Episode2.org

Alarm at 2.45am, until 5.30, and another just 12 hours later. Very few people bother to go into the Vaults now. Owing to the dislocation in London, we did not get any newspapers until the afternoon.

This evening I went over to Dedham to the Sissons' and spent a very pleasant evening, thus missing another alarm from 9-11pm. We had a good deal of talk about the war and my immediate future. They very kindly offered to do all they can to get me a job on a farm – I rather think a good many of their friends are in a similar position. We also discussed the future of Bourne Mill, and decided to try to get the Parks Superintendent to take an interest in the matter of the willows. [Cricket bat willow trees were grown at Bourne Mill as a source of income to help towards the conservation costs of the historic mill].

Sisson had some amusing things to tell about the absurd stories and rumours which are to be heard in Dedham. The best I think was about an old lady in the village who, in the early days of the War, woke up to see many searchlights playing on low clouds, giving an unearthly light over the whole landscape. She had never seen anything like this before, and was most impressed. After careful consideration she decided it must be the end of the world, and woke her old housekeeper to tell her so. The two old ladies then decided to make tea, and await Our Lord’s coming. After a while, as nothing further happened, they rang up the Chairman of the Parish Council (not the parson, you note) and informed him of the approaching judgement. With great tact he explained the real nature of the phenomenon they were witnessing, and somewhat disappointed they retired to bed. I was told this was absolutely true.
Very cold tonight. Autumn seems to be here.

Battle of Britain Day 62. Göring believes the RAF is beaten due to their lack of resistance to the first daylight bombing of London on September 7 (in reality, RAF was confused by the new Luftwaffe tactic). Today, RAF is ready when a large raid crosses the Channel at 5 PM towards London. In addition to Keith Park’s No. 11 Group patrolling the approaches to London, Douglas Bader’s “big wing” (a formations of 3 squadrons from No. 12 Group) swoops in from the West with the sun behind them and mauls the German bombers (29 shot down plus 21 Bf109 fighters). Very few of the German aircraft get through to bomb London but RAF loses 20 fighters and 6 pilots killed. London is, however, heavily bombed again during the night, as RAF has no effective deterrent for this.
http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/phase3ofthebattle.cfm

After weeks of preparation and prevarication, Marshal Rudolfo Graziani (who is under threat of replacement by Mussolini) orders Italian forces to advance on Egypt. Italian 10th Army moves towards British positions just inside Libya, as Italian Royal Air Force bombers soften up British defenses. RAF bombs Tobruk, troop concentrations and supply depots. Italian Royal Air Force Fiat fighters engage in dogfights with RAF Gladiators.

Vichy France has caught wind of De Gaulle’s plot to land Free French forces at Dakar. French cruisers Georges Leygues, Montcalm and Gloire, escorted by 3 destroyers, depart Toulon for Dakar.

Battle of the Atlantic. Convoy SC-2 is attacked again, 70 miles North of Ireland. At 00.24, Günther Prien in U-47 sinks Greek SS Possidon carrying 5410 tons of sulphur phosphate from USA (17 dead). At 4.47 AM, U-28 sinks British SS Mardinian carrying 3500 tons of pitch from Trinidad (6 crew lost, 22 survivors picked up by anti-submarine trawler HMS St. Apollo and armed merchant cruiser HMS Aurania or make land in a lifeboat). Italian submarine Comandante Faà di Bruno damages but does not sink British tanker MV Auris in the Atlantic, 750 miles West of Gibraltar. The first 8 US Navy destroyers are transferred to the Royal Navy at Halifax, in the deal giving US access to bases in British territories. Blackburn Skuas of 801 Squadron fly from Royal Naval Air Station Hatston, Orkney, Scotland, to attack German shipping off Bergen, Norway. 1 Skuas does not return (2 airmen killed).

German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis sinks British tanker MV Athelking (in ballast) in the Indian Ocean, 1200 miles East of Madagascar (6 killed, 40 crew taken prisoner).

News today confirms that there were tremendous raids in London yesterday, and at least 400 were killed.

And so the long waited for day comes at last, when the great ARP organisation goes into action. The extraordinary thing is, why did the Germans wait so long? If it is as easy as this, why did they not bomb London a year ago? Even more harm could have been done. Alarm from 11.50 – 1.30pm. Only 35 came in. Went to sleep this afternoon. Supper with Rose.

