.

DECEMBER 1939

Sunday       3^rd

Sunday       10^th

Wednesday    13^th           The cruisers Exeter, Ajax, and Achilles engage the German pocket battleship Graf Spee off the mouth of the river Plate, Uruguay.  The Exeter drawing enemy fire to protect the lighter cruisers sustains severe damage but Graf Spee herself damaged seeks refuge in neutral Montevideo for repairs.             

Sunday       17^th               The Graf Spee is scuttled on the orders of captain Langsdorff.  Langsdorff later commits suicide.

Saturday        23^rd               The first Canadian troops arrive in Britain.                        

Sunday       24^th

Sunday       31^st

JANUARY  1940

Sunday       14^th       {Frost in ground about 8". }  GF Diary

Monday          15^th       {No rain for weeks now.} GF Diary

Tuesday         16^th       {Snow and frost.  Roads very bad.} GF Diary

Sunday       21^st       {Extreme frost.  Coldest day for 35 years according to Mr. Westley.} GF Diary

Thursday       25^th       {Slight thaw.  Chapel sale of work.} GF Diary

Friday             26^th       {Terrific snowstorm in afternoon.} GF Diary

Saturday        27^th       {Still snowing.    Worst for many years.  Mr.  Woodman’s 60th party.} GF Diary

Sunday              28^th       {Snowed during night, and on and off during day.  About 12" of snow.} GF Diary

Monday          29^th       {Everywhere completely snowed up.  Worst for 45 years.  Very busy hire day at Garage.  No trains etc.} GF Diary

Tuesday         30^th       {Buses not running.} GF Diary

FEBRUARY 1940

Thursday       1^st       {Slight thaw during day but roads still very bad.} GF Diary

Saturday        3^rd          {Thawing very gradually.  2 German planes down in England.} GF Diary

Sunday         4^th

Sunday       11^th       {Sharp frost in night.  Cold but dry day.} GF Diary

Friday             16^th       {Mrs. Basford died yesterday.} GF Diary  

                                  The destroyer Cossack rescues 299 British merchant seamen from the Graf Spee’s supply ship Altmark in Altenfiord, Norway.

Saturday        17^th       {Mrs. Chapman died.} GF Diary

Sunday         18^th

Monday          19^th       {Dull and mild.  Snow quickly going.} GF Diary

Sunday         25^th        {Clocks put back last night.  A.R.P. practice in afternoon.} GF Diary

Thursday       29^th       {Turning much colder.   A.R.P. dinner at Gayton.} GF Diary

MARCH 1940

Sunday         3^rd       {Sharp frost during night, but turned out to be a lovely day.} GF Diary

Saturday        9^th       { “The Rains Came” on at Exchange Cinema in Northampton.} GF Diary

Sunday         10^th       {Lovely day.} GF Diary

Wednesday    13^th          The war between Finland and Russia ends with Finland losing the Karelian Isthmus to Russia.

Thursday       14^th       {Snow fell considerably during night and  morning.  Chapel Concert in evening.} GF Diary

Sunday         17^th       {Choral Society sang the “Crucifixion” in the church in the afternoon.} GF Diary

Thursday       21^st       {Scouts busy on National Service Badge.} GF Diary

Friday             22^nd       {Good Friday.  Lantern lecture in church in evening.} GF Diary

Sunday         24^th       {Easter Sunday.  Record communions.  Daffs and Snowdrops in church.} GF Diary

Monday          25^th       {Easter Monday.  Glorious day.  No Towcester races}. GF Diary.

Tuesday         26^th       {Village paper collection scheme started.} GF Diary

Sunday         31^st

APRIL 1940

Tuesday         2^nd       {Village paper collecting finished.} GF Diary

Friday             5^th       {Grand concert in evening.  “Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs”.} GF Diary      

Sunday         7^th       {Rather dull and cold wind.} GF Diary

Tuesday         9^th           {GERMANY INVADES DENMARK & NORWAY .} GF Diary

Thursday       11^th       {Village paper collection.  2½ cwt. already sold  making 12/6d for the funds.} GF Diary

Friday             12^th       {Church Council meeting.  Mr. Lunn [Rector] presented the drawings of the new proposed stained glass window in memory of Mrs. Griffith.} GF Diary

Sunday         14^th       {Rather cold west wind.} GF Diary

Monday          15^th          Allied Troops land in Norway.

Sunday         21^st       {Glorious day.} GF Diary

Tuesday         23^rd       {“Freedom” naval River Plate picture on at Exchange cinema.} GF Diary

Wednesday    24^th       {Cuckoo Heard.} GF Diary

Sunday         28^th       {Warm inclined to be thundery.  Rained during afternoon.} GF Diary

Tuesday         30^th       {“Escape to happiness”  on at Exchange.} GF Diary

MAY 1940

Wednesday    1^st          Allied troops withdrawn from southern Norway.

Sunday         5^th       {Glorious day.} GF Diary

Tuesday         7 ^th          Chamberlain looses support in the Commons over the Norwegian campaign.

Thursday       9^th        {Royal Proclamation calling up 28  to 36 year olds.} GF Diary

Friday             10^th          GERMANS INVADE HOLLAND & BELGIUM. Churchill becomes Prime Minister.                    {Bright sunny day.} GF Diary 

Saturday        11^th       {Proclamation cancelling Bank Holiday.} GF Diary

Sunday         12^th       {Whitsunday.  Lovely day.} GF Diary

Monday          13^th          German Army crosses the Meuse at Sedan and Dinant.                                                         Queen Wilhelmina escapes to Britain with her Government.

Tuesday         14^th       Rotterdam  bombed   {“On the Spot” on at the Rep.Theatre.} GF Diary

Thursday       16^th          {Stuart Woolacott leaves to join up.} GF Diary      

Saturday        18^th       {A.R.P. practice in afternoon.} GF Diary

Sunday         19^th       General Gamelin allied commander in chief dismissed.

Thursday       23^rd       German panzers [tanks] reach Channel coast.

Sunday         26^th       {Day of National Prayer.  Good crowd at 10.45 service.} GF Diary                    Evacuation of Dunkirk begins.

Tuesday         28^th          King Leopold of the Belgians surrenders to the Germans.                                            {Parashotts [?] are now commencing duties.} GF Diary

Wednesday    29^th          {All signposts removed in the Parish.} GF Diary

Thursday       30^th       {First batch of B.E.F. from Dunkirk arrive in Northampton.} GF Diary

JUNE 1940

Saturday        1^st          Canadian troops pass through Blisworth on their way from Bristol to East Anglia.             {The children are having a lovely time cheering them on.} GF Diary

Sunday         2^nd       {Most glorious day  Canadian troops started coming thro’ again early.  Had exciting day cheering them on and giving them refreshments. Mr. Payler home.} GF Diary

Tuesday         4^th          Evacuation of Dunkirk now complete.  338,226 men (2/3 of them British) evacuated.   Germans capture 40,000 French troops at Dunkirk.  Evacuation of Norway begins.

Wednesday    5^th       Germans commence new offensive against France.                                                      {Air Raid again last night.} GF Diary

Thursday       6^th       {Air raids have been going on during week.  Four evacuees came along.} GF Diary

Saturday        8^th          Aircraft carrier Glorious sunk returning from Norway by battle cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. 

Sunday         9^th  

Monday          10^th          ITALY DECLARES WAR.  The evacuation of 11,000 British and French troops from St.Valéry and Le Havre commences.

Thursday       13^th          Paris declared an open city.

Friday             14^th          Germans enter Paris.

Sunday         16^th  

Monday          17^th       Marshall Petain requests Germany’s armistice terms.  The liner Lancastria sunk with very heavy loss of life by German bombers off St.Nazaire.  Probably more than 5,000 lost.  Churchill stopped reporting of this event for reasons of public morale.  [see Google <lancastria association>]

Wednesday    19^th       {Air raid during night.  12 Killed.  Some on Northamptonshire.} GF Diary

Thursday       20^th       {LARGEST AIR RAID YET DURING NIGHT.  7 killed.  Nursing Association Fete at Rectory.} GF Diary

Friday             21^st       {Another air raid last night.} GF Diary

Saturday        22^nd       FRANCE SIGNS PEACE TERMS WITH GERMANY.  

