January

1                      Britain called up 2,000,000 men aged between 19 – 27 for military service

 

2                      Margaret Lee (my grandmother) died of Acute Primary Pneumonia age 59 just 3 months

                        after her daughter Clara. Margaret is buried fairly close to Clara at Streatham Park Cemetery

                        but there is no headstone.

 

8                      Rationing of Butter, Sugar and Bacon begins in Britain

 

15                    Twice as many people killed on the roads in the UK due to the blackout restrictions than

                        are killed by enemy action.

 

17                    Very cold weather affecting most of Europe caused the River Thame to freeze for the

                        first time since 1888

 

26 – 30             Sever winter weather across Britain

 

February

22                    Two IRA bombs explode in London injuring 12 people.

 

March

3 – 9                RMS Queen Elizabeth makes her maiden voyage on delivery from Clydebank to New York

 

11                    Meat rationing introduced

 

16                    First British civilian casualty of bombing on Orkney islands in Scotland

April

1                      Private Henry Lake begins his military service in the General Service Corps

                        at Tulse Hill, London

 

5                      Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain tells the British people that Hitler has “missed the boat”

                        meaning an invasion of the west was unlikely to succeed

 

9                      Denmark invaded by Germany despite declaring neutrality

 

12 – 13             Britain invades the Faroe Islands to stop Germany having Atlantic port

                        (The Faroe islands being an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark)

May

1                      Amalgamated Engineering Union agrees to allow women to work in

                        munitions factories

 

9                      Conscription age in Britain now increased to 36

 

10                    Neville Chamberlain resigned and is replaced by Winston Church who formed a coalition

                        from all three main parties.

                        Germany invades France.

                        Germany also invaded Belgium despite it’s declaration to remain neutral.

 

13                    Queen Wilhelmina of Netherlands evacuated to London

 

14                    Secretary of State for War Anthony Eden calls for volunteers to form a

                        Local Volunteer Defence Force, 250,000 volunteer in the first 24 hours

                        The name changed to the Home Guard from 23 July.

 

15                    Butter ration reduced to 4oz per head a week in Britain

 

23                    Alien Interment began for foreign nationals in Britain

 

26                    Dunkirk evacuation began 300,000 troops evacuated from France to

                        Britain by an army of small boats, evacuation lasted until 6 June

 

27                    Sugar ration reduced to 8oz per head a week in Britain

                        Evacuation at Dunkirk begins on the first day 7,669 troops were evacuated

                        By 4th June 338,226 allied troops had been evacuated by 800 boats

 

28                    Belgium were forced to surrender to Germany after the King and his troops held out

                        for 18 days against overwhelming odds

June

1                      All signposts that might be helpful to parachutists landing in Britain are taken down

                        Italy join the war with the Axis

 

4                      Churchill makes his barnstorming speech which included “We shall fight on the beaches,

                        in the fields, in the hills and on the streets, we shall never surrender”

 

7                      King Haakon VII of Norway and his government were evacuated to London

                          

                        France capitulated when Marshall Petain (head of a new French Government) called for an 

                        armistace with Germany.

                        General De Gaulle sets up a Free French Volunteer Legion in Britain established by 26 Jun.

                        The French Resistance became heroic in their battles with occupying forces and helping allied

                        soldiers escape capture

 

                        Despite his reluctance Winston Churchill agreed that, now France had fallen,

                        the Channel Islands were now un-defendable and were of no strategic importance and

                        withdrew all military from the islands.

 

16 - 18             Boats from Jersey Yacht Club helped in the evacuation of British Troops from St Malo France

 

17                    RMS Lancastria while serving as a troop ship is sunk by the Luftwaffe with the loss of

                        4,000 lives, news of the event was suppressed in the British press

 

18                    Churchill made his Battle of Britain speech – “The Battle for France is over the Battle of Britain

                        is about to begin”

 

22                    France signed the armistice with Germany.

                       Terms of the armistace include the French army being disbanded, half of France to be

                        occupied by German forces (the Vichy French part not being occupied) and France had to

                        bear the cost of the German invasion

 

                        London County Council’s 2nd evacuation scheme completed with 100,000 children moved

                        from London to the West country and Wales.

