Cabinet papers from October 1940

Tuesday 1st October 1940

Compensation for War Damage to Property.

extract Chancellor of the Exchequer proposes 3% tax on property to pay for repair and reconstruction of bombed out houses
person Kingsley Wood
organisation New Zealand Treasury
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
 

Meeting minutes

extract Australian PM "much disturbed" over Operation Menace failure. UK approach "strongly criticised". PM Churchill to respond
extract Air Chief: Air casualties yesterday 20 (12 pilots safe). Enemy 46 (+32 probable). Good results for RAF on Ostend, Berlin
person Anthony Eden
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Andrew Greenwood
person Charles de Gaulle
place Alexandria Troas
place Malta
place Africa
place Libya
place Toulon
 

Meeting minutes

extract PM: Agree principle of talks but not "a golden opportunity". Should protect de Gaulle, "assist in any movement" he starts
extract Halifax proposes Vichy talks to secure "healthily anti-German" France. "Not vital" whether Colonies to Vichy or de Gaulle
person Charles de Gaulle
person Samuel Hoare
place Great Britain
place Madrid
place Cairo
place Libreville
place Gibraltar
place Morocco
place Africa
organisation United States Navy
 

Wednesday 2nd October 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Halifax to examine ways UK can inconvenience Japan "without ceasing to act politely". Trade interference already begun
extract PM: Reports of "indescribable conditions" in public shelter in Stepney. "Drastic action" called for to make building safe
extract Home Secretary: Outside London "most serious attacks" on Manchester. "Lucky hits" on railways. Details not yet available
extract Air Chief: 250 enemy aircraft attacked overnight. London main objective also Midlands, S.Wales. Oil plant at Purfleet hit
person Anthony Eden
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Andrew Greenwood
person Charles de Gaulle
person Samuel Hoare
person Clement Attlee
place South Africa
place Somaliland
place Gibraltar
place Berlin
place Morocco
organisation Home Office
organisation Foreign Office (Germany)
 

German-Italian-Japanese Treaty.

extract Halifax: Three Power Pact means UK "must show a solid front" with US in Far East even if Japan move "huge piece of bluff"
person Joseph Stalin
person Adolf Hitler
place Moscow
place Europe
place Republic of China
organisation Foreign Office (Germany)
 

The Burma Road Agreement.

extract Halifax advises reopening Burma Road to China in 2 weeks: "More important than ever" that China war should be kept going
person Robert Craigie (diplomat)
person Chiang Kai-shek
place Great Britain
place Moscow
place Berlin
place Tokyo
place Republic of China
place Burma
place Rome
organisation United States Department of State
 

Thursday 3rd October 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Swiss Minister now discussing UK airspace violations "with complete good humour". Hopes RAF will use mainly Geneva route
extract Cabinet agrees to reopen Burma Road. PM: Right decision, do not believe Japan will "declare war upon us as a result"
extract Air Chief: Air casualties 1 machine (pilot safe but wounded), Enemy 10. Weather very bad but a few bombers reached Berlin
extract Air Chief: 250 enemy aircraft over UK yesterday "only dropped a few bombs on the South Coast"
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Stafford Cripps
person Kingsley Wood
person Clement Attlee
person Leo Amery
place Berlin, New York
place Singapore
place Malta
place Burma
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Home Office
organisation New Zealand Treasury
organisation Hopatcong High School
 

Adequacy of Protection of Merchant Ships in Convoy.

extract Admiralty blames diversion of escort ships to anti-invasion duties for "recent heavy losses" of merchant shipping
 

Meeting minutes

extract PM: "Normal rules" do not apply to our relations with France at present. We may have to "interfere with French convoys"
extract Churchill and Halifax disagree over UK attitude to France. Halifax: We should not interfere with Colonies favouring Vichy
person Charles de Gaulle
person Winston Churchill
place Gibraltar
 

Protection of Merchant Ships in Convoy.

extract Food Minister: "During the last few weeks I have been seriously disturbed by the extent of our food losses at sea"
organisation Advanced Micro Devices
 

Friday 4th October 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Message received from de Gaulle. Plans to disembark force at Duala, Cameroon and "get possession" of Libreville, Gabon
person Charles de Gaulle
place Egypt
place Libreville
place Nigeria
place Africa
 

