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 1st of
January 1940 to the 3rd 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
1st
Germany invades Poland.
Sunday 3rd
Britain, France, Australia, and New Zealand declare war on Germany.
The liner Athenia is torpedoed with the loss of 112
lives.
Tuesday 5th
South Africa declares war on Germany.
Sunday 10th Canada
declares war on Germany. The
British Expeditionary force commanded by General
Gort begins landing in France.
Sunday 17th
The USSR invades Poland. The
aircraft carrier Courageous is sunk by U39 off S.W. Ireland.
Sunday 24th
OCTOBER 1939
Sunday 1st
Sunday 8th
Saturday
14th
The battleship Royal Oak is sunk in Scapa Flow with the loss of
736 lives.
Sunday 15th
Sunday 22nd
Sunday 29th
NOVEMBER 1939
Sunday 5th
Sunday 12th
Sunday 19th
Thursday
23rd
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 26th
Thursday
30th
The USSR invades Finland.
DECEMBER 1939
Sunday 3rd
Sunday 10th
Wednesday
13th
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 17th
The Graf Spee is scuttled on the orders of captain Langsdorff.
Langsdorff later commits suicide.
Saturday
23rd
The first Canadian troops arrive in Britain.
Sunday 24th
Sunday 31st
JANUARY 1940
Sunday
14th {Frost in ground about 8".
} GF Diary
Monday
15th {No rain for weeks now.} GF Diary
Tuesday 16th {Snow and frost.
Roads very bad.} GF Diary
Sunday
21st {Extreme frost.
Coldest day for 35 years
according to Mr. Westley.} GF
Diary
Thursday
25th {Slight thaw.
Chapel sale of work.} GF Diary
Friday
26th {Terrific
snowstorm in afternoon.} GF Diary
Saturday
27th {Still snowing. Worst for many years.
Mr.
Woodman’s
60th party.} GF Diary
Sunday
28th {Snowed during night, and on and
off during day. About
12" of snow.} GF Diary
Monday
29th {Everywhere completely snowed up. Worst for 45
years. Very
busy hire day at Garage.
No trains etc.} GF
Diary
Tuesday 30th {Buses not running.} GF Diary
FEBRUARY 1940
Thursday
1st {Slight thaw during day but roads
still very bad.} GF
Diary
Saturday
3rd
{Thawing very gradually. 2
German planes down in England.} GF Diary
Sunday
4th
Sunday
11th
{Sharp frost in night. Cold
but dry day.} GF
Diary
Friday
16th {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
17th {Mrs.
Chapman died.} GF Diary
Sunday
18th
Monday
19th {Dull and mild.
Snow quickly going.} GF Diary
Sunday
25th
{Clocks put back last night.
A.R.P. practice in afternoon.}
GF Diary
Thursday
29th {Turning
much colder.
A.R.P. dinner at Gayton.} GF
Diary
MARCH 1940
Sunday
3rd {Sharp frost during night, but
turned out to be a lovely day.} GF
Diary
Saturday
9th {
“The Rains Came” on at
Exchange Cinema in Northampton.} GF
Diary
Sunday
10th {Lovely day.} GF Diary
Wednesday
13th
The war between Finland and Russia ends with Finland losing the
Karelian Isthmus to Russia.
Thursday
14th {Snow fell considerably during
night and morning.
Chapel Concert in evening.} GF Diary
Sunday
17th {Choral Society sang the
“Crucifixion” in the
church in the afternoon.} GF
Diary
Thursday
21st {Scouts busy on National Service
Badge.} GF
Diary
Friday
22nd {Good Friday.
Lantern lecture in church in evening.} GF
Diary
Sunday
24th {Easter Sunday.
Record communions. Daffs and Snowdrops in church.} GF Diary
Monday
25th {Easter Monday.
Glorious day. No Towcester
races}. GF
Diary.
Tuesday 26th {Village paper collection scheme
started.} GF
Diary
Sunday
31st
APRIL 1940
Tuesday 2nd
{Village paper collecting finished.} GF Diary
Friday
5th {Grand concert in evening.
“Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs”.}
GF
Diary
Sunday
7th {Rather dull and cold wind.} GF Diary
Tuesday 9th
{GERMANY INVADES DENMARK & NORWAY
.} GF Diary
Thursday
11th {Village paper collection.
2½ cwt. already sold making
12/6d for the funds.} GF
Diary
Friday
12th {Church Council meeting.