 

23                    The last official evacuation boat left Guernsey for the UK, on board were Lake family members

                        including Gertrude Knewstubb (nee Falla) (my 1st cousin once removed) and her daughter

                        Rosemary. Gertrude’s husband, Francis, had sent his family to Guernsey thinking it would

                        be safer there, than the UK mainland. Gertrude’s parents George Poat Falla & Alice Amelia Lake

                        should have got on the boat as well but changed their minds and stayed in Guernsey 

                        saying that was their home.

 

                          BBC Forces programme Music While You Work began broadcasting

 

24                    John William Lake met the party from Guernsey at Waterloo Station. He was very

                        disappointed that his sister Alice was not with them.  Gertrude and family were on their

                        way home to Newcastle.Rosemary was unwell during the journey from Guernsey to

                        Newcastle and shortly after arriving home she died from flu aged 4.

 

28                    The Channel Islands were now demilitarised by Britain but this was not known by the

                        German forces. On this day German bombers flew over the islands bombing the harbours

                        of St Helier in Jersey & St Peter Port in Guernsey because they thought tomato lorries were

                        troop carriers, 44 islanders were killed in the raids.

 

30                    German forces landed on Guernsey when they realised that the islands were un-defended.

                        Guernsey officially surrendered on June 31st, Jersey officially surrendered in 1st July, 

                        Alderney on the 2nd and Sark on the 4th.

                        The islands were the only part of Britain held by Germany during the war.

                        Islanders had to live under German occupation for five years, this included family members

                        Alice Amelia Lake, George Poat Falla, John Coombes, James L Travers and some of the Travers

                        family who all had to complete German Registration Forms

July                

1                      The Hutchinson Internment Camp opened in Douglas, Isle of Man for foreign nationals of

                        German & Italian descent who lived in Britain.  It was also used for British fascists.

 

9                      The Luftwaffe started bombing the UK, the start of what became known as the Battle of Britain.

 

17                    To celebrate Bastille day General De Gaulle and the Free French layed wreaths at the

                        Cenotaph in London.

 

19                    Adolf Hitler made a peace proposal to Britain who flatly rejected the terms of the proposal.

 

                        Also in July Tea became rationed in Britain

August

6                      Estonia became part of the Soviet Union

 

8                      A British soldiers pay increased by 6d a day. Privates pay now 17s 6d a week

                        (In 2013=£41.50p)

 

9                      Birmingham blitz started, by the end of the year 800 civilians of the city had been killed,

                        2,345 injured and 20,000 made homeless.

                       

12                    Wasting food became illegal in Britain

 

19                    Luftwaffe bombers attacked aircraft factories

 

23                    RAF airfields attacked as well as locations in Aberdeen, Bristol & South Wales.

                        This night saw an accidental bombing at Harrow on the outskirts of London.

                        Strict orders were, that London was not to be bombed, unless by direct instructions of Hitler

 

24                    100 killed during bombing at Portsmouth

 

25                    British bombers set out to destroy industrial areas near Berlin

September

4                      Hitler speech directed that British cities including London would be obliterated if

                        British bombing runs of Germany did not stop

 

5                      Hitler directs bombing runs on UK cities including London

 

7                      400 German bombers and 600 German fighter planes launch a raid on

                        the east end of London. This heavy blitz of London continued for 57 consecutive nights.

                        The basement of 22 De Laune Street was used partly as an office for John William's work

                        as a Trade Union Representative but also a games room with Table Tennis, Bagatelle

                        Bar Billiards Table, Shovehappeny and small tables for Cards and Beetle Drives.