Sunday         23^rd       {Took Scouts to Chapel in evening.} GF Diary

Monday          24^th       {Woke up during the night at 2^O/_C to hear the first air raid warning going.  Absolutely an ungodly noise, lasted about 30 mins.  Rugby damaged.  Northampton rather excited about it.} GF Diary

                         Italy’s armistice with France declared.  A cease fire occurs on all fronts.  Since May 10^th France has lost about 85,000 men, Germany 27,000 and Britain 3,500.

Tuesday         25^th       {Another air raid warning sounded at 3^O/_C [am] but it only lasted 20 mins. GF Diary]

Thursday       27^th       {Frank on L.D.V. [Local Defence Volunteers amended to Home Guard by Churchill later] at10^O/_C  and all thro’ the night.} GF Diary

Friday             28^th       {Marshall Balbo killed [Italian Air Marshal in air crash at Tobruck].  Whist drive in Mrs. Roper’s garden in evening in aid of Red Cross.} GF Diary

Sunday         30^th       {Feast Sunday.  Frank on Paratroops.  Incendiary bomb demonstration in afternoon.  Scout parade in church in evening.} GF Diary                                                         Germany occupies the Channel Islands.

JULY 1940

Monday          1^st       {Italian troops in Libya etc. are falling to our men.  Air raids last night again but not in this district.  12 killed.} GF Diary

Tuesday         2^nd       {Tank corps dashing about village –  also barricade preparations are going on at speed.} GF Diary

Wednesday    3^rd       One French battleship sunk and two damaged at Oran and Mers-el-Kebir by British navy.                                    

Sunday         7^th       { Frank and Ron took part in field exercises.} GF Diary

Monday          8^th       {Hot day.  Had good game of tennis in evening.  Tea to be rationed.} GF Diary

Tuesday         9^th       {Naval action still goes on against French ships.} GF Diary

Wednesday    10^th           German Luftwaffe attacks shipping and ports in the English channel.  Shipping movements restricted. 

Thursday       11^th       {Large air raid last night, but our R.A.F. took heavy toll of them.} GF Diary

Sunday         14^th

Sunday         21^st                              

Monday          22^nd       SOE (Special Operations Executive) established to support resistance groups on the continent.

Tuesday         23^rd       {Air raids each night somewhere, but we have’nt had any warnings lately.  Joined L.D.V. in evening.} GF Diary

Thursday       25^th       {Went to rifle practice in evening, quite enjoy handling the guns.} GF Diary

Sunday         28^th       {L.D.V. parade in morning.} GF Diary

Wednesday    31^st       {L.D.V. inspection in evening.} GF Diary

AUGUST 1940

Thursday       1^st       {L.D.V. practice in evening.   Apples 1/- per pound.} GF Diary    

Friday             2^nd       {First L.D.V. guard duty 8 to10.} GF Diary

Sunday         4^th       {Glorious day.} GF Diary

Monday          5^th       {[Bank Holiday]  Enjoyable game of tennis in afternoon.  Then went to Northampton barracks for shooting in evening.  Rather disappointed in my shooting.  (Chapel garden party) .} GF Diary

Tuesday         6^th       {L.D.V. in evening.  Rifle drill very enjoyable.} GF Diary

Friday             9^th       {60 German planes brought down in yesterdays raid.} GF Diary

Saturday        10^th       {L.D.V. duty till 10.30.} GF Diary

Sunday         11^th       {56 German planes fetched down.} GF Diary

Monday        12^th       {60 German planes down.  L.D.V. shooting practice at Northampton.} GF Diary

Tuesday      13^th       {Duller today.  L.D.V. parade at night.  Watched new R.D.C. fire engine at work.  Extensive Air Raids again.  About 78 German planes down.  We lost 13.} GF Diary

Wednesday    14 ^th       {15 Gerry [ Jerry] planes down today.} GF Diary

Thursday       15^th       {Fierce fighting in Somaliland.  Our men retreating.  L.D.V. in evening.  88  German planes down today.} GF Diary                                                                           Goering orders night and day attacks on our fighter airfields.

Friday             16^th       {169  planes down yesterday.  Frank on all night patrol.} GF Diary

Saturday        17^th       Total blockade of British Isles including neutral vessels in British waters announced by Germans..

Sunday         18^th          {Had enjoyable morning with L.D.V. in an attack on Milton.  On all night duty with L.D.V.  Nothing exciting.} GF Diary

Monday          19^th       {140 planes down yesterday.  Went to tennis in evening but owing to bad light and damping was unable to play.   Gave donation to Spitfire Fund.} GF Diary

Tuesday         20^th       {Unexploded bomb outside Council School.  Mrs. W.  informed me confidentially that a party of Germans had landed in England.} GF Diary        

Thursday       22^nd       {Not much activity last night.  Bomb still refuses to go off.  Shipping heavily bombarded in channel from French coast. N.B.G.  L.D.V. during evening.} GF Diary

Friday             23^rd       {Cloudy but nice day.  Great excitement at home again.  A German plane came over low, and machine gunned the station.  Bomb still silent.} GF Diary

Saturday        24^th       {Was called on duty at 7.30 together with all L.D.V. and A.R.P. to evacuate people and sandbag the bomb in.  Worked feverishly till 12 midnight.  R.A.F. are coming to do the rest of the work.} GF Diary

Sunday         25^th       {Got up at 4.30.  R.A.F. boys commenced operations.  Removed bomb safely by 8.30 then took it up to the pits and exploded it at 9.20.  Worked on sandbags in morning.} GF Diary 

Monday          26^th       On L.D.V.  duty till 10^O/_C  ,  then watched the Gerry’s firework display till midnight.  Heard and felt lots of bombs.} GF Diary                                                                  81 R.A.F. planes bomb Berlin.  From this point the Luftwaffe switched from bombing R.A.F. airfields to bombing London.  Our fighter squadrons which were at breaking point recovered to defeat the enemy.

Tuesday         27^th       {Heard in morning that bombs were nearer than we thought.  7 at Duston, 3 bungalows demolished, also some fell round about Towcester district.  L.D.V. evening preparing range.} GF Diary

Wednesday    28^th       {Had good nights rest Thank God.  Flares and planes started again at 10^O/_C prompt.} GF Diary

Thursday       29^th       {L.D.V. preparing shooting range in evening.  Fairly quite night again for which we are very thankful.} GF Diary

Friday             30^th       {Quiet night again altho’ raids have been round about at Birmingham etc.  52 planes down today. “Hurrah”.} GF Diary

Saturday        31^st       {Intensive raids towards London.  Our fighters doing wonderfully well.  85 planes down (German) today.} GF Diary

SEPTEMBER 1940

Sunday         1^st          {Glorious day.  Open air Thanksgiving Service in afternoon.  Collected for Spitfire Fund, £5.} GF Diary

Monday          2^nd       {Grand day after a peaceful night.  Had good game of tennis in evening.  Just got to bed when 5 bombs were dropped near Collingtree so we all got up till midnight.  Busy aircraft evening.  Bombs all around.} GF Diary

Tuesday         3^rd       {50 German planes down yesterday.  Lovely hot day.} GF Diary

Wednesday    4^th       {Very hot and dry.  Peaceful night again.  L.D.V. at night.} GF Diary

Thursday       5^th       {Last night was a very quite night.  48 German planes down today.  Raiders very busy.} GF Diary

Saturday        7^th       {46 planes down yesterday.  We lost 6 pilots.  Bigger raid on London today.} GF Diary                                                                                                                    The Blitz against London begins. 