Battle of Britain Day 61. No. 11 Group commander AVM Keith Park flies his Hurricane over bomb-damaged parts of London, stating “It was burning all down the river. It was a horrid sight. But I looked down and said ‘Thank God for that’, because I knew that the Nazis had switched their attack from the fighter stations thinking that they were knocked out. They weren't, but they were pretty groggy”. At noon, 20 Dornier bombers escorted by 30 Bf109s head for London but they are intercepted and turned back by RAF fighters (3 Dorniers and 1 Bf109 shot down). RAF loses 4 fighters shot down (2 pilots killed). At 7.30 PM, 30 aircraft drop incendiary bombs on London to provide markers for the night raids. Overnight, Thames Estuary and London’s East End are bombed again (3 more Dorniers shot down by antiaircraft guns). http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/september8.html

British War Cabinet is convinced, by the heavy bombing of London the previous day and the accumulation of invasion barges on the Dutch and French coasts with favourable tides the next few nights, that invasion is imminent. Codeword “Cromwell” is passed to the Army and Home Forces, leading some to believe the invasion has started and causing great confusion. Church bells are rung, roadblocks set up, some bridges blown and landmines sown on some roads (killing 3 Guards officers). Home Guard units search beaches for invasion barges and scan the skies for approaching German paratroopers, but none come.

British cruiser HMS Aurora, escorted by 3 destroyers, shells German shipping and invasion barges in the harbour at Boulogne, France. British torpedo boats MTB-14, MTB-15 and MTB-17 sink a German ammunition ship off Ostend, Belgium.

Overnight in the Central Atlantic, 500 miles from the nearest land, German armed merchant cruiser Widder stops Greek collier Antonios Chandris (carrying 6,616 tons of coal from Cardiff to Buenos Aires). Widder’s Captain Ruckteschell orders the 29 crew to abandon ship in the lifeboats before Antonios Chandris is sunk by demolition charges at dawn. 22 crew will be rescued 31 days later on October 8, over 1400 miles away, by Portuguese freighter Serpa Pinto and landed at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Battle of Britain Day 61. No. 11 Group commander AVM Keith Park flies his Hurricane over bomb-damaged parts of London, stating “It was burning all down the river. It was a horrid sight. But I looked down and said ‘Thank God for that’, because I knew that the Nazis had switched their attack from the fighter stations thinking that they were knocked out. They weren't, but they were pretty groggy”. At noon, 20 Dornier bombers escorted by 30 Bf109s head for London but they are intercepted and turned back by RAF fighters (3 Dorniers and 1 Bf109 shot down). RAF loses 4 fighters shot down (2 pilots killed). At 7.30 PM, 30 aircraft drop incendiary bombs on London to provide markers for the night raids. Overnight, Thames Estuary and London’s East End are bombed again (3 more Dorniers shot down by antiaircraft guns). http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/september8.html

British War Cabinet is convinced, by the heavy bombing of London the previous day and the accumulation of invasion barges on the Dutch and French coasts with favourable tides the next few nights, that invasion is imminent. Codeword “Cromwell” is passed to the Army and Home Forces, leading some to believe the invasion has started and causing great confusion. Church bells are rung, roadblocks set up, some bridges blown and landmines sown on some roads (killing 3 Guards officers). Home Guard units search beaches for invasion barges and scan the skies for approaching German paratroopers, but none come.

British cruiser HMS Aurora, escorted by 3 destroyers, shells German shipping and invasion barges in the harbour at Boulogne, France. British torpedo boats MTB-14, MTB-15 and MTB-17 sink a German ammunition ship off Ostend, Belgium.

Overnight in the Central Atlantic, 500 miles from the nearest land, German armed merchant cruiser Widder stops Greek collier Antonios Chandris (carrying 6,616 tons of coal from Cardiff to Buenos Aires). Widder’s Captain Ruckteschell orders the 29 crew to abandon ship in the lifeboats before Antonios Chandris is sunk by demolition charges at dawn. 22 crew will be rescued 31 days later on October 8, over 1400 miles away, by Portuguese freighter Serpa Pinto and landed at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

There was an alarm on this afternoon at 5.30. I was at Bourne Mill, and there were some little girls playing in the next field. They took no notice of the siren at all. 126 people went into the Castle Vaults.

Had supper with Rose, and was much disturbed by the number of planes going over from W. to E. about 10 o’clock. The radio news tonight says there have been severe raids on London today. Between 10 and midnight there was heavy firing down on the coast. I felt more frightened than I have done for some time, and went to the Castle for a while to see if an alarm was sounded but none came. There was some excitement in the town during the evening, and apparently an invasion scare is in progress. All soldiers were fetched out of the pubs by the Military Police, and the Home Guard were called out. I saw several lorry loads of soldiers going into the Park about half past 10, to man the strong points there, and another detatchment went into the stable yard at Port Lane.