Meeting minutes

extract PM orders ships to be diverted from anti-invasion duties to convoy escort. Winter weather renders invasion "not likely"
extract Air Chief: Only serious damage to De Havilland aircraft factory. All our own operations cancelled due to poor visibility
extract Air Chief: Enemy activity "on a much reduced scale" in past 24 hours, 80 aircraft during the day, 60 overnight
person Anthony Eden
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Andrew Greenwood
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Charles de Gaulle
person Herbert Morrison
person Samuel Hoare
person Kingsley Wood
person Clement Attlee
place Great Britain
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Europe
place Gibraltar
place Dakar
place Madrid, New York
organisation Home Office
 

Monday 7th October 1940

Home Opinion as shown in the Mails to U.S.A. and Eire.

extract Cabinet Secretary: Intercepted UK mail shows "nation holding its breath" watching to see how London will come through
person William Patrick Stuart-Houston
place Manchester, New Hampshire
place Liverpool
place Europe
place Berlin
place Northern Ireland
organisation Air Force F.C.
organisation Advanced Micro Devices
 

Meeting minutes

extract PM Churchill: "Intolerable that any newspaper should indulge in criticism and abuse...in a time of great national peril"
extract PM complains of "dangerous and sinister" Press criticism. Accuses HG Wells and Editors of advocating a "surrender peace"
extract PM argues with Halifax over "appeasement of Vichy". UK should "retaliate by bombarding Casablanca" if Gibraltar attacked
extract Halifax: Reports Herr Ribbentrop's Rome visit had "object of keeping Italy in the war". Our bombing having "great effect"
extract USA has inquired about use of Singapore "in the event of trouble in the Far East". PM: Japan has made "great" mistake
person Anthony Eden
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Andrew Greenwood
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person Samuel Hoare
person Kingsley Wood
person Joachim von Ribbentrop
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Madrid
place Tangier
place Singapore
place Gibraltar
place Morocco
place Rome
place Libya
organisation Daily Mirror
 

Tuesday 8th October 1940

Subversive Newspaper Propaganda.

extract Home Secretary: Not clear Daily Mirror deliberately intends to impede war effort. Will direct "friendly appeal" to Press
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax
person Adolf Hitler
place New York, Lincolnshire
place Madrid
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
organisation Daily Mirror
 

Loss of working time due to Air Raid warnings.

extract Beaverbrook: Loss of aircraft production due to air raid warnings "bigger than any other domestic question"
place Bristol
 

Recruitment of Jewish Units for General Service in the British Army.

extract Eden approves recruitment by Dr. Chaim Weizmann of 10,000 Jews "for incorporation in Jewish units in the British Army"
person Anthony Eden
organisation British Army
 

Wednesday 9th October 1940

The Blockade and French West Africa.

extract Economic Warfare Minister calls for tightening of blockade on Vichy. UK has drifted "into a sort of half surrender"
person Hugh Dalton
place Europe
place Gibraltar
place Dakar
place South America
place Africa
organisation Minister of Economic Warfare
 

Meeting minutes

extract Halifax: Report Germans "sending train-loads of gas" to Belgium. PM unhappy with UK gas preparations. Attlee to enquire
extract Halifax: UK Ambassador Tokyo has informed Japanese that the Burma Road will reopen. Interview "passed off satisfactorily"
extract Halifax: UK Minister in Bucharest preparing to leave. "No doubt that British subjects being ill-treated in Roumania"
extract First Sea Lord: 5 more US Destroyers received and first 50,000 of 250,000 US rifles delivered. More "on their way"
extract First Sea Lord: Reports of "arrival of certain of General de Gaulle's forces" at ports in French Equatorial Africa
person Anthony Eden
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Charles de Gaulle
person Herbert Morrison
person Kingsley Wood
person Clement Attlee
person Robert Craigie (diplomat)
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Singapore
place London, Ontario
place Africa
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Home Office
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
organisation Morning Star (UK newspaper)
organisation Daily Mirror
 