Sunday         8^th       {103 enemy planes down yesterday but the ones that did get through did London a good piece of damage.  National Day of Prayer.  Good joint church parade in afternoon.} GF Diary

Monday          9^th       {London again had an extensive raid.  Must pray for all the Londoners and ourselves.  Very enjoyable evening organ recital by Mr. Chapman at church.} GF Diary

Tuesday         10^th       {Peaceful night.  London has had another raid and is getting quite knocked about again.} GF Diary

Wednesday    11^th       {Quiet night.  Poor old London had another good raid again.  Bomb drops on Buckingham Palace, also Madame Tussaud’s etc.  We have given Berlin a jolly good tanking too.} GF Diary

Thursday       12^th       {89 Enemy planes down yesterday.  Quiet night.  On Home Guard duty ‘till midnight.  East coast area being evacuated in preparation for the invasion.} GF Diary

Friday             13^th       {Peaceful night again.  No library on account of Troops Fund whist drive.} GF Diary

Saturday        14^th       {London raided again last night.  Buckingham Palace bombed.} GF Diary

Sunday         15^th       {Took part in Home Guard parade to Milton [church] in evening.  Very enjoyable service.  Busy R.A.F. day [Now ‘Battle of Britain Day’].} GF Diary

Monday          16^th       {185 Gerry planes down yesterday.  Best ever.  We lost 25 – and 13 pilots.} GF Diary

Tuesday         17^th       {Frank on all night Home Guard.  Poor old London still has heavy bombing.  Nice peaceful night again.} GF Diary                                                                            Hitler suspends Operation Sealion the invasion of Britain. The Luftwaffe have failed to obtain command of the air over Britain a vital necessity.         

Wednesday    18^th       {R.A.F. have busy day.  London bombed again during night.  Home Guard in evening.  Drew 3/- for helping with the bomb extraction.} GF Diary                                  From this time London was bombed predominately at night time.

Thursday       19^th       {London has again been visited.  Evacuees coming out of London.  Duty night for me on Home Guard, quite enjoyable, but uneventful, 8-6.} GF Diary

Friday             20^th       {Poor old London has had another fierce night.  We were lucky again.} GF Diary 

Sunday         22^nd       {Harvest Festival.  Scout parade to church in evening.} GF Diary

Monday          23^rd       The liner City of Benares sunk by a U-boat, 7 children saved out of 90 on board. 

Tuesday      24^th       {Grand day.  Gen. De Gaulle and co. go to Dakar.  London evacuees have been rolling through in buses.} GF Diary

Wednesday    25^th       {Gerry had busy night again on London etc.  Went to Towcester in evening to start on Lewis Gun course.} GF Diary

Thursday       26^th       {Dakar stunt fails.  Towcester again in evening.  Gerry planes around again during evening – dropping a few eggs around.  Pury End bombed [Landmine, about 7 miles away, heard as a very loud bang at Blisworth. RF].} GF Diary  [Michael Gibson in ‘Aviation in Northamptonshire’ records two landmines at Pury End but on 12^th September 1940. RF]

Friday             27 ^th       {Home Guard in evening 10 –5.} GF Diary

Saturday        28 ^th       {124 planes down yesterday.  Good old R.A.F.} GF Diary

Sunday         29 ^th       {Nice day but cold wind.  Went with Scouts to Chapel in evening.} GF Diary

Monday          30 ^th       {London raids still continue but we keep giving Gerry ports smashing blows.} GF Diary

OCTOBER 1940

Tuesday         1^st       {Poor old London still getting heavy raids, evacuation goes on.} GF Diary

Wednesday    2^nd       {Home Guard in evening.} GF Diary

Thursday       3^rd       {Cloudy day.  Lone raiders did quite a bit of damage around.  Rushden had a visit – 7 children and others killed.} GF Diary      

Sunday         6^th       {Dull, Windy and Rain.  Worked on Home Guard competition in evening.} GF Diary

Monday          7^th       {Could only get 1lb of cheese on Saturday at 1/2d per lb.  Eggs are now 15/- per dozen.  Evacuees still pouring out of London.  Raids still carry on nightly.} GF Diary

Tuesday         8^th       {High wind and stormy.  Bombs at Finedon.  Trains all running late.} GF Diary

Wednesday    9^th       {Strong rain in high wind.  Managed to get 1lb of margarine 9d.  Butter ration now only 2ozs per head.  Home Guard lecture in evening.} GF Diary

Thursday       10^th       {London’s raid longest of the war.  St. Pauls receives direct hit.  Went to Home Guard lecture in evening again.} GF Diary

Friday             11^th       {Stormy day.  Navy bombarded Cherbourg.  Home Guard afterwards.} GF Diary

Sunday         13^th       {Went to Wootton Home Guard in morning on Lewis Gun Firing.  Princess Elizabeth spoke on Radio for first time.} GF Diary

Monday          14 ^th       {On Duty 3½ hrs. during night.  All quiet.} GF Diary

Tuesday         15 ^th       {Bombers around in evening.  Nothing too alarming.  Home Guard in evening.  Issued with spats.} GF Diary

Thursday       17 ^th       {London etc. gets the raiders still.} GF Diary

Saturday        19 ^th       {Nice day.  Bought some new shoes 16/6.} GF Diary

Sunday         20 ^th       {Quiet night altho’ London suffered bad raids.  Home Guard field exercises in morning.  Church evening service is in afternoon. [Presumably because of blackout].} GF Diary

Monday          21^st       {The sirens went at dinner time in Northampton today.  Coventry looks as tho’ she is having it badly tonight.} GF Diary

Tuesday         22^nd       {Had a bomber visit us at 9.10 [p.m.].  Few H.E.’s dropped at the Arm, also a whole lot (dozens) of incendiary ones scattered on Mill end of the fields.  No damage.} GF Diary

Thursday       24^th       {H.E. bombs dropped at 5 mins. to seven [am] on the Milton-Blisworth boundary [One a little way to left of main road just before the short hill into Milton].} GF Diary

Friday             25^th       {Good batch of parachute flares in evening. Rather put the wind up us all, but nothing worse happened.} GF Diary

Sunday         27 ^th       {Had disturbed night with hire job.  Evacuee, Italian, no where to go.} GF Diary

Monday          28 ^th       {Italy and Greece have started offensives.  A few bumps in the evening but nothing too near.} GF Diary

Tuesday         29 ^th       {Quiet night last night.  Home Guard in evening but rather cold.  Bangs and bumps started about 7.30 and continued thro’ night.} GF Diary

Wednesday    30  ^th       {30 planes down yesterday much to our pleasure.  Hope we are in for a peaceful night altho’ 2 bombs were heard at 8^O/_C  .} GF Diary

NOVEMBER 1940

Friday             1^st       {Oil bombs and others dropped at Duston again at 8^O/_C  (after library), but quiet night.} GF Diary

Sunday         3^rd       {Busy Home Guard morning inspection and route march.} GF Diary

Tuesday         5^th       Roosevelt elected as President for a third term in America.  This is the first third term of any president.                                                                                                                           The armed merchant cruiser Jervis Bay is sunk while protecting a convoy of 37 ships from the pocket battle ship Admiral Scheer.  32 ships of the convoy escaped.

Wednesday    6^th              {Bombs dropped about 6.30 in evening but nothing disturbing later.} GF Diary

Thursday       7^th       {Last nights bombs dropped on Courteenhall boundary.} GF Diary

Friday             8^th       { “Nasty” doing his stuff during evening.} GF Diary

Sunday         10 ^th       {Very stormy.  Rain and high wind.  Remembrance day service in afternoon.  Went with Home Guard.} GF Diary

Monday          11^th       {Armistice day but no ceremony.  Stormy and wet.} GF Diary                              Swordfish bi-planes from the Illustrious sink 3 Italian battleships at night in their harbour at Taranto.  2 aircraft lost.

