June

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.

1940 An armistice is signed between France and Italy at Villa Indusa near Rome. China protests to France over closure of Indo-Chinese border; Japanese request closure of Burma Road controlled by Britain and used to supply Chinese forces. British government sends gold bullion and securities to Canada for safekeeping. 1941 House of Commons votes for

1940 The German advance continues down west coast of France. Pierre Laval is appointed as Vice-Premier, while de Gaulle is cashiered by Weygand for announcing the formation of French National Committee in London. First British commando raid on France is made at Le Touquet. Hitler makes a brief sightseeing visit to Paris. Driving through nearly

1940 Franco-German armistice negotiations begin at Compiegne, during which Hitler informs the French representatives of his terms in the same railway carriage as the German surrender was signed in 1918. Hitler issues a proclamation announcing the end of the war in the West and orders flags to be flown throughout Germany for ten days. The

1940 FDR appoints former Republicans to counter isolationists: Henry Stimson as Secretary of Army Frank Knox as Secretary of Navy They join Hull, Morgenthau, and Hopkins as the “war cabinet” Both Houses of Parliament meet in secret session to discuss Home Defense. German troops capture Lyons and the vital port of Brest in Brittany. French

1940 If invaders come leaflet is issued by Ministry of Information to all households. The British Jockey Club announces no more racing until further notice. The Germans invite the French to send a representative to discuss armistice terms as their troops reach River Loire, advance on Lyons, capture Strasbourg, Brest and Tours. Rommel takes Cherbourg.