Hello All, I'm currently working on research on an action around Ypres 1940 and I'm having a bit of a brain fog with timings. - hoping you can help! Am I right in thinking the following: BEF war diaries would be on BST Local Belgian resources would be on CEST (+1) German war diaries and account would be on CEST (+1) is this right? cheers IAin
Hello I don't know for sure the time used in BEF diaries but Steve Coates: PRO Readers' Guide No. 8 - RAF Records During the war, local time in the UK varied from GMT(Greenwich mean Time) to BST (British Summer Time) to BDST (British Double Summer Time). BST = GMT + 1 hour BDST = GMT + 2 hours UK time varied as follows from – 16/4/39 - BST 19/11/39 - GMT 25/2/40 - BST 4/5/41 - BDST 10/8/41 - BST 5/4/42 - BDST 9/8/42 - BST 4/4/43 - BDST 15/8/43 - BST 2/4/44 - BDST 17/9/44 - BST 2/4/45 - BDST 15/7/45 - BST 7/10/45 - GMT The Germans used CET (Central European Time) and GST (German Summer Time) CET = GMT + 1 hour GST = GMT + 2 hours German time varied as follows – To 1/4/40 - CET From 1/4/40 - GST 2/11/42 - CET 29/3/43 - GST 4/10/43 - CET 3/4/44 - GST 2/10/44 - CET 2/4/45 - GST 18/11/45- CET
thanks Juha, so the timings in the German letters I have from May 27th 1940 would have been GST? is this right?
I would have assumed that the BEF used the same 'local' time zone as the French to whom they were subordinate. The best evidence might be a time zone identifier letter on times in orders, but that might be more likely in the higher formation war diaries. Actually, have a search in the Hyperwar online France and Flanders - the official history ought to clarify that sort of thing.