Tuesday         12 ^th       {Home Guard lecture in evening by an A.F.S. man who had visited the London fires.  Peaceful night.  Greeks still doing wonderfully well.} GF Diary      

Thursday       14^th       {Home Guard Social in evening  –  not too successful owing to evening air disturbances.} GF Diary

Friday             15 ^th        {Coventry smashed during an all night raid.  7 bombs dropped from Semple’s [Tunnel Farm] to Bill’s house [“Stone Steps”, Towcester Road] but thank God nothing worse.} GF Diary.  449 German bombers were employed on this raid which resulted in 500 dead and thousands homeless.

Saturday        16 ^th       {Window rattled well at 7^O/_C  the blighters.  Very disturbed night again last night but very Thankful that we are all safe.} GF Diary

Sunday         17 ^th       {Peaceful night.} GF Diary

Tuesday         19^th       {Slept in peace during night.  Went to Coventry with Miss. Green – words cannot describe the devastation.  “Poor old Coventry”.  Enemy planes commenced coming over early and continued every minute during night [Referring to raid of the 14th/15th].} GF Diary

Wednesday    20^th       {Birmingham and Leicester heavily visited.  Terrific barrage commenced about 7.30.} GF Diary                                                                                                           Hungary joins the Axis Powers.

Thursday     21^st       {Disturbed night but all safe and sound.  Rain again.  Scouting in evening altho’ not many turned out owing to enemy disturbances.} GF Diary

Friday             22^nd       {Altho’ rainy night we had fairly peaceful one altho’ 7 bombs were dropped at Roade at 5.15 which of course woke us up.  Slight damage done.} GF Diary

Saturday        23^rd       {Peaceful night altho’ sirens went in N’pton early.} GF Diary                                  Rumania also joins the Axis.

Sunday         24^th       {Got up late after very peaceful and quiet night for which we Thank God.} GF Diary

Monday          25^th       {Cold night but very quiet, for which we are truly Thankful.} GF Diary

Tuesday         26^th       {Another peaceful night “Thank God”.  Bought some Savings Certificates in Northampton in connection with War Weapons Week.  Home Guard meeting in evening.} GF Diary                                                                                                 The Germans start forcing Warsaw’s Jews into a ghetto.

Thursday       28^th       {As I now write enemy planes are continuously going overhead on their evil mission.  I pray God to spare us and to comfort all those in need.} GF Diary

Friday             29^th          {Quiet evening.  Frosty.  Very cold.  Raids still busy at nights but not around here.  Mr. Woolacott and myself gave talk at Station Home Guard section in evening.} GF Diary

DECEMBER 1940

Sunday         1^st       {Peaceful night.  Busy morning march with Home Guard.} GF Diary

Monday          2^nd       {Greeks still continue push.  Southampton again visited.} GF Diary

Wednesday    4^th       {Gerry continually coming over in evening.} GF Diary

Thursday       5^th       {Rather noisy night but all safe and sound.} GF Diary

Saturday        7^th       {Cold but nice day.  Bristol again raided.} GF Diary

Sunday         8^th       {Grand day after peaceful night.  Home Guard in morning.} GF Diary

Monday          9^th       {Peaceful night for us but heavy raid on London again.  9^O/_C news told us of commencement of hostilities in Egypt.} GF Diary                                              General Wavell starts the first British offensive in the Western Desert with 35,000 British and Commonwealth troops.                   

Tuesday         10^th       {Peaceful night.  Rather stormy.  Greeks are still pushing the Italians out of Albania well.  Went to very interesting lecture (Home Guard) in evening.} GF Diary                         Sidi Barani captured.  34,000 Italians taken prisoner.                   

Wednesday    11^th       {Battle in Egypt continues well.  20,000 prisoners now taken by us.} GF Diary

Thursday       12^th       {Spent disturbed night.  Sirens went twice.  Planes over continually.  Very thankful nothing worse.  Full moon tomorrow [Bombers moon].  Church Sale –  did very good.  8.20. Bombs falling as I write this.} GF Diary

Friday             13^th       {Stiff frost, roads treacherous.  Our troops busy chasing  Italians out of Egypt.  Now 30,000 prisoners.} GF Diary

Sunday         15^th       {Peaceful night.  Late getting up [am].  7.30.[pm] Enemy planes continually going over.  Guns in action.} GF Diary

Monday          16^th       {Bitter cold night.  After [previous evening] uneventful night.  No more oranges and bananas for time being.  23 of our ships sunk last week.} GF Diary

Tuesday         17^th       {Cold morning after peaceful night. Troops pushing on well in Egypt.} GF Diary

Wednesday    18^th       {Cold morning.  No raids on England during night.  Oranges and bananas getting almost unobtainable.} GF Diary

Thursday       19^th       {Silent night again.  Cold day.  Wet evening.  Our troops and the Greeks continue to push on steadily.} GF Diary

Friday             20^th       {Went to enjoyable dance at Hotel in evening  (Home Guard)  with Miss. Thomas [school teacher], Frank and Dorothy.} GF Diary

Saturday        21^st          {Bitter east wind blowing but all high and dry.  Went to Savoy in afternoon.  Enjoyable picture “George and Margaret”.  Shops almost empty of sweets.  Nazis busy overhead in evening.  Two bombs on N’pton L.M.S. Goods Yard.} GF Diary

Sunday         22^nd       {Still bitter east wind.  Noisy night.  Nazis passing over –  few bumps and flares.} GF Diary

Monday          23^rd       {Safely thro’ the night.   Shops all getting very  empty.  Raiders over again at night.  Manchester and Liverpool again.} GF Diary

Tuesday         24^th       {No raiders.  Do hope and pray we have Peaceful Christmas.} GF Diary

Wednesday    25^th       {“Glory to God in the Highest and in earth Peace” [Christmas Day] so do we pray.  Communion at 8.30 owing to blackout.  Peaceful night.  Busy morning.  Grand dinner party.  Spent very enjoyable evening.} GF Diary

Thursday       26^th       {No nazi raiders over during yesterday again or night.} GF Diary

Saturday        28^th       {Grand day after another peaceful night altho’ London was again raided.} GF Diary

Sunday         29^th       {Peaceful night.  Went to Home Guard Lecture etc. in Northampton in morning.} GF Diary

Monday          30^th       {Terrible night for London.  Incendiaries only causing great fires to Guildhall and churches and many important buildings. The great fire raid on the city of London.  Have orders to cut down bread-cheese consumption.} GF Diary

Tuesday         31^st       {Peaceful night.} GF Diary

JANUARY 1941

Wednesday    1^st       {Peaceful night for all the country.} GF Diary

Thursday       2^nd        {Peaceful night.  Snow fell early morning making roads very bad, freezing all day.  Raid on South Wales.  (Cheese and meat ration reduced).} GF Diary

Friday             3^rd       {Bitterly cold night.  Roads treacherous.  No more snow.  Plenty of planes about which is rather surprising owing to severe weather.} GF Diary

Saturday        4^th       {Frosty night.  Bristol again bombed.  Raider busy night overhead.} GF Diary

Sunday         5^th       {Home Guard exercise in morning.} GF Diary

Monday          6^th       {Quiet night.  Bardia captured together with 30,000 prisoners.} GF Diary

Tuesday         7^th       {Home Guard in evening.  Cheese likely to be rationed.} GF Diary

Thursday       9^th       {A.R.P. meeting at night on fire bomb fighting.  Raiders over early.} GF Diary

Friday             10^th       {Bitterly cold.  Snow nearly gone.  Disturbed night.  Our R.A.F. gave the Gerrys a surprise daylight raid.  Very successful.  Fire Watchers commenced duty.} GF Diary                                  The new aircraft carrier Illustrious badly damaged by dive bombers while escorting a convoy in the approaches to Malta.  The convoy is protected by almost the entire mediterranean fleet.  The cruiser Southampton was lost as also ships of the convoy.  The Illustrious spent 14 days being repaired in Valetta harbour under constant attack during which she was hit by two more bombs.   