Meeting minutes

extract PM: We should "take advantage" of any delay caused by a German "Eastward thrust" to develop our army in the Middle East
extract War Secretary Eden to make personal visit to Middle East. PM: Sure that such a visit will be of great value
person Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
person Stafford Cripps
person Miles Lampson, 1st Baron Killearn
person Sydney Brenner
place Russian Empire
place Egypt
place Turkey
place Kenya
place Khartoum
place Syria
place Libya
 

Thursday 10th October 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Halifax: Report invasion of UK postponed to Spring 1941. PM: "Premature to dismiss possibility of an attempt being made"
extract Air Chief: Enemy activity "rather heavier than usual" overnight. St. Paul's Cathedral hit, choir and altar badly damaged
extract Cabinet postpones Jewish recruiting campaign until US Presidential Election. Halifax: "No question" of abandoning scheme
extract Cabinet told Coventry aircraft factory strike now in 3rd week. Public feeling "said to be running high against strikers"
person Anthony Eden
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person Stafford Cripps
person Kingsley Wood
person Clement Attlee
person John Dill
place East Germany
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Sudan
place Libreville
place Washington
place Africa
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation New Zealand Treasury
organisation British Army
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
 

Friday 11th October 1940

India.

extract India Secretary Amery tells Cabinet both Muslim and Hindu leaders have refused roles on Viceroy's new Executive Council
organisation Indian National Congress
 

Weekly Resume (No. 58) of the Naval, Military and Air Situation from 12 noon October 3rd to 12 noon October 10th, 1940.

extract Chiefs of Staff: "No reliable details" of German force in Romania. Likely "practically unnoticed" Romania to be occupied
person Charles de Gaulle
place Greece
place Egypt
place Sudan
place Libreville
place Europe
place Gibraltar
place Berlin
place Kenya
place Alexandria
organisation Air Force F.C.
organisation RAF Coastal Command
organisation Royal Air Force
organisation Luftwaffe
organisation United States Navy
 

Saturday 12th October 1940

Priority for Construction of Aerodromes.

extract Air Minister: "Will not be possible" to complete planned aerodromes "in time" unless more raw materials are allocated
 

Sunday 13th October 1940

The Blockade and French West Africa.

extract Admiralty suggest Vichy blockade not a priority. UK must instead aim "to knock Italy out of the Axis as soon as possible"
place Malta
place Gibraltar
 

Monday 14th October 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Air Secretary: RAF shows increase of 600 aircraft between May and September. Estimated German strength down by 2,000
extract Air Secretary briefing junior Ministers: Hurricane "not a match" for Messerschmidt. "Spitfire retains its superiority"
person Ernest Brown
place South Africa
organisation Luftwaffe
 

Air Reinforcements for the Middle East.

extract Air Chief: "We are justified in assuming that a most serious danger is already developing in the Middle Eastern theatre"
extract Air Chief approves limited air reinforcements for Middle East. PM: RAF "still vastly inferior in numbers" to Luftwaffe
place South Africa
place Wellington, Nevada
place Malta
organisation Air Force F.C.
organisation RAF Coastal Command
 

Meeting minutes

extract Anderson: One-eighth of consumers in London cut off from domestic gas supplies. Position has been "static for some days"
extract Minister of Labour: Baking industry offering "time and a half" during air raid warnings. Will end "dangerous precedent"
extract Halifax: Washington opposed to "anything like a conference" in US, London or Singapore. Cooperation to remain technical
extract Admiralty: "Great improvement" in shipping losses last week but enemy sowing "very large quantities" of mines around UK
extract Air Chief: Main concentration of overnight bombing again on London. Liverpool also received "considerable attention"
person Alexander Cadogan
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Andrew Greenwood
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Stafford Cripps
person John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort
person Samuel Hoare
person Malcolm MacDonald
person Kingsley Wood
person Clement Attlee
person Miles Lampson, 1st Baron Killearn
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Iceland
place Singapore
place Sudan
place Washington
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
 

