3rd September 1939 : Britain and France declare war on Germany

Discussion in 'All Anniversaries' started by Ron Goldstein, Sep 5, 2011.

  1. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    As it is patently obvious that The Times has no intention of publishing my recent letter I can now safely show it below.

    Sir
    I looked, in vain, through the pages of yesterday's Times, for a single mention of Sept 3rd 1939.
    Not a solitary word, even in your "On this day" column.
    May I respectfully remind you that the date in question still has much significance for a large number of your readers ?
    Ron Goldstein
    ex 4th Queen's Own Hussars

    Is it only me who is concened about the lack of interst in these matters ?

    Ron
     
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  2. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    In 1939 "The Times" also had a column on the letter page with summaries of letters, of which this is one:
    “Points from Letters”
    The Times Wednesday, September 6th, 1939
    “ CARLYLE SPEAKING

    “ What a depth of practical sense in thee, great England ! A depth of sense, of justice, and courage; in which, under all emergencies and world-bewilderments, and under this most complex of emergencies we now live in, there is still hope, there is still assurance.” -( “Past and Present”, Chap. V. ) - Rosina Hole, Roudon, Shinfield, Berks.
     
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  3. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    Start of the Phony War.Operations against German targets limited to naval bases...under no account were landfall targets to be attacked.....Bomber Command soon found that their front line aircraft were no match for the Luftwaffe fighters during daylight operations.

    Bomber Squadron aircraft dispersed to non bomber western bases overnight in order to prevent any loss from anticipated night raids by the Luftwaffe.

    RAF MQs.....families evacuated for their own safety. MQs completed on stations where service billets had not been completed used for servicemen who hitherto had been living in what might be declared to be unsuitable accommodation.

    Auxiliary Air Force Squadrons (the weekend flyers) absorbed into the Royal Air Force.
     
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2016
  4. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  5. Little Friend

    Little Friend Senior Member

    78 Years ago today about now the whole Nation was informed that this Country was at war with Germany.
     
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  6. idler

    idler GeneralList

    Seconds out. Round two!
     
  7. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD



     
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  8. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    D

    Many thanks for the above videos.

    I have just sent a blistering letter to the Times for their complete non coverage of the events of September 3rd 1939

    Long live this site and good folk like yourself !

    Ron
     
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  9. HAARA

    HAARA Well-Known Member

    Yes, it is a sad reflection on society today that such a date should not get a mention in the press when so many gave so much during the war that followed to give us the freedom that we have today.
    As a footnote, it has also been forgotten how the tensions had been building over the previous year, with TA anti-aircraft units being mobilised on 23 September 1938 following the British declaration of a state of emergency in response to Germany's annexation of Austria, and its demands for Sudetenland autonomy in Czechoslovakia. Troops were stood down on 8 October. With the building tension in 1939 TA units were again mobilised on 21 August, with many being called up in the days that followed prior to the formal declaration of war on 3 September.
     
  10. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    3rd September 1939: Britain and France declare war on Germany
    Britain and France are at war with Germany following the invasion of Poland two days ago.

    At 1115 BST the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, announced the British deadline for the withdrawal of German troops from Poland had expired.

    He said the British ambassador to Berlin had handed a final note to the German government this morning saying unless it announced plans to withdraw from Poland by 1100, a state of war would exist between the two countries.

    Mr Chamberlain continued: "I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received and consequently this country is at war with Germany."

    Similarly the French issued an ultimatum, which was presented in Berlin at 1230, saying France would be at war unless a 1700 deadline for the troops' withdrawal was adhered to.




    BBC ON THIS DAY | 3 | 1939: Britain and France declare war on Germany
     
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  11. Hugh MacLean

    Hugh MacLean Senior Member

    I would also like to point out that September 3 is also Merchant Navy Day and has only been adopted since 2000.
    The Donaldson liner ATHENIA being torpedoed just hours after the declaration of war and merchant seamen were in peril from that moment until the day the war ended and suffered more casualties per capita than any of the fighting services. Even today, in some areas, merchant seamen are not allowed to have their name on some war memorials because they were classed as civilians. Recognition has been slow.
     

    Attached Files:

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  12. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    The news that Britain was at war was broken by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain at 11.15am on Sunday 3 September 1939. In a 5 minute broadcast on the Home Service, he announced that as Hitler had failed to respond to British demands to leave Poland, "This country is at war with Germany". Chamberlain went on to say that the failure to avert war was a bitter personal blow, and that he didn't think he could have done any more.

    https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/anniversaries/september/war-announced
     
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  13. Qu1ckn1ck

    Qu1ckn1ck Member

  14. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    "What Now"...... was the response of a sullen Hitler to Ribbentrop when Britain declared war on Germany.

    Ribbentrop, Hitler's "Man in London" had assured Hitler from his contacts with Britons of political influence that the British would never be drawn into another war in Europe.
     
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  15. TTH

    TTH Senior Member

    No mention of this at all yesterday here in the States. We're too busy hating one another to pay attention to anything else.
     
  16. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  17. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    How Europe Went To War In 1939
    Britain and France Declare War on Germany
    Neville Chamberlain broadcast this announcement to the nation at 11.15am on 3 September. A British ultimatum demanding that Germany withdraw its troops from Poland had been delivered earlier that morning and expired at 11.00 without a reply. Britain was once again at war with Germany. The outbreak of war did not come as a surprise.
     
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  18. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    My Mum and Dad were in south London - 6 years and 187 days later, they were both demobbed from the army on the same day in March 1946... my Dad later recalled:
    “It was Sunday 3 September, 1939, and I was at the 1030am Mass at Corpus Christi in Brixton Hill, one of about 12 servers. After the Gospel, Father Kelly mounted the pulpit to give his usual long, inaudible but very interesting sermon, at least for those of us who could hear him. Slightly louder than usual, he read to us the announcement that Mr Chamberlain had made over the radio that morning. During the service, we had heard the wail of a siren but had thought it was a practice. He continued Mass, as usual and we left the church at just after half past 11. We were at war but it felt no different than the day before.”

    On the first night of the war, I could swear that I could smell gas. We had been issued gas masks and were thoroughly frightened of being gassed as we slept. We also had an Anderson shelter in the back garden. To our surprise, nothing happened. The main noticeable difference was to see guns and searchlights in the parks, on bridges and in open places. The nights, however, were dark and every chink of light was greeted by a shout from an air raid warden....”
     
  19. Little Friend

    Little Friend Senior Member

    My Dad also was in London when war was declared. He,along with many others were evacuated the following year, Dad was sent to South Wales. He Hated Every Minute of It ! Thankfully, returned home 1941 soon after his 15th Birthday to start work. Then joined the ATC (Air Training Corp) at the required age.
     
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