Sunday         12^th       {Peaceful night altho’ London was badly visited.  Home Guard later.} GF Diary

Monday          13^th        {Fire Fighting meeting at night.} GF Diary

Tuesday         14^th       {Interesting Home Guard talk in evening on Dunkirk etc.} GF Diary

Wednesday    15^th       {Bombs in Northampton at 9.15pm damaging St. Andrew’s hospital.} GF Diary

Thursday       16^th       {Went to Home Guard party in evening  – too much spent on beer.} GF Diary

Sunday         19^th       {Fire Watching duty 8-12.  Warning 9 -10 then all quiet.} GF Diary

Tuesday         21^st       {Home Guard, but have got to punch our drill up.} GF Diary

Wednesday    22^nd       Tobruck taken.  30,000 prisoners.   Australians sang “We are off  to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz” as they charged.

Thursday       23^rd       {Number of mystery men surveying the high ground between Blisworth and Roade [There was an Observer Corps Post here later].} GF Diary      

Friday             24^th          Illustrious sails from Malta under her own steam at 26 knots.

Saturday        25^th       {Gave a hand at evacuees party in Lecture Hall.} GF Diary

Sunday         26^th       {H.G. parade in morning.} GF Diary

Monday          27^th       {There are about 60 evacuee children now in village.  Poultry has been officially priced up to 2/4 lb.} GF Diary

Tuesday         28^th       {Went to Home Guard in evening.} GF Diary

Wednesday    29^th       {London raids have started again.  Derna falls to our troops.} GF Diary

FEBRUARY  1941

Sunday         2^nd       {Firing practice with the Lewis Gun at Milton in the morning.} GF Diary

Tuesday         4^th       {Went to Home Guard in evening.  Noisy night for a change.} GF Diary

Wednesday    5^th       {Raider fetched down at Weldon.  Bitterly cold day.  Fire Watching 8-12 in evening but snowed all the time, looks like being quite deep.} GF Diary

Sunday         9^th       {Busy Home Guard morning.  Practised firing at a dive bomber.} GF Diary

Monday          10^th       {We all feel very bucked after Churchill’s speech last night.} GF Diary

Tuesday         11^th       {Spot of bother stirring up in Roumania.  Went to hurried Home Guard lecture at Milton in evening.  Navy bombarded Genoa and Ostend.} GF Diary

Thursday       13^th       {Grand to see the sun.  Hitler, Musso and Franco talk together.} GF Diary

Friday             14^th       {We dropped parachute troops in Southern Italy.  Heard first bomb for a long time at 9.15 – but nothing worse.  Quiet for rest of night.} GF Diary                                The van-guard of Rommel’s Africa Corps arrives in Tripoli.                   

Saturday        15^th       { Frank on Fire-Watching.} GF Diary

Sunday         16^th       {Home Guard till midday.} GF Diary

Tuesday         18^th       {Quiet night.  Home Guard later.} GF Diary

                         London had more extensive raids last night than of late.} GF Diary

Sunday         23^rd       {Quiet night.  Went on Home Guard in morning.} GF Diary

Monday          24^th       {Frosty night. Fire-Watching duty 8 –12 but all quiet.} GF Diary

Tuesday         25^th       {Home Guard in evening.} GF Diary

Friday             28^th       {Quiet night for us but bad for southern England.} GF Diary

MARCH 1941   

Saturday        1^st       Bulgaria joins the Axis Powers.

Tuesday         4^th       {Wales suffered from raids last night.  Homeguard in evening.} GF Diary

Wednesday    5^th       {Did a spot of Lewis Gun practice in evening.} GF Diary

Thursday       6^th          {Went to interesting lecture on gardening and formation of a garden club in evening.} GF Diary

Friday             7^th       {Snowed all day.  Sirens went in afternoon but nothing happened.} GF Diary

Sunday         9^th       London had heavy raid last night.  Home Guard exercise – good fun.} GF Diary

Monday          10^th       {Heavy raids on London again.} GF Diary

Tuesday         11^th       {Our shipping losses rather heavy again.} GF Diary

Wednesday    12^th       {Rather noisy night but no bombs nearer than Clipston.   Boiling chickens now 1/10 per pound.  Jam etc. to be rationed.} GF Diary

Thursday       13^th       {Raidy night again –  moon full.  We did biggest raid on Berlin and Germany. R.A.F. and Greeks doing grand in Albania.} GF Diary

Friday             14^th       {Raidy night.  Record broken fetched 13 raiders down during night.  Frank on Fire Watching at night.} GF Diary

Saturday        15^th       {Raidy night.  We fetched 5 down during night.  2 bombs at Stoke at 9.15.} GF Diary

Sunday         16^th       {Nothing further happened after bombs last night. Home Guard in morning.} GF Diary

Tuesday         18^th       {Our troops moving well in Abyssinia.  Greeks pushing on in Albania.  Raiders [in] evening.} GF Diary

Wednesday    19^th       {On Fire Watching duty 8.30 -12 but quiet night for us.} GF Diary

Thursday       20^th       {London heavily raided last night.} GF Diary

Friday             21^st       {Plymouth having nightly bad raids.  Heavy deaths.} GF Diary

Sunday         23^rd       {Snow and bitter cold morning.  National Day of Prayer.} GF Diary

Monday          24^th       {Quiet night.  Newspapers again cut down.  Went to Garden Club meeting in evening, but not too successful –  volunteers wanted for digging allotment plot – but they are not forthcoming.} GF Diary                                                              Rommel captures El Agheila.         

Tuesday         25^th       {Jam etc. now rationed.  Home Guard in evening.} GF Diary                                Yugoslavia joins the Axis Powers.

Thursday     27^th       In Yugoslavia a coup by air force officers deposes Prince Paul and his pro-Hitler government.  King Peter II takes over..

Friday             28^th       The Italians lose 3000 men in Eritrea.

Saturday        29^th       Battle of Matapan.  5 Italian ships sunk for loss of 1 British aircraft.

Sunday         30^th       {Fire Watching in evening until 12.30.} GF Diary

APRIL 1941     

Tuesday         1^st       {Home Guard in evening.} GF Diary

Thursday       3^rd       {Wet and cold again.  We have evacuated Bengazi –  do hope nothing too bad is happening [Rommel].  Did top of Lewis Gun overhaul in evening.  Thunder storm.  Bill and Ron went to A.R.P. supper.} GF Diary

Friday             4^th       {Quiet night for us altho’ Bristol was raided again.} GF Diary

Saturday        5^th       {Cold morning changing even colder in afternoon.  Advance goes on well in Abyssinia [Ethiopia].} GF Diary

Sunday         6^th       The Germans invade Yugoslavia.  Belgrade badly bombed.  The Germans also attack Greece via Bulgaria.  British troops capture Addis Ababa capital of Ethiopia.

Monday          7^th       {Fixed up Library business.  Scout wind up supper in evening.} GF Diary          Rommel captures Derna.

Tuesday         8^th       {Extensive raids on England.  5 enemy planes down.  We put up terrific raid on Kiel and other German ports.  Home Guard in evening.} GF Diary

Wednesday    9^th       {Had very disturbed night.  Bombs fell on rear of factory, allotments and tunnel.  Incendiaries on station but thank God we are all safe.} GF Diary

Thursday       10^th       {Not too bad a night altho’ we did’nt go to bed very early.  Germans are still pushing on in Greece.} GF Diary                                                                      Rommel begins seige of Tobruk.                   

Friday             11^th       {Another disturbed night but bombs not so near as Tuesday.  Coventry and Birmingham again raided.} GF Diary

Sunday         13^th       {Easter Sunday.} GF Diary

Tuesday         15^th       {Peaceful night.  Up to now Blisworth parish has had more incidents from enemy bombers than any other town or village in Northamptonshire.} GF Diary

Wednesday    16^th       {Quiet night for us.  German thrust still continues both in Syria [Vichy French] and Greece.} GF Diary

Thursday       17^th       {Another quiet night altho’ London had bad raid again.} GF Diary

Friday             18^th       {Quiet night once again.   Fire Watching 10-1 but uneventful night.} GF Diary     British troops begin arriving in Iraq to safeguard access to key oil supplies after army officers depose the Regent Faisal and form a pro Axis government.