It seemed to me a most unlikely night for an invasion, as the weather is cold and windy.

The major raids on London on 7th September 1940 were a result of the German Luftwaffe's change of tactics as they switched their attention from attacking aerodrome sites to a full scale attack on London. The 7th September 1940, therefore, marked the opening day of the London Blitz, that would last for the next 9 months. For more detail on events on 7th September 1940, see the Imperial War Museum's Battle of Britain website, the RAF's Battle of Britain Campaign Diary and the BBC's History website including events to mark this anniversary.

Battle of Britain Day 60. On the brink of victory, Göring changes tactics. With RAF on its knees, Luftwaffe ceases bombing airfields, radar and aircraft works. Hitler, furious at the bombing of Berlin, believes Britain brought to the negotiating table by breaking the will of British civilians by terror bombing London. At 4 PM, a huge armada heads up the Thames Estuary (300 Heinkel and Dornier bombers & 200 Bf110s carrying bombs, escorted by 600 Bf109s). Soon, RAF has 23 squadron airborne waiting for them to split up. Instead they fly straight ahead to bomb London’s East End, including docks, shipyards & Woolwich Arsenal (igniting gunpowder stores for artillery shells). RAF tears into the retreating bombers, now unescorted by Bf109s which have returned home low on fuel. Luftwaffe loses 53 bombers and 21 Bf109s in all. RAF loses 27 fighters (15 pilots killed). Still burning, London’s East End is bombed continuously overnight (490 civilians killed, 1200 injured). http://www.battleofbritain1940.net/0036.html

Between 4 and 5.33 AM, 300 miles Northwest of Ireland, Günther Prien in U-47 sinks 3 steamers in convoy SC-2 en route to Britain from Sydney, Australia; British SS Neptunian carrying 8500 tons of sugar from Chile (all 36 hands lost), British SS José de Larrinaga carrying 5303 tons of steel and linseed oil from USA (all 40 hands lost) and Norwegian SS Gro carrying 6321 tons of wheat from Canada (11 killed, 21 survivors escape in 1 lifeboat and are picked up by British steamer Burdwan on September10, then transferred to corvette HMS Arabis and landed at Liverpool on 13 September).

Three alarms today, 9.30-10, 1.25-1.50, (right in my lunch hour), and 6.30-6.45, which caught me in Jacklin’s having tea, which I had to leave unfinished. Very few people came in for any of these.

Attended a meeting tonight in the Mayor’s Parlour on Horse ARP. All the prominent horse owners in the town were present (and me!) and we sat from 7pm till half past 9 listening to Murphy [the vet in charge of ARP arrangements for animals], Orchard and Rendell talking the most utter rubbish I have ever heard.

The Mayor sat there like a hero, never showing the slightest sign of the boredom and annoyance which he must have felt. Finally he got Orchard down from £100 to £25 for the job of fixing 60 or 70 iron rings in various pub yards. The total cost for the whole job should not be more than £5, but the Borough Engineer’s Dept. now has the matter in hand, which makes a slight difference. No doubt this will be one of those useful little jobs which can be used as a “cover” for the deficiencies in other jobs.

There was a great argument about the number of horses in Colchester. Murphy said he could only trace 137, (including 60 on the Co-op), but I said there were at least 300, and was quite unbelieved. However, as soon as I got home I looked up my old notes on horses, and found I was right, although there have been sad losses in the last few years, but against them not a few fresh horses have come in.

From the tone of this meeting it is obvious that Murphy, aided and abetted by Nicholson of Drury Farm, are going to obstruct as much as possible. It was agreed to levy a charge of so much per horse from each owner, to pay Orchard’s £25 and the cost of printing cards giving a list of all stables available for shelter.

Rang Parrington tonight about flails and corn chaff.

[EJR included an estimated list of the number of horses and ponies in Colchester in September 1940 at the end of his diary entry for today as follows]:
Brewers (and Mineral water manufacturers): 8
Builders: 3
Butchers: 2
Carters: 25
Coal-merchants: 45
Forage merchants: 70
Grocers/Bakers: 32
Milkmen: 23
and c.40 farm horses and c.60 Co-op horses

For more information on Eric's campaign to gain air raid protection for horses see his previous diary entry for 10th July 1940.