Tuesday 15th October 1940

Meeting minutes

extract PM Churchill: We are "straining every nerve" to counter night bombing. "The people of this country must stick it out."
extract Cabinet concerned civilians in London beginning to wonder if UK "hitting back hard enough at Germany" in bombing attacks
extract PM blocks moving more ships to protect NW Approaches. Intelligence German plans for invasion "still moving forward"
extract Admiralty: Sweep by HMS Ajax has sunk 3 Italian destroyers. Italian claims to have damaged one of our cruisers untrue
person Alexander Cadogan
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Herbert Morrison
person Stafford Cripps
person William Patrick Stuart-Houston
person Kingsley Wood
person Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso
person Andrew Duncan
place Russian Empire
place East Germany
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Moscow
place Turkey
place Gibraltar
place Berlin
place Northern Ireland
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Home Office
organisation Royal Air Force
 

Wednesday 16th October 1940

Meeting minutes

extract PM satisfied "central nucleus of Government should not move". Church House Westminster set as alternative for Parliament
extract Home Security Minister: Damage to two tube stations has made public realise "practically no kind of shelter" invulnerable
extract Attlee: Newspaper proprietors recognise some recent articles "mischievous". "Appeared somewhat chastened" after meeting
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Charles de Gaulle
person Herbert Morrison
person Samuel Hoare
person Kingsley Wood
person Leo Amery
person Chiang Kai-shek
place South Africa
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Alexandria
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Home Office
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
organisation Indian National Congress
organisation United States Congress
organisation Daily Mirror
 

Thursday 17th October 1940

Minutes of Defence Committee (Operations) 34th Meeting.

extract Defence Committee agree RAF will take action to disable German battleships Tirpitz and Bismarck. 3 attempts authorised
extract Lord Beaverbrook objects to the "form, subject matter and conclusions" of future strategy presented by Defence Chiefs
extract Lord Beaverbrook objects to the "form, subject matter and conclusions" of future strategy presented by Defence Chiefs
place Egypt
place Malta
organisation Hopatcong High School
 

Relations with Vichy.

extract Vichy government assures UK it will "never be an aggressor". Halifax: "Glad to extract what we can from that"
place Morocco
place Africa
organisation Foreign and Commonwealth Office
 

Friday 18th October 1940

Proposal that His Majesty's Government should provide a site for a Mosque in London.

extract Foreign, India, Colonial Secretaries propose new Mosque for London to make "good impression" on worldwide Moslem opinion
place Cairo
 

Meeting minutes

extract Admiralty: UK cannot currently assemble strong fleet at Straits of Gibraltar. Again urge "tolerable agreement" with Vichy
extract Halifax opposes bombing Vichy if France attacks Gibraltar. Ambassador authorised to deliver this "threat" to deter attack
extract "Serious damage" to Treasury overnight in London bombing. "Minor scale of attack on Birmingham and Liverpool"
extract Air Chief: All overnight UK bomber missions cancelled due to adverse weather. Equipment for landings in fog being fitted
person Alexander Cadogan
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Walter Hines Page
person Stafford Cripps
person Samuel Hoare
person Ernest Bevin
person Kingsley Wood
person Bob Kerslake
person Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso
person Robert Craigie (diplomat)
place Newcastle upon Tyne
place Cranborne
place Hong Kong
place Gibraltar
place Dakar
place Africa
organisation New Zealand Treasury
organisation Royal Air Force
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
organisation ING Group
 

Monday 21st October 1940

Meeting minutes

extract UK Ambassador Washington: "Almost miraculous change of opinion" in US now it is clear UK effectively resisting air attack
extract Halifax: Prospect of trade agreement with USSR "promising". Marshal Chiang Kai-shek also desires "closer co-operation"
extract Home Secretary: 370 casualties in London last night, damage to railways. Londoners "at the moment a little pessimistic"
extract Admiralty "certain" Germans using radio detection to locate convoys. "Taking all steps possible" to deal with situation
extract Admiralty: Shipping losses over weekend "the worst ever experienced". Germans using new tactics, attacking at night
extract Air Chief: Pilot detailed to attack Berlin overnight came down to 2,000ft and dropped four 500lb bombs on the Chancellery
person Alexander Cadogan
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Andrew Greenwood
person Herbert Morrison
person Stafford Cripps
person Samuel Hoare
person Francisco Franco
person Kingsley Wood
person Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso
person Clement Attlee
person Chiang Kai-shek
person Andrew Duncan
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Turkey
place Gibraltar
place Africa
place Republic of China
organisation Home Office
 