Sunday         20^th

Monday          21^st       Plymouth heavily bombed (night of 21st/22nd).

Tuesday         22^nd       {Gayton.  Anson N9643 of 6 SFTS [Service Flying Training School],  Little Rissington, Glos.  Pilot lost control in cloud, dived into the ground.}  Michael Gibson, ‘Aviation in Northamptonshire’.

Wednesday    23^rd       {ST. GEORGES DAY.   Slightly disturbed night.} GF Diary                                      Greek government evacuates to Crete.

Sunday         27^th       British evacuation of 43,000 men from Greece completed. 

Monday          28^th       {Quiet night for us altho’ Plymouth had bad raid.} GF Diary

Tuesday         29^th       Plymouth again heavily bombed.  These raids (Nights of 21st/22nd and 29^th/30th) killed 750 and made 30,000 homeless.

Wednesday    30^th       {Quiet night for us but Plymouth had bad raid again.  80% of our troops safely evacuated from Greece.} GF Diary

MAY 1941 

Thursday       1^st          Four Iraqi Divisions attack British troops.   

Saturday        3^rd       {Quiet night for us.  On Fire Watching duty 10-1.  Grand night, our fighters fetched 16 Gerrys down (record).  Peaceful night for us.} GF Diary

Sunday         4^th       {Time now changed again, now 2 hours ahead.} GF Diary

Monday          5^th       {Now light till after 10^O/_C.} GF Diary   Emperor Haile Selassie returns to Ethiopia.    

Tuesday         6^th       8 Enemy bombers down last night.} GF Diary

Wednesday    7^th       {Quiet night for us altho’ our night fighters did well again on enemy raiders.  Cold wind still persists.  Large parade in evening of Home Guard, Scouts, Guides etc. headed with the Army Band in connection with the National Savings Week.} GF Diary

Thursday       8^th       {Up at 4.30 on Guard.  Nice morning.  Cold East Wind.  Frank on Fire Watching in evening. 24 enemy bombers down last night.  12 today.  Grand work RAF!!!  Tennis club meeting in evening.} GF Diary

Friday             9^th       {Raiders again busy –  but quiet night for us.  East wind still continues.  13 enemy bombers down last night.  Severe frost last night.} GF Diary

Saturday        10^th       {Quiet night for us and quieter night in general.} GF Diary                                   Rudolph Hess Hitler’s deputy flies to Scotland.

Sunday         11^th       {Another quiet night –  but London had bad raid –  but 33 bombers were brought down by our stout R.A.F. boys [London’s big fire raid] .} GF Diary                              This was the climax of the ‘Blitz’ and the last major German air raid for 3 years.  Since September 1940 nearly 40,000 have been killed and over 46,000 injured.     

Monday          12^th       {Quiet night for us.  Raids general last night.} GF Diary

Tuesday         13^th       {Great news now released that Hess, Hitler’s deputy landed by parachute on Saturday evening in Scotland.  Home Guard practice in evening on defence of Milton.} GF Diary

Thursday       15^th       {Quiet night but cold.  Snowed in morning.  During the last raid on London, Parliament, Temple Courts and Westminster Abbey were badly damaged and many other notable buildings.} GF Diary

Saturday        17^th       {Rather noisy night but nothing for us to worry about.} GF Diary

Sunday         18^th       {Grand day after Quiet night.} GF Diary

Monday          19^th       {Quiet night.  Duke of Aosta gives in in Abyssinia.} GF Diary

Tuesday         20^th       Crete attacked by  German paratroops in the first major airborne invasion in history.  After a fierce battle they gain control of Máleme airfield enabling seaborne troops to land.   The 42,000 Allied troops defending Crete are forced back to the south coast.  The Mediterranean Fleet is subjected to massive German air attacks forcing it to withdraw its ships off northern Crete after 5,000 German troops were lost on vessels attacked by British warships. 

Wednesday    21^st       {Quiet night for us.  Up at 4.15 on Home Guard duty.} GF Diary

Thursday       22^nd       {Quiet night.  [Luftwaffe off to invade Russia] .} GF Diary

Saturday        24^th       {Hood sunk off Greenland.  Bad knock this [Although outdated the Hood was still regarded as the symbol of the Royal Navy].} GF Diary

Sunday         25^th       {Quiet night.  Show’ry day.  Up and on parade at Hotel Grounds in morning.  Independant [local newspaper] took photos.} GF Diary

Tuesday         27^th       Swordfish aircraft from the carrier Ark Royal disable the Bismarks steering.  The battleships Rodney and King George V leave the Bismark a burning wreck which is then torpedoed. 

Wednesday    28^th       {Quiet night.  Battle for Crete still continues.  Roosevelt gave great speech.  All aid to us.} GF Diary

Friday             30^th       Armistice between Iraq and  Britain.  This leads to a pro-Allied government.

Saturday        31^st       The Royal Navy evacuates 15,000 Allied troops from Crete but loses nine ships.  The Germans have lost nearly 4,000 men killed or missing, the British over 2,700 army and navy.

JUNE 1941

Sunday         1^st

Sunday       8^th               20,000 Free French, British, and Commonwealth troops from Palestine and Iraq invade Syria.  45,000 Vichy French troops and naval units resist.

Sunday       15^th               General Wavell launches Operation Battleaxe to relief Tobruk but abandons it after losing 90 of his 190 tanks against the experienced German armour supported by anti-tank guns.

Saturday        21^st               Damascus falls to the Allies.

Sunday       22^nd          Hitler invades Russia in Operation Barbarosa.  With the German Army of three million men Hitler hopes to destroy the Russian army before the summer ends and the Russians can organize against this surprise attack.  1,800 Soviet aircraft are destroyed on the ground.

Thursday       26^th               Finland declares war on the Soviet Union.                                                                            Brest-Litovsk taken and the Bug river crossed.

Friday             27^th               Hungary declares war on the Soviet Union.

Sunday       29^th 

JULY 1941

Tuesday         1^st               General Wavell is replaced by Auchinleck as Commander in Chief Middle East.

Sunday       6^st

Sunday       13^th

Sunday       20^th

Sunday       27^th

AUGUST 1941

Friday             1^st               The United States stops  exporting  oil to  the eastern hemisphere.  Japan, is entirely dependant on oil imports and is much disadvantaged.         

Tuesday         5^th          Admiral Darlan is appointed to control Vichy French North Africa.

Sunday       3^th

Sunday       10^th

Sunday       17^th

Sunday       24^th

Monday          25^th          Soviet and British forces enter Iran.  There is little resistance and they take over vital oil installations.

Sunday       31^st

SEPTEMBER 1941

Monday          1^st          The seige of Leningrad begins.

Sunday       7^th

Sunday       14^th

Friday             19^th          Kiev falls to the Germans.  The Russians lose 665,000 men. 10 days later the Nazis kill 33,771 jews in the city.

Sunday       21^st

Sunday       28^th

OCTOBER 1941      

Sunday       5^th

Monday          6 ^th               The Germans surround three Russian armies at Bryansk.

Tuesday         7 ^th           The Germans surround six Russian armies at Vyazma.

Wednesday    8 ^th               The start of heavy rain causes German vehicles to bog down in the mud.              

Sunday       12^th

Wednesday    15^th               The Russians begin evacuating Odessa.

Sunday       19^th

Monday          20 ^th               Over 670,000 Russian troops and over 1200 tanks are trapped in the Bryansk and Vyasma pockets.

Sunday       26^th

NOVEMBER 1941

Sunday       2^nd                             

Sunday       9^th               {Blisworth.  Blenheim Z5810 of 13 OTU [Operational Training Unit], Bicester.  Crash due to engine failure, caught fire.}  Michael Gibson. ‘Aviation in Northamptonshire’.

