AIR MINISTRY BULLETIN NOo 823 3/6/40. -No. 2. §.OMBS DROPPED ON SUSSEX. The Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security announce: .An unidentified aircraft dropped two bombs in a country district of Sussex early this morning. No casualties were caused and little material damage was done. AIR AFFAIRS ++++++-+ It is learned from official Dutch circles that there is no truth vfl1atsoever in a report given over the Hamburg ra6..io that Queen Wilhelmina has decidee.. to leave Britain for the Dutch East Indies. No such plan was urged on Her Ua jesty o:r her nilitai-•y or other advisers. Consequently there has been no ~uestion of Her Majesty first op~osin~ it but now reconsidering her 0..ecision9 as the German wireless put it. The story9 which was said to emanate froo )Pivate but usually well-i nformed sources in London, is a con1)lete invention. ++++++++++ FOREIGN OFFICE l'TEFS D:CPARTI II.HT FOR DUTCH LEGATION~ ~ a.· Cl. r -­ The evacuation of school children from certain areas on the East coast has given rise to some questions for guidance as to vnLat is the duty of the population generally. While there is no reason why private persons who wish to leave the East coast should not do so, Sir John Anderson strongly urges that all who have worlc to do and more especially persons of position and influence, staff of local authorities and public utilities, members of the civil defence services should remain quietly at their posts, get on with their duties and discount rumour. If any special action is required of the public, the Government will give clear instructions when the occasion arises. MINISTRY OF HOME SECURITY. 3/6/40 _-:: No, B:. Many members of the B.D.F. have lost kit and clothing a.urine the recent operations in France and Belgium. The War Office announees that in the case of other ranks a complete fresh issue of clothing and equipment will be made where necessary. In the case of officers, similarly, free re"!.)lacement will be made of articles of equipment previouslJr issued in kind, and compensation will be paid for other articles of ldt and clothinglost, within the limits and subject to the rules laid down in the Rer.sulations for the Allowances of the 11.rrny. Special arrangements have been made for claims to be dealt with expeditiously and for' advances where necessary if the claim cannot be settled at once. Claims by officers should be made in duplicate on Army Form 0.1784 and sent to the Officer in charGe, Army Pay Office (Officers Accounts), 339 Stockport Road, Banchester. If copiesof this form are not available at local unit headquarters, they can be obtained on personal application either at the War Office or from the f\rrcy Agents or on personal application or by letter from any Cornmand Pa;ymas ter. · Claims should be certified by the claim.ant's CommandingOfficer, if available, or by some other senior officer, but if no officer can be found to perform this duty a statement to this effect, certified bJr the clairnants must be made with the claim. +++++++++ ~Jill OFFIC~, s.w.1. The :'.inistr~r of Foot nre informed that there is some Di sunc1el"S tanCL:1.;-ar.1ong the <1airymen in Lonc!..on in regarC. to the Orcle:;." concePning mill: deliveries which was rnaci..e last rvee~;: and r.rhich came into effect on Sunday morning. The OPd_er ·::irohibits the c.,_eliver~r of i·i1ill~ oy retail in the I.IetroiJolitan Police area, the City of London and towns in ~ngland and Wales with a po~ulation exceedin.::; 250, OOOo 'rhe torrns affected lJy the Order are ~­ Birr!1ingham Bradford BPistol Hull Leeds Leicester LiveI'~::iool i.lanchester Newcastle-on-Tyne Nottin~ham ~ortsmonth She:L:ti e lc1­Stol;:e--on-Trent So long as he observes this pestriction upon the starting :1ou1... ~ an~r dairyman is at i;e:i.,fect liberty to make one or trrn 0.eliveries ) eP c1ay as the circmJstancc::s of' his business req_uire. +++++++++++++ 3/6/40 -NO., 13 NOT FOR BROADC.L\ST BEFORE 7 A& M. ON JUNE. 4TH Passed by Field Censor NORWAY: ALLIE~....EJGHTERS !!BAG" 24 RAIDERS A.A. GUNS ALSO TAKE TOLL imti ,..o 1 i • From '.~'0/~4.;,. ~..