3rd September 1939

[Hugh Spencer]

On Sunday 3rd September 1939, 73 years ago, our family did not go to church as usual because the BBC announced that an important broadcast would take place by the prime minister, Neville Chamberlain. We huddled round the dry battery/accumulator radio when at around 11 am it was announced that war had been declared against Germany because they had not withdrawn from Poland. That same day, one Blenheim, 18 Hampdens and 9 Wellingtons searched for German warships near Wilhelmshaven taking photographs. What other of the armed forces could have reacted so quickly? The last operation was on 3rd May 1945. The aircraft of Bomber Command carried out raids every day when the weather allowed.

[albaqwerty]

Robert mentioned this in his post earlier. Having had time to think, I'm surprised that not much mention has been made on the TV news.
I presume it's not the done thing to acknowledge outbreaks of war, but I think it should be mentioned.
The start of a very scary time.
All branches of the Forces make me feel proud.

[jake-the-peg]

Well it's not a special anniversary they might make more of it in 2 years for the 75th .

But the Second word war went on for nearly 6 years if we made a big fuss for each anniversary of the declaration of war, the Battle of Britain, D day, VE day etc. etc etc. we'd be forever living in the past reliving something that happened nearly three quarters of a century ago.

I know for those that lived through it it changed their lives in a way that could hardly be imagined but most of the country has no direct memory of it now and it is slowly slipping into history.

The world is very different now and we have to concentrate on looking forward - I'm sure we'll mark the 75th anniversary but we have to break the obsession with WWII now.

[albaqwerty]

That's very true Jake, hadn't thought of it that way.

I think remembering 11th November should carry on forever as it's not just covering one cessation of hostilities.

My relatives who served in WWII are now long gone but not forgotten.

(Hope you don't mind me calling you Jake)

[Sqad]

JTP...reading the post of HP, I do not think that he was mentions this as a " special anniversary" but just as a recogni,tion of the speed and contribution played by Bomber Command in WW2.

I am not so sure about the term "obsession" as feature of remembering those that died and in fact there are many still alive today who lost friends and relatives in the war.

Yes....I agree, it will drift into the annals of history, but it still serves a purpose to remind the present generation of the sacrifices of so many men and woman who gave their lives to keep the UK and Europe free of Nazi tyranny.

[sunny-dave]

WW2 began on my father's 16th birthday - before he was 21 he was landing on the D-Day beaches.

Every single person in this country owes his generation a huge debt.

Lest we forget ...

[jake-the-peg]

Well squad it was actually more of a response to alba's (hope you don't mind me calling you that :c) ) surrise that not more had been made of the anniversary. Rather than the OP.

No I think there is an obsession about WWII - people talk about "The war" as if no other conflict before or since had ever happened - reference to Nazis pervade popular culture and constant reference is made to them.

Dave mentions the "Huge debt" but let's not forget that generation is also the generation that allowed the Second World war to start in the first place.

It was the inept bungling and failures of that generation that did nothing as Germany declined into chaos.

It was that Generation that did nothing to arrest the rise of Hitler and it was that generation that sent a hopelessly equipped "expeditionary force" to go into Europe and then had to rescue them.

You can't give them all the glory without some of the blame!

[Hugh Spencer]

I think Jakethepeg should consider whether WW2 was the worst crisis this country has faced. Admittedly, the atrocities of WW1 were terrible but every country in Europe, including Germany, should be grateful that the Allies mustered to get rid of the Nazi regime. Where would you be now, Jake, if this victory had not happened? This event of 6 years should be implanted into the brains of every child in this country.