Mr. Lunn [Rector]
presented the drawings of the new proposed stained glass window in memory of Mrs. Griffith.} GF Diary
Sunday
14th {Rather
cold west wind.} GF Diary
Monday
15th
Allied Troops land in Norway.
Sunday
21st {Glorious day.} GF Diary
Tuesday 23rd {“Freedom”
naval River Plate picture on at Exchange cinema.} GF Diary
Wednesday
24th {Cuckoo Heard.} GF Diary
Sunday
28th {Warm inclined to be thundery. Rained during afternoon.} GF Diary
Tuesday 30th {“Escape
to happiness”
on at Exchange.} GF Diary
MAY 1940
Wednesday
1st
Allied troops withdrawn from southern Norway.
Sunday
5th {Glorious day.} GF Diary
Tuesday 7
th
Chamberlain looses support in the Commons over the Norwegian campaign.
Thursday
9th
{Royal Proclamation calling up 28 to 36
year olds.} GF
Diary
Friday
10th
GERMANS INVADE HOLLAND & BELGIUM.
Churchill becomes Prime Minister.
{Bright sunny day.} GF Diary
Saturday
11th {Proclamation cancelling Bank
Holiday.} GF
Diary
Sunday
12th {Whitsunday.
Lovely day.} GF Diary
Monday
13th
German Army crosses the Meuse at Sedan and Dinant.
Queen Wilhelmina escapes to Britain with her Government.
Tuesday 14th
Rotterdam bombed {“On the Spot”
on at the Rep.Theatre.} GF Diary
Thursday
16th
{Stuart Woolacott leaves to join up.} GF Diary
Saturday
18th {A.R.P.
practice in afternoon.} GF Diary
Sunday
19th
General Gamelin allied commander in chief dismissed.
Thursday
23rd
German panzers [tanks] reach Channel coast.
Sunday
26th {Day of National Prayer.
Good crowd at 10.45 service.} GF Diary
Evacuation of Dunkirk begins.
Tuesday 28th
King Leopold of the Belgians surrenders to the Germans.
{Parashotts
[?]
are now commencing
duties.} GF
Diary
Wednesday
29th
{All signposts removed in the Parish.} GF Diary
Thursday
30th {First batch of B.E.F.
from Dunkirk arrive in Northampton.} GF Diary
JUNE 1940
Saturday
1st
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
2nd {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 4th
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
5th
Germans commence new offensive against France.
{Air Raid again last night.} GF Diary
Thursday
6th {Air raids have been going on
during week. Four evacuees came
along.} GF
Diary
Saturday
8th Aircraft
carrier Glorious sunk returning from Norway by battle cruisers Scharnhorst and
Gneisenau.
Sunday
9th
Monday
10th
ITALY DECLARES WAR. The
evacuation of 11,000 British and French troops from St.Valéry and Le Havre
commences.
Thursday
13th
Paris declared an open city.
Friday
14th
Germans enter Paris.
Sunday
16th
Monday
17th
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
19th {Air raid during night.
12 Killed.
Some on Northamptonshire.} GF
Diary
Thursday
20th {LARGEST AIR RAID YET DURING
NIGHT. 7 killed.
Nursing Association Fete at Rectory.} GF
Diary
Friday
21st {Another air raid last night.} GF Diary
Saturday
22nd
FRANCE SIGNS PEACE TERMS WITH GERMANY.
Sunday
23rd {Took
Scouts to Chapel in evening.} GF Diary
Monday
24th {Woke up during the night at 2O/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 10th France has lost
about 85,000 men, Germany 27,000 and Britain 3,500.
Tuesday 25th {Another air raid warning sounded
at 3O/C [am]
but it only lasted 20 mins. GF Diary]
Thursday
27th {Frank on L.D.V.
[Local
Defence Volunteers amended to Home
Guard by Churchill
later]
at10O/C
and all thro’
the night.} GF Diary
Friday
28th {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
30th {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
1st {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 2nd
{Tank corps dashing about
village –
also barricade preparations are going on at speed.} GF Diary
Wednesday
3rd
One
French battleship sunk and two damaged at Oran and Mers-el-Kebir by British
navy.
Sunday
7th {
Frank and Ron took part in field exercises.} GF Diary
Monday
8th {Hot day.
Had good game of tennis in evening. Tea
to be rationed.} GF
Diary
Tuesday 9th {Naval action still goes on against French ships.}