Battle of Britain
Bales out badly wounded and later loses part of his left leg.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1940 in Great Britain — Page 11
Explore 642 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1940.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1940
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 642 unique records.
642Unique records
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14Named events on this page
15Named people on this page
8Places on this page
August
Battle of Britain
Is shot down during combat with German bombers east of Duxford.
Battle of Britain
Radar information helps Fighter Command conserve pilots and aircraft.
Battle of Britain
The "Dowding system", a set of reporting chains to move information from the various observation points to the pilots in their fighters, named after its chief architect
Battle of Britain
Uses radar warning to direct No. 11 Group fighters.
Dowding System
Combines radar, Observer Corps reports and command control for fighter interception.
Enigma Machine
Joins senior Hut 6 cryptanalysts protesting a proposed transfer of the Luftwaffe Red Enigma task.
Enigma Machine
Oversees engineering of the improved Bombe known as Agnus Dei, incorporating Welchman's diagonal board.
Enigma Machine
Introduces the diagonal board, sharply reducing false stops and making the Bombe far more effective.
Fighter Command
Fighter Command filters radar reports into tracks for sector control rooms.
September
Battle of Britain
Continues communications duties during attacks on RAF Biggin Hill.
Battle of Britain
Her courage under bombing later brings the Military Medal.
Battle of Britain
Marks unexploded bombs while the station is under attack.
Battle of Britain
Remains at her post during bombing of RAF Biggin Hill.
Battle of Britain
Continues working during repeated attacks on RAF Biggin Hill.
Battle of Britain
Her service under fire later earns the Military Medal.
Destroyers for Bases
Welcomes the deal bringing American destroyers to Britain.
Possesses 8 of 50 destroyers from America agreed under the Lend-Lease scheme
Possesses 8 of 50 destroyers from America agreed under the "Lend-Lease" scheme
Battle of Britain
Is wounded while flying with No. 242 Squadron during the London raids.
Battle of Britain
Returns safely despite facial injuries caused during combat.
Bombing of London
The Luftwaffe begin to systematically bomb London, the blitz
Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe begin to systematically bomb London, the blitz
The Blitz Begins
Faces the start of sustained German bombing of London.
Bombing of London
The Chancellor agrees with Churchill & air-raid damage is charged to the state
Bombing of London
A bomb falls on the garden of Buckingham Palace
Invasion of Egypt
Rodolfo Graziani and the Italian Army make a rapid advance into Egypt
Battle of Britain
Leads fighters from Duxford during the major September battles.
Battle of Britain
Supports the use of large Big Wing formations against Luftwaffe bombers.
Battle of Britain
Oversees defence during the decisive daylight air battle.
Battle of Britain
Observes Fighter Command committing its available squadrons against the raids.
Battle of Britain
Visits No. 11 Group headquarters during the climactic daylight attacks.
Battle of Britain
Coordinates Fighter Command during the decisive September air battles.
Battle of Britain
The day's German losses undermine hopes of defeating Fighter Command.
Operation Sea Lion Alert
Maintains invasion readiness while Germany threatens a cross-Channel landing.
Tizard Mission
Supports technological cooperation with the United States.
Invasion of Egypt
Plans to attack the Italians now he has superior forces. Mussolini calls off the invasion
George Cross
Initiates the George Cross as the highest award for bravery for citizens
Operation Menace
Authorises the failed Allied expedition against Dakar.
George Cross
The George Cross is instituted King George VI, during the height of the Blitz, there was a strong desire to reward the many acts of civilian courage
George Cross
The George Cross is instituted King George VI, during the height of the Blitz, designed by Percy Metcalfe
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.