Looking to Spring - 1940

February and March were almost as quite as January - unless you we Finnish. The Soviets finally breached the Mannerheim Line during the Battle of Summa and then attacked the city of Viipuri. By the 10th of March Viipuri was lost, and by the 12th the Finns had conceded 16,000 square miles in exchange of peace. Britain and France would have intervened, but were blocked by Norway and Sweden from doing so.

The Royal Navy intercepted a German ship, the Altmark in Norwegian waters, releasing hundreds of British prisoners - the Norwegians protested, as they are Neutral, and the Germans described the action as piracy. The navy also stopped an Italian convoy laden with coal bought from Germany.

The odd U boat sunk, a liner sent to the bottom of the English Channel. They mounted an air-raid on our Home Fleet base at Scapa Flow, we raided their seaplane bases at Sylt and Hornum.The first German aircraft of the war was shot down over Whitby - a Heinkel-111. This was particularly bitter - we travel to Whitby every year for a family holiday, and have done since the girls were small. Perhaps the first real impact on us as a family was the realisation that a holiday booked with the land lady when we left last year is just not on under the current circumstances.

Whitby holiday snap - just last year, but it seems a world away.

Just posturing, until Churchill's speech on Neutral States. He said that they could not be blamed, but by balking at war and by bowing the German demands for material, they would extend the war and that it not in the interests of Britain or the 'common good' for their strength to be added to that of the enemy. I met a friend of mine for lunch in Norwich, a man I used to work with, and we talked about almost nothing but that speech. It can mean almost nothing but that we are prepared to act against neutral countries.

As we left, I saw the woman who ran the tea shop staring at us, and looking meaningfully at a poster she had just pinned to the wall. 'Careless talk costs lives' it said. As we walked away, I was in two minds. Did she have a point, or was she just an interfering busy body enjoying a moment of supposed moral superiority? Probably the later, but I couldn't shake myself of the uneasy feeling that she might have been right. Strange how these situations bring out other the best and worst in people, and how hard it can be to tell them apart.

Then, on the 4th of April, came a fantastic speech by the Prime Minister that lifted my spirits. Hitler has 'missed the bus'. We brought enough time to catch up in terms of war material and the Empire is mobilising fast. But given Churchill's speech, this can only mean the the behind the scenes the neutrals are not so neutral and that Europe will stand together. Feels like spring, and I've promised the family that we'll make Whitby next year.

Coverage of the speech.

Newspaper reaction to 'Hitler has missed the bus'.