~~u~1~~£1 s Somewhere in Norway, Monday. Allied fighters are estimated already to have shot down 24 German machines over the part of Northern Norway occupied by the Allies. They have damaged many more. Anti-aircraft guns of the Allied Forces have also taken a considerable toll of enemy 'planes in the almost daily and nightly raids. This punishment haa had a marked effect upon the frequency of the German visitations~ The full story of the Royal Navy's amazing exploits in protecting troops and bases can only be told after the war. British warships kept the bombers high and later came light and heavy A.A. guns to supplement the Navy's fire. MINISTRY OF INFORMATION"' "j/6/40 No. 15. AIR MINISTRY BULLETIN No,, 825'. AIR MINISTRY OFFIC:IAL COlVIMUNffiUE In support of' the Allied Armies medium bombers of the Royal Air Force made a series of atta'cks on enemy gun emplacements roads, railways and troop concentrations in the Dunkirk area throughout yesterday~ These operationa were continued during the night by our heavy bombers. At the same time other formations of' heavy bombers attacked enemy aerodromes and other military objectives in North-West Germany. All our aircraft returned from these operations. Our fighter aircraft continue to maintain offensive patrols over the Dunkirk area. In the Narvik area on 1st and 2nd six enemy aircraft were shot down• • --·--··----~ · Air Minj_str7 N0'.rn Service ··-------·-~-··---~ 11·~----•• NTGH'r.. · RAIDS ON GERLiANY ------· -~·-<·•--' --.J••·----...--·---~­ - Marshalling yards were bombed 9 oil-tank y.,raggons were set · alight and t.roop convoys were machine--gunned by low-flying ·bombers in the course )f last night's extensive raids over north-vvest Germany. At Soest, an impcr]rant railway junction .to the east of Dortmund, 1 line of high explosive bombs fell across the centre of a crowded •ailway yard. Moving trains were hit and brought to a standstill, ind direct hits wer~ registered on loaded goods waggonsn In another 1uccessful attack on a ~nrshalling yard, carried out shortly after iidnight , a group of oil-tank v-raggons stand:.ng in the middle of the ·ard was first wrecked and then set alight by incendiary bombs~ The 'ire kindled by the bonfos s~?read ra})idly and clouds of smoke vvere seen ising from the yard for some tiQe after the raido Road ancl rail junctions at Osnabruck ·were heavily attacked for the eco~1a_ ni'ght · in succession; a direct hit was scored on a goods yard t Homb"Li.rg). and at Har0.;11? SOl1-th o:C' Munster 9 one end of a bridge over a anal was re:;;)Qrted to have 'been demolished and nearby railway tracks oI•n up by the f'orce of three heavy bomb explosions" Enemy air oases at Rotd3erdam, Deventer and Wesel were also visited y-the n::i.ght raiders. On tJ.rn Rotte.cdam aeroa.rome at Waalhaven a Poup of buildings Phich had survived the earlier Allied bombardment, as straddled by a salvo of heavy--calibre bombs. At Wesel, in the r-:rodrome used by German boni'oer squadrons, bombs 'Seen to burst on large hangai., l'esulted in a v].oJ.ent explosion and a fierce outbreak f fire ns if' from a petrol r];umi1 near'by,, Other. sect].ons of haavy bombers on their vray back from successful tias came lmv owcr enemy te11 r i tory to carry out machine-gun attacks ~ainst troop concent:_,a tion3 ·wM_ch w-cre loca tcd by parachute flareso long convoy of aTIJoured vehicles caught on a road near Aachen in Le early hours of this morning was first heavily bombed with high :plosiVG and i.nccmdiary -Don:os f1'om a height of 2, 000 fee to Then t the light of a slovv1y descending parachute flare it vms subjected 1 machine-gun attack,, Salvos of bombs were seen to burst in :bhe dst of the convoy, on the road ahead of it and in the adjoining woods~ series of heavy explosions continued to break out for some time after .e attack as amrnuni tion or petrol lorries in the wrecked convoy were nitea. 'by the j_ncenc1i o.ry bomb fires and blmv upc 3.6.40 No,17o OFFICIAL ADMIRALTY COMMUNIQUE. The most extensive and difficult combined operation in Naval hi sto17 has been carried out during the past week. British! French and Belgian troops have been brought back safely to this country from Belgium and Northern France.in numbers which, when the full story can be told, will surprise the world. 'l'he withdrawal has been carried out in face of intense and al most con-~inuous air attack, and increasing aPtillery and machine gun f irei;. The success of this operation was only made possible by the close co-operation of the ..:'\.llies and of the Services, and by never­flagging determination and courage of all concerned. It was undertaken on the British side by several flotillas of aestroyer s and a large number of small craft of every description. -~his force was rapidly increased, and a total of 222 British Naval vessels and 665 other British craft and boats took part in the operation. These figures do not include lar•ge numbers of French Naval and Merchant Ships which also played their part~ The rapid assembly of over 600 small