December. Pearl Harbour. Visit from the Gestapo. Prefects' party: a marvellous spread of food. School milk cut off. Dire drink situation. Fall of Hong Kong. "Some chicken; some neck."
Monday, Dec 1st
For the first time today the glass of milk at break was cut off and our domestic milk reduced from 3 to 2 pints. Spent about 3 hours yesterday morning building a cardboard model Spitfire to amuse Hilary, who was in bed with a cough. Have found it difficult to get is 1 lb of oranges on his children’s ration book, but found a small shop in a side street in Reading which had some (S. African). Most carefully weighed out until 3 of the required weight discovered, then the ration book endorsed. Price controlled so only 7 ½ d for 3.
The Germans have suffered their first defeat on the eastern front at Rostock and they seem well and truly held by the New Zealanders, South Africans and British at Sidi Rezegh.
A broadcast to Germany yesterday contained the following by L. S. Amery, who was at Harrow with Churchill: “The war linked up the England of today with the England that fought the Spanish Armada, that humbled Louis XIV, that wore down Napoleon. In that new, that eternal England, he [Churchill] by national right came into his own. He is today the spirit of Old England incarnate, with its unshakeable self-confidence, its unfailing sense of humour, its underlying moral earnestness, its unflinching tenacity. Against that unanimity of spirit between leader and nation, the ill-cemented moral fabric of Hitler’s perversion of the German soul must be shattered in the end.”
Tuesday, Dec 2nd
News of new call-up in speech by P.M. tonight. Men from 18 ½ to 51, women from 20 – 30 without option among services. A.T.S. still 170,000 short.
Pictures of Ark Royal sinking today in Times. Sea dead calm. The hierarchy of command still preserved when only a dozen men on the reeling ship, Captain with three others, then yeoman and signals, then 2 ordinary seamen at a respectful distance.
Wednesday, Dec 3rd
The P.M. thus described the munitions time table. First year, nothing at all; second year, very little; third year, quite a lot; fourth year, all you want! We are in the third year, the U.S.A. still in the second year and the Germans started the war in the fourth year!
Friday, Dec 5th
Anniversary (150) of Mozart’s death. Delivered a short talk in assembly, radiogram too decrepit to venture on record.
Halt to Libyan battle…. Looks as though Germans underestimated again! Light tanks not much use against German medium tanks….. The first round has been a draw. Very disappointing.
Story of German submarine sunk on its first voyage. Forced to the surface, the ship was abandoned by its captain, who jumped onto the bows of the corvette that was just about to ram. The encouraging thing was that the crew, including the captain, were nearly all inexperienced men and total bag was one Norwegian vessel. It looks as though we are getting down the U-boats and the Germans are having difficulty in getting sufficient trained men.
Saturday, Dec 6th
Were sitting in front of the fire about to begin supper when knocking on garden door began. Switched off light to admit two enormous policemen. Our lights visible reported by lady living in Greys Road. However rang her up, switched them all off; she still reported that she could see them. The Gestapo went outside, and waved torches. Could she see those? No! Gestapo, satisfied but very mystified, departed.
The Provost of Eton does not welcome the suggestions that we now have a chance to plant a garden round St Paul’s, prefers the old congestion and cluttering up of the cathedral with drapers’ shops and offices. Says the City symbolizes the wealth of the British Empire and this will win the war, and condemns what is pleased to call the “elegant airiness of a seaside resort.” This followed by a letter from a city postman on the wretched little courts and lanes. Times getting quite democratic! Nora says the Cecils batty anyway.
Feeling very cross and fed up with war today, also with sciatica, which is hanging about.
Sunday, Dec 7th
War in Pacific! At nine o’clock announced that Japan had made an attack on Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, and while the news was still being read added that an attack had also been made on Manila in the Philippines. I can’t understand where the Japanese aircraft came from at Hawaii; they must have been flown off ships.
First reaction was that this will greatly affect supplies from U.S. to ourselves and might lead them to withdrawal of some naval bases in N. Atlantic. Second that now the Japs will meet something with an air force and not the Chinese, whom they have bombed with impunity for so long. Third that after all this may stir up the American industries really to get going and make possible cuts in civilian consumption for the benefit of wartime industries.
Hilary very anxious about the fate of Santa Claus; has Father Christmas been called up? If he is in the army will be able to deliver the goods this year? He may not have been called up, but there is precious little in the toy shops, no children’s bricks of any kind.
Monday, Dec 8th
Tonight I have just listened to the speech of President Roosevelt to Congress, recorded two hours earlier, asking for a declaration of war on Japan. This was preceded at nine by a talk by Churchill.