Thursday       13^th          After flying off fighters to Malta the carrier Ark Royal is torpedoed by U-boats.  She sails to within 25 miles of Gibraltar when a fire breaks out and she sinks with 70 aircraft on board.

Sunday       16^th 

Sunday       23^rd

Sunday       30^th

DECEMBER  1941

Saturday        6^th          Britain declares war on Finland, Hungary, and Roumania.

Sunday       7^th               Japan attacks Pearl Harbour destroying six battleships but the vital U.S. aircraft carriers at sea escape.

Monday        8^th          The United States, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Holland declare war on Japan.  China declares war on the Axis states.  The German advance to Moscow is suspended until the spring.

Wednesday    10^th          The Seige of Tobruk lifted.                                                                                                  The battleship Prince of Wales and the battle-cruiser Repulse are sunk by about 90 Japanese aircraft of Malaya.

Thursday       11^th          Germany and Italy declare war on the United States.  The United States then declares war on the two Axis states.                          

Sunday       14^th       

Sunday       21^st

Thursday       25^th               Hong Kong surrenders to the Japanese.

Sunday         28^th

JANUARY  1942

Sunday       4^th

Saturday        10^th               The  Japanese start attacking the Dutch East Indies.

Sunday       11^th

Monday          12^th               The  Japanese Fifteenth Army moves north west into Burma from Thailand.      

Sunday       18^th

Tuesday         20^th               The  Japanese land in Borneo and the Solomon Islands.

Wednesday    21^st  Rommel begins his second desert offensive catching the British 8th Army unawares.

Sunday       25^th

Monday          26^th           The first U.S. troop convoy of the war reaches Great Britain.

Thursday       29^th               Benghazi falls to the Africa Corps.

FEBRUARY  1942

Sunday       1^st

Sunday       8^th

Wednesday    11^th               The German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau together with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen leave Brest and sail through the English Channel.  42 British aircraft are lost in failed air attacks on these ships.  Both battlecruisers hit mines and need repairs.

Saturday        14^th               SINGAPORE SURRENDERS TO THE JAPANESE.                                                                    Britain issues the Area Bombing Directive.  Bomber Command will now aim to destroy the psychological will of the German people as well as the country’s war industry.  Residential areas will be targeted.      

Sunday       15^th

Friday             20^th               Japanese aircraft attack Darwin in Australia.  16 vessels are sunk and 172 lives lost.

Sunday       22^nd               Air Chief Marshall Harris takes over as C.in C. Bomber Command.

MARCH  1942            

Sunday       1^st

Thursday       5^th               General Sir Allan Brook becomes chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee responsible for the daily running of the war.

Sunday       8^th

Monday          9^th               The Japanese complete the conquest of the Dutch East Indies.                 

Sunday       15^th

Sunday       22^nd

Saturday      28^{th          to 29th}               R.A.F. bombers including the new Lancaster attack Lubeck on the Baltic coast.  This raid on the historic timber built town signals the change in Bomber Commands strategy which is now concentrating on the civilian population. Commando raid on St. Nazaire in order to destroy the dry-dock to prevent the German battleship Tirpitz using it.              

Sunday       29^th

APRIL  1942    

Thursday       2^{nd                 to 8th}               Japan’s First air fleet attacks Trincomallee and Columbo in Ceylon.  The British main fleet is at sea and escapes but the aircraft carrier Hermes is sunk.

Sunday       5^th

Sunday       12^th

Sunday       19^th

Sunday       26^th

Wednesday    29^th               The Japanese cut the Burma Road to China.

MAY  1942

Friday             1^st               The city of Mandalay falls to the Japanese.

Sunday       3^rd

Tuesday         5^{th           to 7th}               The British begin the occupation of Vichy French Madagascar in order to deny German access to the island.                                                                                                            U.S. and Filipino forces finally surrender to the  Japanese.

Sunday       10^th

Sunday       17^th

Sunday       24^th

Saturday        30^th               First 1,000 Bomber raid on Cologne.

Sunday       31^st

JUNE  1942

Monday          1^st               Second 1,000 Bomber raid on Essen.  Cloud obscured the target and neighbouring towns received much of what was intended for Essen.  Not a successful raid.

Thursday       4^th                 The Battle of Midway begins.  Japan loses 4 aircraft carriers, half her fleet. The U.S. carrier Yorktown is crippled.

Sunday       7^th

Sunday       14^th

Thursday           18^th            Third 1,000 Bomber raid on Bremen.      

Sunday       21^st               Tobruk falls as The Eighth Army retreats into Egypt.

Sunday       28^th

JULY  1942

Saturday        4^th               The PQ17 convoy to Murmansk loses 23 vessels out of 33 and enormous amounts of supplies intended for Russia to German U boats and aircraft.

Sunday       5^th    

Sunday       12^th

Sunday       19^th

Sunday       26^th

AUGUST  1942

Sunday       2^nd

Friday             7^{th               to 21st}               U.S. Marines land on Guadacanal in the pacific.  Heavy fighting on both land and sea follows.

Sunday       9^th

Thursday           13^th               Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery takes over command of the Eighth Army.

Saturday        15^th               The surviving four vessels of Operation Pedestal, a fourteen ship Gibralter to Malta convoy, reach Valletta.  One of the survivors is vital to the success of the convoy, the American tanker Ohio.  She has been torpedoed and later struck by two bombs but is towed into the Grand Harbour.  The oil she carries is essential for the defence of and continuing  operations from Malta.  Escorted by 64 warships the convoy suffered the loss of more than 400 men, the aircraft carrier Eagle, the light cruisers Cairo and Manchester and the destroyer Foresight. With the fall of Malta not much could have been done to hinder the reinforcement and supply of Rommel’s Africa Corps thus enabling him to make a strong attempt to capture the oilfields of the middle-east.  As it was, within months the Axis Powers had given up trying to take Malta and the way was open for the Allies to go on the offensive.  One of the turning points of the war.  

Sunday       16^th

Monday          17^th           The first wholly US Eighth Army Air Force bomber raid over Europe strikes targets in France.

 Wednesday   19^th               The Dieppe raid by 5,000 Canadian and 1,000 British troops.  Almost 4,000 men are killed or taken prisoner.

Sunday       23^rd

Monday          24^th               German troops reach Stalingrad.

Sunday         30^th            Rommel fails to break the British line at El Alamein.

SEPTEMBER  1942

Sunday       6^th

Saturday        12^th               The liner Laconia carrying 1,800  Italian prisoners as well as British service families is sunk by a U-boat.

Sunday       13^th

Sunday       20^th

Sunday       27^th.

OCTOBER  1942

Sunday       4^th

Sunday       11^th

Sunday       18^th

Friday             23^rd               Montgomery attacks the Africa Corps of 104,000 men with an enormous artillery bombardment.  There are 195,000 troops British, Commonwealth and Free French in the Eighth Army.

Sunday       25^th

NOVEMBER  1942

Sunday       1^st

Monday          2^{nd               to 24th}               Field Marshall Rommel decides to withdaw from Alamein.  By the 24th the Africa Corps are back at El Agheila.  Germany and Italy have lost 59,000 men killed, wounded, or captured.  Eighth Army losses are 13,000 killed wounded or missing.

Thursday           5^th               Vichy French forces in Madagascar surrender. 

Sunday       8^{th               to 11th}               73,000 U.S. and British troops land at Casablanca and Oran in Vichy French North Africa.  Admiral Darlan agrees to support the Allies.

Wednesday    11^th               German and Italian forces occupy Vichy France to prevent an Allied invasion.      

Sunday       15^th

Tuesday         17^{th               to 28th}               British paratroopers land in Tunisia and join a limited advance towards Bizerta.  By the 28th they are within 20 miles of Tunis but are halted there by Axis counter attacks.

