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| Adjutant General Brownrigg, Douglas |  |
| 1st Sep Appointed Adjutant-General of the British Expeditionary Force |
| Admiral Pound, Dudley | |
| London Appointed Admiral of the Fleet |
| Alliance Chamberlain, Neville | |
| 29th Mar Embarks on policy which leads to British declaration of war against Germany |
| 29th Mar Ends appeasement of Germany by commiting Britain to defend Poland |
| 31st Mar Britain & France pledge to support Poland |
| April An Alliance is signed with Poland providing for reciprocal guarantees |
| 13th April Britain & France pledge to support Greece |
| 13th April Britain & France pledge to support Romania |
| 23rd April Warns Hitler Britain will support Poland in the event of an attack |
| 25th Aug After Germany's pact with Russia Britain completes the Anglo-Polish Defence Alliance |
| Ambassador Seeds, William | |
| Moscow Appointed Ambassador to Russia |
| Armament Chamberlain, Neville | |
| 3rd Sep Parliament passes the National Services (Armed Forces) Act |
| Armament Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer | |
| 14th July London A Ministry of Supply is created, 1st advocated by Churhill in 1936 |
| Battle of River Plate Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer | |
| Dec River Plate A major propaganda victory for the British during the Phony War, Churchill's reputation is enhanced |
| Battle of River Plate Harwood, Henry | |
| Dec Montevideo Ajax & Achilles shadow the Graf Spee into the neutral port of Montevideo |
| Dec River Plate Commands the HMS Achilles during the battle of the River Plate |
| Battle of River Plate Woodhouse, Charles | |
| Dec Montevideo Ajax & Achilles shadow the Graf Spee into the neutral port of Montevideo |
| Birth of Charlton, Bobby Charlton, Bobby | |
| 11th Oct Ashington Birth of Robert "Bobby" Charlton |
| Birth of Napier Bell, Simon Napier-Bell, Simon | |
| 22nd April Ealing Birth of Simon Napier-Bell |
| Birth of Springfield, Dusty Springfield, Dusty | |
| 16th April Birth of Dusty Springfield |
| Bombing of Firth of Forth Chamberlain, Neville | |
| 16th Oct Firth of Forth 1st air attack on British territory |
| Broadcast Churchill Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer | |
| 1st Oct London Churchill makes his 1st wartime broadcast, after the defeat of Poland |
| Broadcast George VI George VI | |
| 3rd Sep Makes a broadcast to the nation after the declaration of war |
| Broadcast Propaganda Joyce, William | |
| Broadcasts German propoganda from theThird Reich |
| Joyce's upper class tones earn him the name "Lord Haw Haw" |
| Chief of General Staff BEF Pownall Pownall, Henry | |
| 1st Sep Appointed Chief-of-Staff of the British Expeditionary Force |
| Chief of Imperial General Staff Ironside | |
| 1st Sep Appointed Chief of Imperial General Staff |
| Chief of Naval Staff Pound, Dudley | |
| Appointed Chief-of-Staff, Naval |
| Appointed Chief of Naval Staff |
| Civil Defense Anderson, John | |
| 4th Sep Given responsibility for interning enemy aliens, evacuations & building shelters |
| 4th Sep Launches a program to build "Anderson" shelters |
| Commander 2nd Army Corps Brooke, Alan Francis | |
| Appointed Commander of the 2nd Corps of the British Expeditionary Force in France |
| Commander 3rd Division Montgomery, Bernard Law | |
| 28th Aug Appointed Commander of the 3rd Division |
| Commander Bomber Group 5 Harris, Arthur Travers | |
| Appointed Commander Bomber Group 5 |
| Commander in Chief Cunningham, Andrew | |
| London Appointed Commander-in-Chief |
| Commander in Chief Vereker | |
| London Appointed Commander-in-Chief |
| Commander in Chief Wavell | |
| Aug Cairo Establishes his HQ in Cairo |
| Aug Appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Middle East |
| Commander Northern Patrol Horton, Max Kennedy | |
| Appointed Commander of the Northern Patrol |
| Conscription Chamberlain, Neville | |
| 27th April Conscription is introduced |
| Crisis Chamberlain, Neville | |
| 21st Aug Danzig Calls an emergency Cabinet meeting on the Danzig crisis & threat to peace |