The speech by the president was tremendously applauded, though the applause sounded a bit hysterical. Very serious damage has apparently been done at Pearl Harbour and there have been over 3,000 casualties. An old battleship capsized and other units were damaged, also hangars were destroyed on the airfield. As negotiations were still being carried on, no attack was expected, and in any case the aircraft carriers, in view of the distance of Hawaii from Japanese territory, must have sailed for days, and the whole treacherous trick been planned weeks before. It is not good enough. We must clean these blighters up and finish with them once and for all. We ought in the end be able to do it – we have with us India, U.S.A., China and Russia, four fifths of the human race.
Siam was invaded and apparently caved in so we shall have them on our borders in Burma. Landings have taken place in northern Malaya. Singapore, Hong Kong, Manila, Guam, Wake Island have been bombed.
I must quote the actual expressions of Roosevelt and Churchill tomorrow when I have the text.
Tuesday, Dec 9th
The embargo on trade with Japan was placed last July after the invasion of Indo-China. The attack was decided upon when General Tojo came into power about six weeks ago. It is not a desperate move but carefully calculated. The pre-blockade supplies have now been turned into munitions. To wait meant a relative decrease in resources while the democracies grow stronger. The talks in Washington were a smokescreen….. The main attacks (it seems) were made against 1) the American advanced naval base at Pearl Harbour to prevent naval actions further west and 2) against the Korea isthmus. Not certain yet whether their objective will be Malaya, which is strongly held, or Burma. The surrender of Thailand will place large stocks of rice, and tin, teak and rubber in smaller quantities, at their disposal.
Tonight there is severe and confused fighting in N. Malaya and convoys of troops landing on Siam territory near Malayan frontier.
We have almost forgotten Libya. Here however Rommel has decided to withdraw his armoured forces westward and we are clearing the area between Tobruk and the frontier.
Before Moscow the front holds…..The Russians believe the Germans are at last fully extended and will not be able to keep up the present rate of oil expenditure for many months. It looks as though the German offensive in the Caucasus was started with inadequate resources and has been easily defeated by Timoshenko.
Thursday, Dec 11th
We had a very bad blow yesterday. At one o’clock it was announced that by the B.B.C. that our new battleship, the Prince of Wales, and the battle cruiser Repulse had been sunk off Malaya. The staff (at school) had not heard the news, so once again as in the summer of 1940 I brought it over from lunch to the common room….. We have learnt more today from a review of the war by the P.M….. The ships had steamed north to attack the transports, but had been observed from the air. There was cloud cover but this cleared and high level attacks were made and the ships were both hit. This was followed by an attack of 27 torpedo aircraft, at least 7 of these were destroyed by A.A. fire, but some torpedoes struck the battleships. The Repulse sunk first, the Prince of Wales listed then sank later. Fortunately they did not blow up and well over 2,000 men have been brought into Singapore by escorting destroyers. ….This is the worst naval disaster we have suffered for many years, far worse than the loss of the battle cruisers at Jutland…..
(On Libya the P.M. said) that although the battle was longer than expected we were now in a position to reach a decision, now was a struggle of attrition necessarily unfavourable for aircraft had been drawn off from Russia. The enemy was valiant and skilful, but was worthy of the doom awaiting him. It was General Auchinleck’s battle. In the critical days of Nov 24th to 26th he had himself gone to the battle headquarters and the general of the 8th Army, Cunningham, was relieved of his post suffering from strain and a young man of 44, General Ritchie, put in his place.
It was clear that Hitler’s attack on Russia was one of the outstanding blunders of history. The campaign for the oil of Baku had failed and the Russians had recovered supremacy on the Moscow front.
Roosevelt: “Not only must the shame of the Japanese treachery be wiped out but the forces of brutality, wherever they exist, must be absolutely and finally broken. There is no such thing as serenity for any nation, or any individual, in a world ruled by the principles of gangsterism. We are going to win the war, and we are going to win the peace that follows. And in the dark hours of this day, and in the dark hours that may be yet to come, we shall know that the vast majority of members of the human race are on our side. Many of these are fighting with us. All of them are praying for us.”
M said last night how sad it was to think that there was no part of the world left where people were leading peaceful and normal lives. The war had spread everywhere. On the other hand we feel uplifted and supported by the knowledge that all those who have suffered aggression from 1931 to 1941 now stand together….. and we must, we can, we shall prevail over the evil men who have increasingly traded upon our past irresolution, disunity, short sightedness and cowardice.