Tuesday 22nd October 1940

London Transport in the Winter Months.

extract Home Secretary issues warning over London transport in winter. Suggests evacuation of certain businesses, early closing
person Herbert Morrison
organisation New Zealand Treasury
 

Meeting minutes

extract PM: If new measures not successful "necessary to raise again" question of the use of certain bases in Irish Free State
extract PM Churchill: Shipping losses of last few days "without precedent", 100,000 tons sunk. "Certain measures decided upon"
extract PM authorises strengthening Whitehall buildings to resist bombardment. Move to new steel framed buildings where possible
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Andrew Greenwood
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person Kingsley Wood
person Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso
person Clement Attlee
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
 

Wednesday 23rd October 1940

Improved Street Lighting.

extract Home Secretary: Time "not yet come" for relaxing of blackout restrictions. Alternatives costly and "not yet practicable"
person Herbert Morrison
 

Thursday 24th October 1940

Gibraltar Evacuees.

extract Ministers urge 10,000 Gibraltar evacuees be moved to West Indies. "Very strong reasons against" their stay in London
place Caribbean
place Jamaica
place Gibraltar
organisation Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (Netherlands)
 

Meeting minutes

extract Cabinet defers decision on de Gaulle attack on Libreville. Loss of time preferable to "another unsuccessful venture"
person Charles de Gaulle
person Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope
place Libreville
place Africa
 

Meeting minutes

extract General Dill: "No confirmation" of this morning's Press report UK inflicted 400 losses on Italian forces in the Sudan
extract Air Chief: Enemy activity yesterday "on a reduced scale". Attacks mostly from Norway where weather conditions were better
extract Cabinet directs War Secretary to decline invitation to Iraq on security grounds. Foreign Office will blame lack of time
extract PM proposes new Supreme War Council including Dominions, Free France, Holland, Belgium, Norway, Poland and Czechoslovakia
person Alexander Cadogan
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person Stafford Cripps
person Maxime Weygand
person Kingsley Wood
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Iraq
place Madrid
place Sudan
place Khartoum
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
place Czechoslovakia
organisation Royal Air Force
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
organisation Hopatcong High School
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
organisation Foreign and Commonwealth Office
organisation Government of Canada
 

"Arandora Star" Inquiry.

extract Report on sinking of internee ship Arandora Star criticises MI5's lack of scrutiny of Italian internees, arrests in error
 

Friday 25th October 1940

Meeting minutes

extract President Roosevelt has issued protest "in strongest terms" against France permitting Germany to use its Fleet against UK
extract King George telegrams Petain over French fleet: "Confident you will reject proposal that would bring dishonour to France"
extract General Dill: "No confirmation" received of the rumours of an impending Italian attack on Greece
extract Home Secretary: "Considerable damage" to Birmingham. Both railway stations, Town Hall hit. Damage in London negligible
extract PM welcomes Air Marshall Portal as new Chief of the Air Staff. Birmingham "heavily attacked" overnight
extract Halifax: French considering handover of fleet and bases to Germany. King George to issue urgent appeal to Marshall Petain
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person Samuel Hoare
person Maxime Weygand
person Malcolm MacDonald
person Kingsley Wood
person Clement Attlee
place Greece
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Birmingham
place Sudan
place Gibraltar
place Berlin
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation New Zealand Treasury
organisation Royal Navy
 

Saturday 26th October 1940

Need of New Zealand for Operational Aircraft.

extract New Zealand's concern over Japanese hostility "increasing". Ministers request air support be released to the Dominion
place Cranborne
 

Sunday 27th October 1940

Extension of Dangerous Areas in the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay.

extract Admiralty proposes widening UK's "sink on sight" zone to provide Royal Navy submarines more targets off French coast
organisation Royal Navy
 

Second Report on the Ministry of Aircraft Production.

extract Air Production Minister lists 7 "major disasters" over 3 months. Bombing of factories having "very considerable effect"
 