| Declaration of War Chamberlain, Neville | |
| 3rd Sep London Declares war on Germany, at 11 AM |
| Declaration of War George VI | |
| 3rd Sep Antibes Present at Antibes when Britain declares war |
| Diplomacy Chamberlain, Neville | |
| Signs an agreement with Poland |
| Signs an agreement with Turkey |
| London A coal agreement is signed with Germany & a team of negotiators visits Britain |
| Jan Visits Rome to prise Italy from the Axis, invited by Mussolini to pressurise France |
| Jan Rome Visits Rome to prise Italy from the Axis, invited by Mussolini to pressurise France |
| 27th Feb London Recognizes the Franco Government in Spain |
| 14th Mar London Announces in the Commons Britain cannot honour Czech obligations |
| 28th April Hitler accuses Britain of "encirclement" |
| 28th April Hitler denounces Germany's non-aggression pact with Poland |
| May Russia offers a tripartite Alliance with France & Britain |
| 19th Sep Danzig Hitler triumphantly enters Danzig & offers concilliation with France & Britain |
| 6th Oct Hitler's offers of peace to France & Britain are rejected |
| 12th Oct Chamberlain dismisses Hitler's offer of peace |
| 26th Oct A pact of mutual assistance is signed between Turkey, France & Britain |
| Diplomacy Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer | |
| 5th Jan Paris Visits Leon Blum |
| April London Campaigns with Eden for an immediate Alliance with Russia & France |
| May Russia offers a tripartite Alliance with France & Britain, Churchill urges acceptence |
| 10th May Chartwell Leon Blum visits Churchill |
| 9th July London Churchill urges Britain to form a military Alliance with Russia |
| 5th Nov Paris Visits the French Minister of Marine to discuss joint Anglo-French naval activity |
| Diplomacy George VI | |
| Mar Tours Canada |
| Mar Tours the USA |
| 6th May Leaves for Canada |
| 17th May Wolfe's Cove Berths at Wolfe's Cove 1 mile from Quebec |
| 19th May Ottawa Address es the Canadian Parliament & gives Royal Assent to Canadian Bills |
| 7th June Niagra Falls Cross es the Niagra Suspension Bridge into the United States |
| 7th June Niagra Falls Greeted by President Roosevelt & his wife |
| Diplomacy Henderson, Neville | |
| 23rd Aug London Hands over a letter to Hitler from Chamberlain saying that Britain will defend Poland |
| Dynamo Brooke, Alan Francis | |
| Dunkirk Directs defensive actions which secure the escape of the BEF from Dunkirk |
| Expulsion Cripps Cripps, Stafford | |
| Expelled from the Labour Party after he disaffiliates the Socialist League |
| First Lord of the Admiralty Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer | |
| 3rd Sep London Appointed First Sea Lord of the Admiralty & Member of the Cabinet |
| 4th Sep London 1st day at the Admiralty |
| First Lord of the Admiralty Dudley, Albert | |
| London Appointed Chief-of-Staff, Naval |
| London Appointed Chief-of-Staff of the Navy |
| First Sea Lord Pound, Dudley | |
| London Appointed First Sea Lord |
| Head Civil Service Wilson Wilson, Horace John | |
| London Appointed Head of the Civil Service |
| Head MI6 Menzies Menzies, Stewart | |
| 4th Nov Appointed Head of MI6 |
| Installation Radar Dowding, Hugh | |
| Uxbridge Completes a national radar network linked to a centre in Uxbridge |
| Invasion of Czech Chamberlain, Neville | |
| 14th Mar London Germany invades Prague despite the Munich Agreement |
| 14th Mar London Says Britain has no obligation to Czech because it has ceased to exist as a state |
| Invasion of France Vereker | |
| 9th Sep The 1st units of the BEF embark for France under Lord Gort |
| Invasion of Norway Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer | |
| 19th Sep Proposes an invasion of Norway to intercept Germany's supply of iron-ore from Sweden |
| Invasion of Poland Chamberlain, Neville | |
| 1st Sep London Demands Hitler halt his Invasion of Poland |
| 19th Sep Danzig Hitler triumphantly enters Danzig & offers concilliation with France & Britain |
| Invasion of Poland Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer | |
| 2nd Aug London Warns the House of Commons of an imminent German attack on Poland |