Friday, Dec12th
More details on loss of two ships…… Shore-based fighters turned up about an hour too late. There were no naval aircraft in action and the 7 Jap aircraft destroyed fell to the ships’ A.A. fire. In spite of P.M.’s statement that in his opinion what was done was rightly and wisely done and risked in the circumstances, it does look as though conditions were not comparable to attacks in the Mediterranean, where our battleships have always had fighter support and protection and not been left to cope with air attack by A.A. fire only.
From Russia there is excellent news. The Germans have announced that the offensive is called off till the spring, but this has been forced on them by the miserable conditions of German troops. Typhus is raging, The Germans are retreating locally to strengthen their lines, but are faced with the risk of a really large scale disaster.
In Libya the enemy is still strong, but severely mauled and, largely stripped of his armour, is retreating westwards…..
Saturday, Dec 13th
The Prefects Party tonight from 3.30 – 8.30, a gift from the so few to the so many! The boys and girls did charades, one represented the meeting of Churchill (in paper cap) and Roosevelt (in trilby), the ship’s cat being represented by Peacock, the smallest of the prefects. There was a marvelous spread of food (considering), mince pies, sandwiches, jellies, trifles etc.
85,000 Germans have been killed and 1,400 tanks destroyed in latest attempt to encircle and capture Moscow…
Monday, Dec 15th
51 German divisions said to be in retreat on Moscow front……Of the objects with which the campaign in the east was started, 1) Moscow, 2) Leningrad, 3) the Caucasus and 4) the Ukraine, only the last has been partially achieved.
In Libya Germans have decided to stand. This is apparently not a rearguard action but a halt to the retreat westwards.
Tuesday, Dec 16th
At last we have an official account of the damage done at Pearl Harbour. The casualty list very severe with 2,729 men killed, but the loss in ships was less than expected. The Arizona, a battleship, destroyed and Oklahoma capsized but can be repaired, a target ship was sunk and three destroyers. No aircraft carriers were damaged and the rest of the fleet was uninjured and is at sea.
At Christmas Westminster Abbey will hold a midnight service, but as the only illumination will be altar candles the congregation are advised to bring torches too!
Reading another book on the fall of France by a journalist, Louis Levy - ends: “The breath of revolution will blow again over France, and that revolution will complete the victory of Great Britain and the democracies. Friends of the Anglo-Saxon lands, democrats of all the world, you shall have your France again, our France, the France of which Gabriele d’Annunzio said one day that without her ‘the world would be alone’”.
Wednesday, Dec 18th
Today after supper heard The Barber of Seville on the wireless. N remarked how utterly remote from our world this romantic stuff is – Seville by Starlight – and how completely out of date many of the books on our shelves now seem. Quite true. On the other hand pointed out that to live on both sides of a gulf in history is very interesting. Besides if we can defeat the enemy we with our allies have a good chance to set the world on a new path of permanent peace and international co-operation.
Friday, Dec 19th
To be wise after the event is very easy, but it does seem that the fact that the Pearl Harbour Base was not on the alert will want some explanation…. Hope we can hold on to Singapore. … Hong Kong cannot hold very long. Tonight the Japs have landed on the island.
Christmas Day
Had a cockerel with Brussels sprouts, Christmas pudding, brandy sauce and a bottle of Sauterne. Decorated the table with a big bunch of winter jasmine and iris stylosa. The daphne was in bud but not fully out. Nora managed to make a Christmas cake with some chocolate coating on top. No fruit (except apples). When I went to buy the Sauterne found the wine merchant had no port, no sherry, no whisky, no brandy, no Burgundy, and only 3 bottles of claret, of which I had one. He told me he was accustomed to sell 1,000 bottled of “British blended wine” – this year had 3 dozen.
I spent last weekend after term was over in London (with M). A marvelous concert at the Albert Hall on Sunday pm, Tchaikovsky Symphony in F minor. Rather dark at night as no moon. Very noticeable that all the railings gone from parks and squares, a great improvement. After lunch on Sunday went to see St Paul’s. Although the shells of some houses stand in the churchyard and act as a screen, there is nothing between Newgate and the Cathedral. All that space looks like a newly excavated Pompeii. In Bond St, Jermyn Street and other places large tanks have been made out of the cellars, 10 or 12ft deep looking again like the Roman Baths at Bath….. Father used to go to a Turkish bath in Jermyn Street called the Hammam. The site of this revealed by one solitary Moorish arch standing all by itself.
Listened to the King in the afternoon. Rather more religious than usual. P.M. in U.S.A. conferring with the President – great secret how he got there – swam the Atlantic perhaps!
