World War 2: Great Britain at war - Telegraph
World War 2: Great Britain at war
Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain declares war with Nazi Germany.
 
Image 1 of 2
King George VI shakes hands with Neville Chamberlain as he left Downing Street following the declaration of war with Germany  Photo: Getty
 
Comments
Article first published in The Daily Telegraph, Sept 4, 1939.
The Prime Minister announced today in a message broadcast to the Empire, that as from 11 o’clock in the morning, Great Britain was at war with Germany.
The Commonwealth of Australia proclaimed a state of war three hours later, New Zealand followed and France was at war from 5 o’clock in the afternoon. Canada has given an assurance of effective co-operative.
The House of Commons met at noon to hear from Mr. Chamberlain the declaration that Britain were at war.
In the Lords a similar announcement was made by Lord Halifax. M.P.s will meet again today at 8 o’clock.
Related Articles
02 Sep 2009
Premier sees the King
At 6 o’clock in the evening the King broadcast a rallying call to the Empire. An hour later Mr. Chamberlain had an audience of his Majesty. It was later announced that the Prime Minister has established a War Cabinet, consisting of eight members in addition to himself. It includes Mr. Winston Churchill, who has joined the Government as First Lord of the Admiralty, the post he held at the outbreak of war in 1914. Mr. Eden returns to the Government as Dominions Secretary, without a seat in the War Cabinet, to which he will have special access.
New chief of staff
It was also announced that the King has appointed:
Gen. Viscount Gort, V.C., Chief of the Imperial General Staff, to be Commander-in-Chief of British Field Forces;
Gen. Sir Edmund Ironside to succeed as Chief of the Imperial General Staff; and
Gen. Sir Walter Kirke to be Commander-in-Chief of Home Forces.
False raid alarm
Half an hour after Britain entered the war there was an air raid warning. It proved to be a false alarm, but it provided a test for the machinery.
An Order in Council makes to-day a banking holiday and no savings bank business will be transacted.
New regulations for motorists provide that the running boards and bumpers of cars must be painted white. Petrol is to be rationed from Sept. 16.
The Admiralty announced that all British merchant ships are liable to be examined for contraband. The Navy is at the war stations in full strength, supplemented by armed merchant ships as auxiliary cruisers. The naval convoy system has already been reintroduced.
Hitler is to take over supreme command of the German forces on the Eastern front. In a proclamation to the German people he found it necessary to state that whoever offended against national unity “need expect nothing other than annihilation as an enemy of the nation.”