Brief Timeline for South West Secret Agents
These are the dates relevant to “South West Secret Agents”. If you are looking for a more detailed timeline, I highly recommend: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWchron.htm
For detailed timelines of Operation Ariel, which illustrate the full extent, dangers and the chaos of the evacuation and related battles, check these out:
http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWDa-Aerial.htm
http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-4006-19JUN03.htm
15th March 1939 German Army invades Czechoslovakia
23rd August 1939 The USSR and Germany sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact
1st September 1939 German Army invades Poland
3rd September 1939 Britain and France declare war on Germany
UK Parliament passes the National Services (Armed Forces) Act
Winston Churchill appointed First Lord of the Admiralty
12th March 1940 Paul Reynaud replaces Edouard Daladier as Prime Minister of France
10th May 1940 Germany invades France, the Western offensive begins.
10th May 1940 Neville Chamberlain resigns as UK Prime Minister, replaced by Winston Churchill
14th May 1940 Formation of the UK Local Defence Forces (later renamed Home Guard)
27th May 1940 Evacuation begins from Dunkirk
28th May 1940 Belgium surrenders
4th June 1940 Last of the evacuation from Dunkirk (338,000 British, French and Belgian forces)
17th June 1940 Henri-Philippe Pétain replaced Paul Reynaud as Prime Minister of France and begins negotiations with Germany
22nd June 1940 Pétain’s government signs the armistice with Germany, dividing France into 2 zones, creating ‘Vichy France’.
28th June 1940 Winston Churchill recognises Charles de Gaulle as leader of the Free French forces in exile, based in London.
3rd July 1940 Threatened with attack, the Royal Navy destroys most of the French Navy at Mers-el-Kebir
6th July 1940 First bomb hits Plymouth
10th July 1940 The Battle of Britain begins
11th July 1940 Henri-Philippe Pétain appointed President of Vichy France
16th July 1940 Hugh Dalton established the Special Operations Executive (SOE)
12th October 1940 Adolf Hitler postpones the invasion of Britain
23rd October 1940 Adolf Hitler meets Francisco Franco to persuade Spain to join the war against the Allies.
12th July 1941 Soviet Union and Britain sign an agreement of mutual aid
7th December 1941 Japanese forces attack Pearl Harbour, bringing the USA into the war.
27th March 1942 Allied raid on St Nazaire
23rd April 1942 Luftwaffe start bombing historic cities in Britain, including Exeter and Bath, known as the Baedeker Bombings
19th August 1942 The attempted landings at Dieppe, known at the Battle of Dieppe.
11th Nov 1942 Adolf Hitler orders the occupation of Vichy France
8th July 1943 Jean Moulin, leader of the French Resistance, murdered by Gestapo.
22nd March 1944 Pierre Brossolette, one of the leaders of the French Resistance, murdered by Gestapo.
6th June 1944 D-Day, Allied landings on the beaches of Normandy
20th July 1944 “July Plot” to assassinate Hitler fails.
10th Sept 1944 French provisional government abolishes Vichy legislature
11th Sept 1944 Allied troops enter Nazi Germany
4th February 1945 Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin and Franklin D. Roosevelt meet at the Yalta Conference.
25th April 1945 Liberation of Dachau concentration camp
4th May 1945 All military forces in Germany surrender to the Allies
8th May 1945 Winston Church announces Victory in Europe (VE) day.
28th May 1945 William Joyce (Lord Haw Haw) captured
For detailed timelines of Operation Ariel, which illustrate the full extent, dangers and the chaos of the evacuation and related battles, check these out:
http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWDa-Aerial.htm
http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-4006-19JUN03.htm
15th March 1939 German Army invades Czechoslovakia
23rd August 1939 The USSR and Germany sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact
1st September 1939 German Army invades Poland
3rd September 1939 Britain and France declare war on Germany
UK Parliament passes the National Services (Armed Forces) Act
Winston Churchill appointed First Lord of the Admiralty
12th March 1940 Paul Reynaud replaces Edouard Daladier as Prime Minister of France
10th May 1940 Germany invades France, the Western offensive begins.
10th May 1940 Neville Chamberlain resigns as UK Prime Minister, replaced by Winston Churchill
14th May 1940 Formation of the UK Local Defence Forces (later renamed Home Guard)
27th May 1940 Evacuation begins from Dunkirk
28th May 1940 Belgium surrenders
4th June 1940 Last of the evacuation from Dunkirk (338,000 British, French and Belgian forces)
17th June 1940 Henri-Philippe Pétain replaced Paul Reynaud as Prime Minister of France and begins negotiations with Germany
22nd June 1940 Pétain’s government signs the armistice with Germany, dividing France into 2 zones, creating ‘Vichy France’.
28th June 1940 Winston Churchill recognises Charles de Gaulle as leader of the Free French forces in exile, based in London.
3rd July 1940 Threatened with attack, the Royal Navy destroys most of the French Navy at Mers-el-Kebir
6th July 1940 First bomb hits Plymouth
10th July 1940 The Battle of Britain begins
11th July 1940 Henri-Philippe Pétain appointed President of Vichy France
16th July 1940 Hugh Dalton established the Special Operations Executive (SOE)
12th October 1940 Adolf Hitler postpones the invasion of Britain
23rd October 1940 Adolf Hitler meets Francisco Franco to persuade Spain to join the war against the Allies.
12th July 1941 Soviet Union and Britain sign an agreement of mutual aid
7th December 1941 Japanese forces attack Pearl Harbour, bringing the USA into the war.
27th March 1942 Allied raid on St Nazaire
23rd April 1942 Luftwaffe start bombing historic cities in Britain, including Exeter and Bath, known as the Baedeker Bombings
19th August 1942 The attempted landings at Dieppe, known at the Battle of Dieppe.
11th Nov 1942 Adolf Hitler orders the occupation of Vichy France
8th July 1943 Jean Moulin, leader of the French Resistance, murdered by Gestapo.
22nd March 1944 Pierre Brossolette, one of the leaders of the French Resistance, murdered by Gestapo.
6th June 1944 D-Day, Allied landings on the beaches of Normandy
20th July 1944 “July Plot” to assassinate Hitler fails.
10th Sept 1944 French provisional government abolishes Vichy legislature
11th Sept 1944 Allied troops enter Nazi Germany
4th February 1945 Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin and Franklin D. Roosevelt meet at the Yalta Conference.
25th April 1945 Liberation of Dachau concentration camp
4th May 1945 All military forces in Germany surrender to the Allies
8th May 1945 Winston Church announces Victory in Europe (VE) day.
28th May 1945 William Joyce (Lord Haw Haw) captured