craft of all types was carried out by volunteerso These showed magnificent and tireless spirit., Thr ough t he operation of the Small Craft Registration Order; the AdmiPalty already had full details of all available small vessels. The orde~ for the assembly of these vessels met with instantaneous response, Fisherman, yachtsmen, yacht builders, yacht clups, r'1.ver boatmen and boat building and hiring firms, manned their craft with volunteer crews and rushed them to the assembly point, although they did not then know for what purpose they were requiredG They operated successfully by day and night under the most difficult and dangerous conditions~ The Admiralty can~ot speak too highly of the services of all concerned" They were essential to the success of the operation and the means of saving thousands of liveso The withdrawal was carried out from Dunkirk and from beaches in the vicinityo The whole operation was screened by Naval forces aga inst any attempt by the enemy at interference by sea. In addition t o almost incessant bombing and machine gun attacks on Dunkirk, the beaches, and the vessels oper ating off t hem, the port of Dunkirk, and the shipping plying to and fro were under frequent shell fireo This was to some extent checked by bombardment of the enemy artillery positions by our Naval forc es. Naval bombardment also protected the flanks of the withldrawal 0 The enemy was active with submarinm and high speed motor torpedo boats, Losses have been inflicted upon both these forces. The operation was rendered more difficult by shallow water, narrow channelsp and strong tidesc The situation was such that one mistake in the handling of a shin might have blocked a vital channel or that part of the port of Dunkirk which could be used. Nor was the weather entirely in favour of the operation0 On two days a fresh north-westePly wind r>aised. a surf which made work at the beaches slow and difficulto Only on one f o11 enoon did ground mist curtail enemy air activity0 /A 2-­ A withdrawal of this nature and magnitude,cerricd out in face of intense and almost continuous air attack, is the most hazardous of all oue1·0.tions. Its success is a triumuh of Allied sea and air uower in~ face of the most novve rful air forces which the enemy could bring to bear from air bases close at hand. Zeebrugge has been blocked by the sinking of concrete-filled block ships. 1'.he sea gates of the canal and. tho lock working mechanism have been demolished. The lock gates have been blocked. The other ports now in enemy hands h~ve been rendered virtually uselesso Fuel st 0cks have been destroyed. The losses sustained by our Naval forces have been comparatively smallo 'rhe loss of H. IA. Destroyers GR.AI•'TON ( Conunander CaE.C. 2obinson~ R~N.)i> GRENADE (Commander R.C. Boyle, R.No) and WAIIBFUL (Cornmande1... R.L. Fisher3 R.N.) was announced on May 30th. H. I'.I . Destroyers BASILISK (Commander M. Richmond, RaN Q ), KEITH (Captain E.. Lo Berthon, R.N.) and HAVANT (Lieutenan·i-Corrunander AoFo Burnell-Nugent, R. N.) have also been sunk by enemy action~ O:f more than 170 i~1inor war vessels of H. Mo Fleet engaged in the operation 2U.. have been lost. These comprise:-One Fleet minesweeperi> H. M.S. SKIPJACK (Lieutenant-Commander F'.B. Proudfoo:'i, R.N. ); one Gunboat, H~M.S. MOSQUITO (Lieutenant A.N.P. Castobadie, R.N.. ); one Fleet Air Arm Tender, H.U.. S. GRIVE (Lieutenant CoE. West, R.N~R~); five J?addle mineswc:mpers! BRIGHTON BEL~ (Lieutenant L.K. Perrin~ R.NeVoRo)~ GRACIE FIEL.DS (Lieutenant A.O. Weeks, R.N.R), WAVERLEY (Lieutenant S.F. Harmer-Elliott, R.N.V.R.), MEDWAY QUEEN (Lieutenant A.To Cook9 R.NoR3), BRIGHTON QUEEN (Lieutenant Ao Stubbs, Ro N. TI..:· ) ; one minesweeper, CRESTED EAGLE (Lieutenant-· Commander B.R. Booth~ R.N.R. ): eight trawlers, POLLY JOHNSTON ·; (Chief' Skipper L. Lake, RoN.R.) 9 THOMJ"S BARTLETT ( Ski,;.iper G.Eo Utting R.NoR.), THURINGIA (Chief Skipper D. W.L. Simpson, R.N.R), CALVI (Skipper BoD. S1)indler? R.N.Ro )~ STELLA DOR.ADO (Skipper W.H. Burgess, R.N.R.), ARGYLLSHIRE (Sub-Lieutenant E.G.D. Healey, R.N.V.R.),BLACKBURN ROVERS (Skipper Wo Hartin, R.N.R.) and VVESTELLA (Chief' Skipper A. Gove, R.N.R.); three drifters, GIRL PM.IBLA (Skipper C. Sansom, RoNoRo), PAXTON (Skipper A.M. Levis, R.NoRo), and BOY l!.OY (Skipper E .•F. Dettman, R.N.Ra); two armed boarding vessels KING ORRY (Commande:.'