Had one thing this Christmas new since last year, viz. tinned American milk in my tea….Thick stuff, but quite good in coffee, not so good in tea.
Wrote last Christmas Day in my Diary, “Where shall we be next Christmas? Victory, defeat or stalemate?” Well here we are! Not victorious it is true, but certainly not in position of stalemate. The foundations of victory laid and victory itself, though not near, certainly in sight, if still a long way ahead. Position since last Christmas altogether changed by the help of our two allies, Russia and the U.S.A. The tide has changed on the Russian front and the Germans are in danger of a rout. Without any warning the German public told last week that their eastern armies were outnumbered and lacked equipment, especially warm clothing. Hitler, announcing this, assumed supreme command and dismissed General von Brauschitz. Consider this an excellent sign of internal disagreement between Fuhrer and High Command. Von B popular, supposed to have considered Russian offensive too late in the year and to have warned Hitler of danger of continuing the attack in October at the time that he announced the grand, final and decisive battle for the capture of Moscow.
Fall of Hong Kong announced this evening.
Friday, Dec 26th
Just listened to a broadcast of a historic occasion, brought about by that magician A. Hitler. A British prime minister addressing the Senate and House of Representatives of the United State of America at a special session in Washington. Shades of Lord North!
Today is very cold with a bitter east wind. Hilary’s cough troublesome and he has been rubbed with camphorated oil and put to bed. The lodgers have lately been more of a menace for Peter Alp’s masses of toys have been a constant source of envy to Hilary and this Christmas, war and all, he has had speedboats, submarines, pistols, and I don’t know what. Our paper chains, Christmas tree and everything else inferior to Peter’s! Am resolved on one thing. Next Christmas, come what may, I will see to it that the Alps are not here. Living in one room in this year of grace 1941 is a frightful strain on the temper and a terrible waste of time. In the summer things are much easier, one can go out in the garden, or write in one’s bedroom, but as soon as winter begins one can’t keep warm in one’s room. I am writing this to a background of Nora reading a story of Fanny Fieldmouse in a loud voice to Hilary. In the course of the day the room is disordered by “trains” or “houses”, the gramophone is played, one is howled over, the long-suffering furniture is jumped off and run into again and again, at intervals there are sobs, crying and grumbling. Then there is the wireless. The table has to be got out at meals. Quelle vie!
Sunday, Dec 28th
Churchill has made a great impression in the U.S.A. and inspired everyone with his vision of Anglo-American co-operation in war and in peace. He made an excellent short speech at the Christmas Tree lighting in the grounds of the White House, to which he turned out, and was present when the President did his annual reading of Dickens’ Christmas Carol. He attended a Wesleyan Methodist church with him. In the Senate he closed his speech by making the V sign and this brought everyone to their feet.
He told a group of Congressmen that he thought it quite likely that Germany would attempt an invasion this spring, but added that our information on German movements is good and the concentrations would be heavily battered by the R.A.F before they got started.
“Beauty has ramparts nothing can destroy.” Line written on a scrap of paper found in an air raid shelter after a raid last winter. Heard this Christmas from Margaret Burton. Her 17th century house, which survived the Fire of London, succumbed in the end to the Huns. In the April blitz it nearly caught, in the May blitz it was finally burnt down, and nearly all Margaret’s possessions with it.
The Russians have had a victory in front of Leningrad and have captured Kaluga, south-west of Moscow. Have advanced 130 miles since their offensive started three weeks ago. At the same time Hitler announced he has assumed surpreme command of the army and bade German people follow his ”intuitions”. Goebels appealed for boots, socks, stockings and vests and all-over woolen underwear !
Monday, Dec 29th
A successful commando raid against Norwegian coast south of Bergen and a bombing attack on synthetic rubber factory in Ruhr. Sciatica very nasty today. Nora left for Eastbourne till Friday . Hilary better but very bored in house. Played pin bagatelle, 1000 up.
Tuesday, Dec 30th -
Just listened to Churchill speaking in English and French to the Parliament in Ottawa. After remarking that if the French government had decided to go to N. Africa we would have had an overwhelming naval superiority in the Mediterranean and could have knocked Italy out there by the end of 1940, he added that the French generals gave bad advice: to Churchill’s offer of help when they said in three weeks Hitler will ring England’s neck like a chicken. [”Some chicken! Some neck! ” Churchill famously retorted in his speech in Canada]
Perhaps the most significant event of this year will be considered the failure of the German armies before Moscow and Rostov.
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