Thursday           19^th               General Georgi Zhukov launches a Soviet counter offensive at Stalingrad with 10 armies, 900 tanks, and 1,100 aircraft.  The aim is to encirle the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad.

Wednesday    25^th               An Airlift to supply the German Sixth Army encircled at Stalingrand starts with 320 aircraft. The operation which eventually requires 500 aircraft lasts until February 1943.         

Sunday       22^nd 

Friday             27^th               Vichy French naval forces in Toulon are scuttled with the loss of 72 vessels including three battleships before the Germans can seize them.

Sunday       29^th

DECEMBER  1942

Tuesday         1^st               The  Beveridge Report for postwar Britain proposes a state pension and health care for everyone.

Tuesday         2^nd               The first controlled nuclear chain reaction is made.  It is a key step in making the atomic bomb.

Sunday       6^th

Sunday       13^th

Sunday       20^th 

Thursday       24^th            Admiral Darlan shot dead by a young Frenchman who accuses him of betraying the Vichy regime.

Sunday       27^th

JANUARY  1943

Sunday       3^rd

Sunday       10^th

Thursday       14^{th               to 23rd}               Churchill and Roosevelt meet at Casablanca, Morocco.      

Sunday       17^th

Sunday       24^th

Saturday        30^th               British bombers make the first daylight bombing raid on Berlin.

Sunday        31^st

FEBRUARY  1943

Monday          1^{st               to 9th}           The Japanese evacuate Guadalcanal.  The first major land defeat of Japan.

Tuesday         2^nd               Field Marshal Von Paulus surrenders his 93,000 troops to the Russians at Stalingrad.

Sunday       7^th

Monday          8^th               Soviet forces re-take the city of Kursk.

Sunday       14^{th               to 22nd}               US II Corps routed by Rommel’s Africa Corps in the Kaserine Pass.

Monday          15^th               Kharkov recaptured by the Russians..      

Sunday       21^st

Sunday         28^th

MARCH  1943

Friday             5^th               Bomber Command starts a four month offensive against the Ruhr.  367 bombers first strike the Krupp works at Essen.  14 aircraft are missing.

Saturday        6^{th               to 20th}               Two Atlantic convoys are attacked by a wolf pack of 20 U-boats.  21 ships are sunk at the cost of one U-boat.  This is an unsustainable rate for the Allies.

Sunday       7^th    

Saturday        13^th               German Army officers attempting to assasinate Hitler put a bomb in his aircraft. The bomb fails to explode.

Sunday       14^th               Following an offensive started on February 14th Field Marshall Manstein has trapped and destroyed the Russian 3rd Tank Army.  This saves the German front for the time being.

Saturday        20^{th               to 28th}               Montgomery launches an attack against the Mareth Line and despite a counter attack by the15th Panzer Division the weakened German forces fall back.      

Sunday       21^st

Sunday       28^th

APRIL  1943

Sunday       4^th               {Viewed the gale damage, also the tank manoeuvres and ironstone workings.  How soon the face of the land changes.} GF Diary

Wednesday    7^th

Saturday        10^th               British troops enter the port of Sfax relieving the long supply lines from Tripoli.

Sunday       11^th

Saturday        17^th               115 B17 Flying Fortresses of the US 8th Army Air Force attack Bremen aircraft factories.  16  B17’s are lost.      

Sunday       18^th               Admiral Yamamoto C.in C. of the Japanese navy is killed when his plane is brought down by US fighters.

MAY  1943

Sunday       25^th           Tunis and Bizerta captured.              

Sunday       2^nd

Friday             7^th                           

Sunday       9^th

Thursday       13^th               Axis forces in Tunisia surrender.  There are about 620,000 German and Italian casualties and

                                  prisoners.  Allied casualties just over 57,000.                     

Sunday       16^{th               to 17th}               The Mohne and Eder Dams attacked with “bouncing” bombs by 19 Lancasters led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson.  8 Lancasters are lost.                                                         The end of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.  14,000 jews have been killed and 42,000 sent to labour and concentration camps.

Saturday        22^nd               U-boats at sea in the north Atlantic are recalled.  Around 56 U-boats have been destroyed since April, a high rate of loss for the Germans.  The U-boat code Triton has been decoded,  more escort ships are coming into service as are the MAC ships [Merchant aircraft carriers], and improved equipment and tactics are now being used.                     

Sunday       23^rd

Sunday        30^th

JUNE  1943

Sunday       6^th

Tuesday         8 ^th       {Tiffield.  Wellington BJ981 of 16 OTU, Upper Heyford, Oxon.  Spiralled into ground, breaking up. Structural failure.} Michael Gibson. ‘Aviation in Northamptonhire’.

Sunday       13^th

Sunday       20^th

Sunday       27^th

JULY  1943

Sunday       4^th

Saturday        10^th               An armada of 2500 ships lands the British Eighth Army (General Montgomery), and the American Seventh Army (General Patton) in Sicily.

Sunday       11^th

Monday          12^{th               to 24th}               The Russians counter attack the Germans attacking the Kursk Salient. The greatest tank battle in history ensues.  The Germans are forced back to their original positions. They have lost 550 tanks and 500,000 men.  Their strategic armoured reserves have been wiped out.  It is their last major attack on the eastern front.         

Sunday       18^th

Saturday        24^{th               to August 2nd.} A series of four attacks are made by Bomber Command on Hamburg.  The raid of the 27^th/28^th of July results in a fire storm.  50,000 are killed and 800,000 made homeless in these raids.              

Sunday       25^th               Mussolini is arrested and Marshal Badoglio forms a new government.

AUGUST  1943

Sunday       1^st               A US force of 178 Liberator bombers fly 1,000 miles from Libya to attack the Romanian Ploesti oil fields at low level.  54 aircraft are lost.                 

Sunday       8^th 

Sunday       15^th

Tuesday         17^th               The  Allied occupation of Sicily is completed.

                                                   597 British bombers attack the rocket research centre at Peenemünde on the Baltic Sea.    376 USAAF B17 Flying Fortresses attack the ball bearing factories at Schweinfurt and Regensburg.  60 aircraft are lost and many more damaged beyond repair.  Escorting P47 Thunderbolts and Spitfire fighters have not the range to escort the bombers beyond Belgium.

Sunday       22^nd

Monday               23^rd               Kharkov retaken by the Russians.

Wednesday    25^th          {Roade.  Wellington HE555 of 17 OTU, Silverstone.  Forced landed due to engine failure, burnt out.} Michael Gibson. ‘Aviation in Northamptonhire’.

Sunday         29^th

SEPTEMBER  1943

Friday             3^rd               Montgomery’s Eighth Army crosses the straits of Messina and lands in Calabria.

Sunday       5^th    

Wednesday    8^th               Italy surrenders to the Allies.  German troops take over the northern half of the country.

Thursday       9^th               US Fifth Army and British X Corps land at Salerno.                                  

Sunday       12^th

Sunday       19^{th               to 23rd}               20 U-boats now fitted with new electronic equipment and accoustic torpedoes attack two convoys.  There are concerning losses of warships and merchant vessels.

Sunday        26^th

OCTOBER  1943

Friday             1^st               British troops enter Naples.

Sunday       3^rd

Monday            4 ^th               {Roade.  Tomahawk AH895 of 26 OTU, Wing, Bucks.  Crashed in a forced landing.} Michael Gibson. ‘Aviation in Northamptonhire’.  

Sunday       10^th

Thursday       14^th               67 out of 291 USAAF Fortresses are lost and 140 damaged raiding Schweinfurt, a 23% loss with not much to show for it.  In November P38 Lightning and P51 Mustang fighters fitted with long range drop tanks will begin arriving from America in substantial numbers.  The Thunderbolts already in England will also be fitted with these extra fuel tanks.  The fighters will then have the range to escort the Fortress bombers over Germany.               

Sunday       17^th

Sunday       24^th

Sunday        31^st