Monday 28th October 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Cabinet rejects New Zealand request for air support. UK will supply up-to-date aircraft as soon as it can manage to do so
extract PM: Neither UK "nor the Americans" have received any news on talks between Germany and Vichy. Position "extraordinary"
extract Halifax: General Metaxas asks for our "immediate help" to defend Corfu by sea and Athens by air and for financial aid
extract Cabinet told of unconfirmed reports Athens bombed, 10 Italian divisions ("perhaps 200,000 men") moving into Greece
extract Admiralty: Germans have adopted acoustic mines. Experts "working day and night" to discover secret of these new mines
extract Admiralty: Enemy minelaying taking place on considerable scale in Home Waters. Most ports temporarily closed most nights
person Alexander Cadogan
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Charles de Gaulle
person Herbert Morrison
person Kingsley Wood
person Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso
place Kassala
place Athens
place Greece
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Gibraltar
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Home Office
organisation RAF Coastal Command
organisation British Army
 

Meeting minutes

extract Cabinet agrees to intensify air attacks on Italy to support Greece. "Out of the question" to send British fleet to Corfu
place Greece
place East Germany
place Egypt
place Vatican City
place Turin
place Sicily
place Malta
 

Tuesday 29th October 1940

Air Raid Shelter Policy.

extract Home Secretary Herbert Morrison proposes constructing new deep shelter tunnels in London linked to the Tube network
person Herbert Morrison
 

Meeting minutes

extract India Secretary approves arrest of Pandit Nehru for anti-war speeches "calculated to stir up agrarian discontent"
extract Halifax: Diplomats suggest "cocksureness" of Germans disappearing. "Less power of resistance" to air attack than Britons
extract Home Secretary: Birmingham New Street Station badly damaged overnight. Bombs dropped this morning in Parliament Square
extract Cabinet told of reports German vessels in the Channel making eastwards. "Too early" to say risk of invasion has receded
extract General Dill: Tatoi aerodrome (Athens), Patras, Preveza and Corinth Canal bombed. No enemy action against Corfu as yet
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Andrew Greenwood
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person Stafford Cripps
person Samuel Hoare
person Francisco Franco
person Kingsley Wood
place Athens
place Greece
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Birmingham
place Burma
organisation Home Office
organisation Luftwaffe
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
organisation Indian National Congress
 

Meeting minutes

extract Halifax: "Pessimistic" over Greek resistance. "Not particularly sanguine" about USSR. Spain "another source of anxiety"
extract Halifax meets junior ministers. M. Petain wants "to be friendly with us" but UK has made "many mistakes of psychology"
person William Patrick Stuart-Houston
person Francisco Franco
person Maxime Weygand
person E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax
place Athens
place Greece
place Egypt
place Turkey
place Washington
place Africa
place Bulgaria
place Republic of China
place Rome
organisation Foreign Office (Germany)
organisation Foreign and Commonwealth Office
 

Meeting minutes

extract PM: Cabinet must "be under no illusion" over help for Greece. UK severely limited by the size of our Middle East forces
place Greece
place Northern Ireland
 

Wednesday 30th October 1940

Meeting minutes

extract PM: Civilians around target areas "must be made to feel the weight of the war". Italians will "not stand up to bombing"
extract Air Chief: 450 enemy aircraft over UK yesterday, 200 more overnight. Attacks on London, Birmingham, Coventry, Liverpool
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person Malcolm MacDonald
person Kingsley Wood
person Bob Kerslake
person Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso
person Clement Attlee
person Miles Lampson, 1st Baron Killearn
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place South Wales
place Birmingham
place Cairo
place Libreville
place Malta
place Khartoum
place Syria
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Home Office
organisation RAF Coastal Command
 

Thursday 31st October 1940

Food Situation of the United Kingdom. Thirteenth Report submitted by the Minister of Food for the month of September, 1940.

extract Food Minister reports UK stocks "strong on energy foods, dubious on dairy". Tea, bacon, fruit and fish "depleted"
place City of London
place Northern Ireland
place Denmark
place Madrid, New York
 

Agricultural Production.

extract Aircraft Production Minister Beaverbrook demands increase in UK agricuture after "enormous losses" of imports by sea
 

Air Raid Shelter Policy.

extract New Home Secretary preparing wireless broadcast. Will tell nation "What I can do to make life easier, that will I do"
person Herbert Morrison
person Adolf Hitler
place West Germany
organisation Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (Netherlands)
organisation Luftwaffe