| Invention Radar Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer | |
| 11th July The final day of the Air Defense Research Committee |
| 11th July 20 radar stations in service can detect aircraft flying above 10,000 ft |
| Legislation National Service Chamberlain, Neville | |
| 3rd Sep Parliament passes the National Services (Armed Forces) Act |
| Lieutenant General Wilson | |
| London Commands the forces in Egypt |
| Maginot Line Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer | |
| Aug Maginot Line Invited by Paul Reynaud to examine the defences of the Maginot Line |
| Major Montgomery, Bernard Law | |
| Appointed Major-General |
| Appointed Major-General, takes Division to France under Brooke as his corps Commander |
| Marriage of Elizabeth II Elizabeth II | |
| Dartmouth Elizabeth II first meets Prince Philip |
| Marriage of Philip Philip | |
| Dartmouth Philip first meets Elizabeth II |
| Military Assistant Guingand Guingand, Francis de | |
| Appointed Military Assistant to the Secretary of State for War |
| Minister of Dominions Inskip, Thomas | |
| Appointed Minister for the Dominions |
| Minister of Food Morrison | |
| Appointed Minister of Food |
| Ministry of Supp Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer | |
| 22nd Feb London In the Commons Churchill calls for a Ministry of Supply |
| 14th July London A Ministry of Supply is created, 1st advocated by Churhill in 1936 |
| Mobilization Chamberlain, Neville | |
| Mar Cabinet decides in the event of war with Germany an army will be sent to Europe |
| 29th Mar Cabinet decides to double the territorial force |
| 27th April Conscription is introduced |
| 29th April London Conscription is created for 6 months service for men aged 20 |
| 12th Sep Abbeville Advises Daladier that it had been wise not to undertake large scale operations |
| 12th Sep Abbeville Attends the 1st meeting of the Anglo-French Supreme War Council |
| Mobilization Montgomery, Bernard Law | |
| 1st Sep Full mobilization of the 3rd Division is ordered |
| Nobel Prize Baden-Powell, Robert | |
| Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize but the Norwegian Nobel Committee decides not to award any prize because of WW II |
| Pact Mutual Assistance Chamberlain, Neville | |
| 26th Oct A pact of mutual assistance is signed between Turkey, France & Britain |
| Parliament Opening Chamberlain, Neville | |
| 29th Aug London Parliament is reopened |
| Prime Minister Chamberlain, Neville | |
| 1st Sep London Asks Churchill to join the Cabinet as First Lord of the Admiralty |
| Publication of La Mare La Mare, Walter John de | |
| Publication of, "Behold, This Dreamer" |
| Publication of Wells Wells, Herbert George | |
| Publication of, "The Holy Terror" |
| Reform of Conscription Chamberlain, Neville | |
| 29th April London Conscription is created for 6 months service for men aged 20 |
| Reform of Defense Chamberlain, Neville | |
| 24th Aug London Gives full authority of the law to the "defense regulations" issued by the government |
| Resignation of Chamberlain Chamberlain, Neville | |
| 9th May London Appeals for unity & invites Greenwood & Attlee to join the Government with him as PM |
| Secretary Dominions Eden, Robert Anthony | |
| London Appointed Dominions Secretary |
| Secretary Home Anderson, John | |
| 4th Sep London Appointed Home Secretary |
| Secretary State of Air Wood, Kingsley | |
| London Appointed Secretary of State for Air |
| Sinking Clement Chamberlain, Neville | |
| 30th Sep The Admiral Graf Spee sinks the steamship Clement |
| Sinking Corageous Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer | |
| 18th Sep The Corageous is sunk with the loss of over 500 lives |
| Sinking Royal Oak Chamberlain, Neville | |
| 14th Oct Scapa Flow A U-47 penetrates the British anchorage & sinks the Royal Oak |
| Sinking Royal Oak Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer | |
| 14th Oct Scapa Flow The Royal Oak is sunk in Scapa Flow |
| Speech Churchill Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer | |
| 10th Mar Defends his opposition to appeasement to his constituents |
