Battle of Britain Diary Part 4

This is the 4th segment of diary entries by my aunt Dora Church who died in 1997 aged 84 years.

June 27th
We had no alarm last night thank Heaven. France has given up all her colonies to the Germans. Wednesday we landed some troops on an enemy coast with the help of the airforce and navy and destroyed fortifications and killed many Germans and returned without loss. Can you imagine the shock of the enermy to see the English soldiers daring to invade their land. After all their threats to us. We have loved hearing about it. There's life and daring in the Lion yet even if the others are cowards or traitors and given in. We also bombed and let a blazing ruin an airbase which had just been completed by the enemy. What darlings our airforce boys are. I wonder time and time again what we should do without them. One thing is certain to me, what we want done we shall have to do ourselves. Well it WILL be done too and we won't have any traitors to let us down. We do know where we stand anyway.

June 28th
Rumania has given Russia all she has asked for, that is Bessarabia. Wonder what will become of that. Who gains by that - us or Germany? We sunk by torpedo today a large cargo vessel although it was escorted by 4 torpedo boats. Our sub got away. No air raid alarms here since last written but Effingham and Dorking have had them.

June 29th
Bill came home this morning from Yorkshire. Very pleased to see him loooking so well. Air raids last night on Jersey, many injured and killed. No alarm for us. Balbo killed but not by the RAF as the Italians say. He was too popular for Musso's liking.

June 30th
Air raids last night over most of the coast again. Not much damage. 1 injured. Reports say we brought down 11 planes today, that's Italian as well. The Germans so far have not commented on the Russian Rumanian situation. It appears that Germany is getting no supplies from Rumania since Russia took over their bit. Russia by the way is now forgetting to stop and small fights are taking place between. Romania and Bulgaria aren't very friendly now. Japan seems to be bullying everybody. Still fighting China too.

Well our invasion starts tomorrow we understand. We say we are well ready for them. I hope we are. Weather still grand. Spent Saturday and Sunday watching cricket. Babe had her hair permed Saturday.

July 2nd
Rumania has refused to hold to the treaty we had with her and has asked for German help. Russia has taken three parts of Rumania and has "overflowed" in some parts, hence Rumania asks Germany for help. Now what position stands Germany? Russias?

The invasion starts tonight between 1 and 4 a.m. when the tide is high.

July 5th
No invasion has taken place yet - we have shot down many German planes on our coast, so far we have been told of no very bad damage although people have been killed and more injured.

We had a sad day yesterday when we heard that the British fleet had to fight the French fleet at Arras because they would not promise to be interned in America or join us against the Germans. We destroyed many battleships, destoyers and many other ships. It was sad that we had to do it. Hitler's word that they would not use the French navy against us could not be accepted.

We have many ships in port with the Free French navy on them including the world's largest submarine. They are willing to fight on with us.

Jack signs up tomorrow. Digging up front garden. Got toothache. Brothers saw German bomber yesterday with Spitfires after it. Heard later it crashed after dropping bombs.

27th July
Haven't written much lately but just had to because Babe has become engaged to Diddy White today.

August 15th
No Trevone holiday for me - today is the day Hitler is coming to London. No sign of him yet except his aeroplanes and we have so far shot down 100.

Tonight Babe and I saw our first dogfight from Epsom Common over Croydon. The airport was hit a bit but a scent factory was hit badly. Miss Frazer works there - says the people went in with sacks to put the bits of human flesh in.

August 16th

The total of yesterday's airfight was 144 planes down, the biggest so far. Many raids were carried out by the enemy last night. The warnings are often sounded now. One at 12.20 as I was coming home from work. Yesterday's fight over Croydon was grand yet awful to watch. The anti aircraft fire was very near.

Well we are not on our knees yet. I wonder what this will do for us. It can't possibly be an easy or an early war. I still say that if the last was 4 years God knows what this will be. We are still ready for anything or anybody and with our wonderful RAF we feel grand and still waiting for what may come our way.

Greece looks like coming in at any moment. Her ships were sunk yesterday so very cruel of the Italian navy.

The Battle of Samliland is very serious. I hope not too serious. We can only wait and hope.

August 22nd
We have left Somaliland to the Italians. very regrettable but not serious. On Sunday last a Hurricane came down in the RAC Epsom. Jack was first there and pilot not hurt thank Heaven.

On Tuesday Churchill made a fine speech on the war. We shall carry on till victory be it 1940-41-42. We shall grow. He also said referring to the RAF "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few".

We also heard him say that 96,000 people were dead, injured and prisoners as a result of one year of war. Less than last one thank God. Our people of course. France is still crushed. She didn't have so many men in the whole of the war that she fought this time as she did in one of the big battles last time.

Jack still not called up - not Bert. Went to dentist for stoppings. Saw little man FGW140 on top of bus. He smiled. Most important news item so far.

Peggy Gaynor came yesterday. Poor Croydon was bombed again on Sunday. Some damage to aerodrome. Not so many civiliamns. Great numbers of unexploded bombs go off after so many hours.

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