                        During the blitz this was used as a shelter and half the street used to go in there

 

8                      Following the tragic events of his daughter, his wife and his niece dying and his sister being       

                        under German occupation in Guernsey all happening within 12 months John William Lake

                        became frail and suffered a breakdown and was taken into Lambeth Hospital.

 

15                    During two massive German air raids Lambeth Hospital was hit and John William Lake

                        along with many other patients had to be moved to Horton Emergency Hospital, Epsom

                        Surrey. This was usually just a Psychiatric hospital but for the duration of the war it was used

                        as an general emergency hospital due to the bombing of London

                      

23                    King George VI announces the creation of the George Cross the second highest decoration

                        after the Victoria Cross for Military and the highest decoratiom for civilians

                       

24                    To date 444,000 children had been evacuated from London to the countryside.

                        New plans now were to evacuate mothers with children under school age from blitz areas

 

26                    Some family members went to visit John Lake in Epsom and they said it was a very long walk

                       from the station

 

27                    Tripartite pact signed between Germany, Italy & Japan

 

28                    John William Lake died at Horton Emergency Hospital Esher of Cardiac Failure &

                        Arterio Sclerosis and senility John is also buried at Streatham Park Cemetery but in a

                        different area to his wife and daughter, there is no headstone.                      

October

7                      Another baby born to William & Emily Lake this time in Bedfordshire away from the London

                        bombing

 

28                    It was announced that 489,000 more children would be evacuated from London

                       

November

6                      14 children were killed when a German bomb hit the Southampton Civic Centre

 

9                      Former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain died

 

11                    Royal Navy launched the first Aircraft Carrier strike in history on the Italian naval fleet

                        at Taranto.

 

14                    The City of Coventry suffered a devastating attack when 515 German bombers blitzed the city

                        150,000 incendiary devices, 503 tons of explosives and 130 parachute mines were dropped on

                        the city. On this one night 568 civilians were killed and 868 badly injured, 60,000 buildings

                        were destroyed or damaged including the famous Cathedral.

 

19                    Air raids across central England in Birmingham, West Bromwich, Dudley & Tipton. 

                        900 civilians were killed and 2,000 injured

 

20                    Hungary signed the Tripartite Agreement with Germany

 

23 & 30            Southampton Blitz saw 2,300 bombs drop on the city. 470 tons of explosives and 30,000

                       incendiary devices destroyed or damaged 45,000 buildings. Much of the city centre was

                       destroyed. Among the casualties was Edgar L Perry who had survived the sinking of the

                       Titanic but was killed with his wife while trying to take shelter from the bombing

 

27                    Bombing at Plymouth an oil depot set alight

 

December

12 - 15             Sheffield Blitz 660 civilians killed, 1,500 injured and 40,000 made homeless,

                        with 78,000 homes damaged by the bombing. King George VI, Queen Elizabeth

                        and Winston Churchill all toured the city as they did in other cities.                    

 

20 – 22             Air raids started over Liverpool with 365 killed.

                        The raids saw several instances of direct hits on air raid shelters 42 in one shelter were

                        killed, 74 in another and 40 were killed whilst standing under railway arches

                        The raids continued into 1941

 

22- 24              Manchester blitz 684 killed and 2,364 injured. On the first night 272 tons of explosives

                        and 1.032 incendiary devices were dropped. On the second night 195 tons of

                        explosives and 893 incendiary devices

 

29                    The Second Great Fire of London as it is referred to after 24,000 tons of explosives and

                        100,000 incendiary devices were dropped on the city. The area affected was from

                        Islington to St Pauls Cathedral making it bigger than that of the original Great Fire in 1666.

                        1,500 fires were burning which joined up to form three major conflagrations.

                        Winston Churchill urged that St Pauls be saved at any cost. Firewatchers were putting out

                        incendiary bombs on the roof of St Pauls. 14 firemen died that night with 250 being injured

                        Buildings destroyed included 19 churches and Paternoster Row the centre of the

                        publishing trade during which 5 million books were lost

                        Members of the Lake Family lived just 3 miles from St Paul’s Cathedral