• When the clock struck 11
  
• Evacuating the children
  
• Parliament and politics
  
• Accounts from the war zone
  
• Reporting the war
  
• Coming to the aid of Poland
  

When the clock struck 11

Britain was at war from 11 o'clock - Chamberlain made his radio broadcast at 1115.

Chamberlain's speech
Veterans and civilians reflect on how they felt after hearing the prime minister's broadcast.

Piccadilly flower-seller
Mrs Pegg remembers the uncanny atmosphere that Sunday, with no lights, and little trade.

London PC Jack Jones
PC Jones was on duty outside 10 Downing Street in the hours leading up to the declaration of war.

Immediately the air raid siren sounded
Everyone braced themselves for an attack from the skies.

"When the clock struck 11, I said 'we're now at war' and groaned"
Three more vivid accounts from the day war was declared.

Mr. Kynvin, a bank clerk, describes his wedding day on 3 September, 1939
The vicar expected bombs to rain down in the middle of the ceremony and the couple spent their wedding night in an air-raid shelter.

Patrick O'Hare describes the coming of war in the village of Pettigo
On the border between the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland half the inhabitants were officially at war, and the other half at peace.

The last full day of professional sport for six years
Cricket player Len Hutton, footballer Ted Drake, and rugby footballer Wilf Wooller recall their fears that there would be no sport for some time.

"It'll all be over by Christmas"
The people of Derby remember blackouts, gas masks and 'moaning minnie' - the air-raid siren.

Evacuating the children

Children were given special lessons on wearing their gas masks properly

In the months leading up to the outbreak of the war many thousands of children were evacuated to the countryside.

Departure from Waterloo
BBC Reporter S J de Lotbini�re was at Waterloo station to see off hundreds of schoolchildren on September 1, 1939

A difficult decision
Mrs. Reynolds was one of the first parents to consent to having her children evacuated.

"I couldn't bear to see my children go"
Mrs Ayres decided to take her children to the country herself.

Growing up at six years old
Steve Allen explains how he was told by his father "look after your mother and sisters - you're the man of the family now."

"On a train with a label on my lapel"
Janet Renshaw remembers being a five year-old evacuee.

"How do you spell 'yokels'?"
Charles Gardiner, Clerk of Evesham Rural District Council, remembers looking after evacuees.

Parliament and politics

Neville Chamberlain's "no such undertaking has been received" meant war

Lobby correspondent Graham Cawthorne describes the atmosphere in Parliament on September 2, 1939
"The anxiety and contempt of the whole House towards Chamberlain's policy of 'appeasement' was palpable."

"There was no alternative"
Emanuel Shinwell, former MP, describes the feeling in Parliament when the ultimatum to Germany was announced.

The military man
Sir Edmund Ironside heard the news of the outbreak of war at the Horse Guards. Three days later he was appointed Chief of the Imperial General Staff.

Accounts from the war zone

German troops quickly overran Danzig and Poland

"The Admiralty should blow the whistle at the starting time and not 17 minutes late"
Commander Eadon of the British submarine Spearfish took part in the first act of war.

The Gestapo came to "take me under their protection"
Sir Francis Shepherd was the British Consul-General in Danzig. He recalls that he thought he was to be taken to a concentration camp.

"When we heard explosions we knew it was war"
Mrs Majewska remembers seeing German planes over Warsaw.

Reporting the War

In London, underground stations were adapted to serve as air-raid shelters

Life in Berlin as the storm-clouds gather
The Daily Mail's Berlin correspondent Ralph Izzard remembers how the Russo-German Pact left the German people bewildered.

"The streets of Warsaw filled with Poles weeping with joy"
William Forrest was the News Chronicle's special correspondent in Warsaw.

"I remember wondering what one did in an air-raid"
The Warsaw correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, Hugh Carleton-Greene remembers being woken up as German aircraft began their attack.

"A story we did not want to print"
Alec Hunter was in charge of the foreign news desk at the News Chronicle.

Joy in Poland

Poland suffered enormously during the war

"Singing, shouting, crying, praying for England"
Mrs Martin remembers the crowds when Britain declared war. Everyone thought their planes would be over Poland the next day.

Stuck in the air
Wing Commander Ostrowski of the Polish Air Force remembers German planes bombing his airfield.

"Treating war as a sport"
Group Captain Gabszewicz describes shooting down a German plane and then being shot down himself over Warsaw.

Click here to send us your memories of the outbreak of war.