June

1940 Home Defense commander Ironside announces the creation of the lronsides, small groups of highly mobile, armed men for defense against parachutists. The Germans begin ‘Operation Red’, the Battle of France with 119 divisions, including 10 Panzer division’s. Army Group B, with 50 divisions, opens the offensive against the French left wing which is anchored

1940 Churchill tells Commons ‘We shall fight on the beaches, in the fields, in the streets and in the hills. We shall never surrender.’ Holiday camps are banned within 10 miles of east and south-east coasts of England and Isle of Wight. German troops enter Dunkirk, taking 40,000 French prisoners and huge quantities of abandoned

1940 All aliens and stateless persons living in Britain are forbidden to leave home between 10:30 pm and 6 am. Churchill orders the setting up of commando forces to be used for raiding occupied Europe. The last night of the Dunkirk evacuation sees 26,700 French soldiers lifted from the beaches. This brings the total rescued

1940 26,200 British and French troops are evacuated from the beaches at Dunkirk. Virtually all British soldiers have now been evacuated and so the remaining French troops have taken over the defense of the perimeter. 1941 US statement of policy respecting French possessions in the Western Hemisphere. Hitler and Mussolini meet at the Brenner Pass

1940 All signposts which might be helpful to parachutists landing in Britain taken down. Unemployment in Britain falls 92,000 in May to 881,000, giving a total fall of 611,000 in a year. German onslaught continues at Dunkirk. General Lord Gort, C-in-C BEF, returns from Flander’s with another 64,400 troops who were evacuated off the beaches this day.

*1934 Adolf Hitler began his ”blood purge” of political and military leaders in Germany. Among those killed was one-time Hitler ally Ernst Roehm, leader of the Nazi stormtroopers. 1940 Germans troops land on Guernsey in the Channel Islands. The last French defenders of the Maginot Line surrender. Governor General of Hong Kong orders evacuation of

1940 Japan declares the South Seas to be in its sphere of influence. President Roosevelt signs the Alien Registration Act; 5 million foreigners will register and be fingerprinted. 1941 Lord Beaverbrook becomes Minister of Supply in Cabinet reshuffle. Goering is named Hitler’­s successor. Russian defense Committee is formed with Stalin, Molotov, Voroshilov, Malenkov and Beria.

1940 The Alien Registration Act (the Smith Act) passed by the US Congress requires aliens to register and be fingerprinted. The Act makes it illegal to advocate the overthrow of the US government. German aircraft bomb Jersey. British government recognizes de Gaulle as leader of ëFree Frenchí. Channel Islands demilitarized and partially evacuated. The Pope