.' J. Elliott, R.N.R), and MONA'S ISLE (Commander J.C.K. Dowding, RoNoR); one danlaying vessel, COMFORT (Skipper J.D. Mair, R.NoR)~ and one tug, ST. FAGAN (Lieutenant-0onunander G.H. Warren, R.No)o The next of kin of all casualties are being informed as details become available. -----------,.. ~MI1.Rr1.LTYz 3rd Jun~J__l-940 o_ 3/6/40 -No.18. Not for Publication before the morning of TuesdA.y June 4. Not for Broadcast before 7 a.m. on that date. PRESS NOTICE. The following message has been reoeivecl from His Majesty the King by the Prime 1Jlinister and Ninister of Defence:­ Buckingham Palace. I wish to express rny admiration of the outstanding skill and ln•avery shovm by the three Services and the J..Ierchant Navy in the evacuation of the British F~cpeditionary Force from Northern France. So difficult an operation was only made possible by l)rillant leadership and an indomitable spirit among all ranl'"...s of the Force. The measure of its success -greaterthan we had dared to hope -was due to the unfailing support of the Rojral J.ir Force and, in the final stages, the tireless efforts of naval units of every kind. · While we acclaim this great feat, in which our French /.llies too have played so noble a part, we think with heartf'elt syrapathY of the loss and sufferings of those brave men whose sel:r-sacrifice has turned disaster into triumph. GEORGE R. I. lO, Downing Street, . s. w.. 1. 3/_6.._(......___N--'-o. _12_ ..... 40 G~NBRAL IRONSIDE TO i..IE:S'l' LEADERS OF LOCAL D:CF:CNC:C VOLUNTEERS. The following statement has been issued by the Commander-in-Chief~ Home Forces:­ It should be understood that the Local Defence Volunteers are of first-class importan~c in the defence of their country, both in towns and factories and in villages, They will be armed as required.~ nnd will act under the military authorities in their cw .1 districts as an integral :;;:iart of th(. A.rfilit].Porces. General Ironside is meeting all leaders of the Local Defence Volunteers on Wednesday o.nd Thu1.,sc1ay next, when printed instructions and advice will ·be issued in sufficient guantities for all concerned to lcnmv ·what they have to do. The special problems of London and. other large towns will also bo explained by General Ironside to the loaders. ;VAP.. OFFICTI: ~ S. 'vV. 1. ++++++++++++ ~/6/40 -NO: 20. d"""t ----.....~.,,-=--3~--~. ALIENS J.1:.R_Q';t'.~_CJJBD A.?0~/-i.~Sl_O):{I2,~_R The Home Secretary has made trm fL1.rther Aliens (Protected .i.reas) Ora_ers c1eclarinP, certain aa.d-i tional areas in Englnncl and ··rales and Scotland to be protected areas~ One of these Orders which came into operPt :.on yeet erday relates to certain parts of the Counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent and Sussex, and certain districts in Bedforushire anc1 Buckin~hamshire; the other which comes into operation on the 1 Oth instant relates to certain ~arts of the Counties of Northumberland, Durham, Dorset, Cornwall, Glamor3an1 Monmouth~ Gloucester, Somerset, Wilts, Lancashire, Cheshire~ Pembroke~ and in Scotland, to certain -oarts of the Counties of Argyll, Ayr, Dumbarton:i Renfrew;1 1.7i ;/torm and Perth and the whole of the Counties of ..\.n::us and Buteo An alien cannot enter or remain in an.y of these areas without the permission in writing of the Chief Constable or of the Secretary of State. As regards the protected areas in the parts of East Anglia, Kent, Sussex, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, aliens will not be allowed to remain in these areas unless their preGence is required for special •:1ork of national importance., The occupier or keeper of any premises in anJr of these areas at which an alien is stayin~, is required to r eport to t he officer in charge of the nearest police station forthwith:N (i) ...-on the arrival of the alien, his arrival, his names in full, his nationality, ana. the ada.ress at which he spent the preceding night; and (ii) on the departure of the alien, his a.epart ure ancl. the aa.cl.ress at which he intends to spend the su~ceeding nighto Another :provision prohibits an alien from having in his 11ossession or usinz in a protected area any camera or other photographic apparatus; any telescope, fie le. zlass or s 1milar optical instrument; or any nautical chart. It will be permissible for an alien to pass through a protect ed area in the course of a continuous journey from a :place outs·icl.e the United Kingdom to a c1.estination within the United l~ingc1orn, or from a place within the Unit ed Kin~dom to a clestination outside the Unitec1. ICingdom. Copies of the Orders, which contain schedules defining the areas which have been declared. protectecl areas, may be obtainec1-from the Stationery Office or through any booksellero H0r.'.E OFFICE,