1941 in the United Kingdom

Events from the year 1941 in the United Kingdom. The year was dominated by the Second World War.

Incumbents[]

• Monarch – George VI
• Prime Minister – Winston Churchill (Coalition)
• Parliament – 37th

Events[]

• 9 January – the Avro Manchester Mark III BT308, prototype of the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber, first flies, from RAF Ringway.^[1]
• 19 January – World War II: British troops attack Italian-held Eritrea.
• 20 January – firewatching mandatory for business premises, to limit incendiary damage.
• 21 January – the Daily Worker, newspaper of the Communist Party of Great Britain, is suppressed by the (Labour) Home Secretary in the Churchill war ministry, Herbert Morrison^[2][3] (until September 1942) in view of its continuing pro-Soviet stance.
• 21–22 January – Battle of Tobruk: Australian and British forces attack and capture Tobruk (Libya) from the Italians.
• 31 January – Josef Jakobs a German spy, parachutes into the village of Ramsey, Cambridgeshire; he breaks his ankle on landing and is immediately arrested.^[4]
• 5 February – Air Training Corps formed.^[2]
• 11 February – RMS Queen Elizabeth begins her first voyage as a troopship, from Singapore.
• 12 February – Reserve Constable Albert Alexander, a patient at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford, becomes the first person treated with penicillin intravenously, by Howard Florey’s team. He reacts positively but there is insufficient supply of the drug to reverse his terminal infection. A successful treatment is achieved during May.^[5]
• 19 February – "three nights' Blitz" over Swansea, South Wales, begins. 230 are killed and 409 injured.
• 2 March – John Gilbert Winant takes up post as United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom in succession to Joseph P. Kennedy; he will serve for 5 years.
• 11 March
  • President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Lend-Lease Act into United States law, allowing the country to supply military equipment to Britain.^[6]
  • Luftwaffe air raids on Manchester cause extensive damage to the city, a notable casualty being Old Trafford football stadium, home of Manchester United, which is severely damaged.^[7]
• 13 March – Clydebank Blitz: bombing of Clydebank. 528 people die, 617 more are seriously injured, and hundreds more are injured by blast debris. Another 35,000 people are made homeless.
• 15 March – Plymouth Blitz: bombing of Plymouth. 336 people lose their lives.^[8]
• 27–29 March – Battle of Cape Matapan: Off the Peloponnesus coast in the Mediterranean, British naval forces defeat those of Italy sinking five warships.
• 15 April – Belfast Blitz: Belfast is heavily bombed, killing 900 and injuring 1,500.
• 18 April – heaviest air-raid of the year on London.^[6]
• 21 April – Greece capitulates. British troops withdraw to Crete.
• May
  • The Ministry of Information issues more than 14 million copies of a leaflet Beating the Invader, with a preface from Churchill, giving advice on what to do "if invasion comes".^[9]
  • Meatless Woolton pie introduced.^[10]
• 2–8 May – 'May Week Raids', sustained heavy bombing on Merseyside, result in over 1,700 deaths and well over 1,000 injuries.^[6]
• 6–7 May – Greenock Blitz: Greenock in Scotland is intensively bombed. 280 people are killed, and 1,200 more injured.
• 9 May – the German submarine U-110 is captured by the Royal Navy in the North Atlantic with its Enigma cryptography machine and codebooks intact.^[11]

The Gloster E.28/39, the first British aircraft to fly with a turbojet engine

• 10 May
  • The House of Commons is damaged by the Luftwaffe in an air raid.
  • Rudolf Hess parachutes into Scotland claiming to be on a peace mission.
• 15 May – first British jet aircraft, the Gloster E.28/39, is flown^[2] at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire.
• 17 May – Tipton, near Dudley in the midlands, is bombed by the Luftwaffe for the second time in six months, with a further six civilian deaths.
• 24 May – in the North Atlantic, the German battleship Bismarck sinks HMS Hood killing all but three crewmen on what was the pride of the Royal Navy.
• 26 May – in the North Atlantic, Fairey Swordfish biplanes from the carrier HMS Ark Royal fatally cripple the German battleship Bismarck in torpedo attack.
• 1 June – clothes rationing introduced.^[6]
• 4 June – Britain invades Iraq, the pro-Axis government there is overthrown.
• June – Noël Coward's comedy Blithe Spirit is premiered at Manchester Opera House. Opening in London on 2 July,^[12] its run of 1,997 consecutive performances sets a record for non-musical plays in the West End theatre which will not be surpassed for more than twenty years.
• 12 July – Anglo-Soviet Agreement signed.
• August – Political Warfare Executive is formed to disseminate information to Germany and its Occupied countries.
• 9 August
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill meet on board ship at Naval Station Argentia, Newfoundland. The Atlantic Charter (released 14 August), setting goals for postwar international cooperation, is agreed as a result.
  • RAF pilot Douglas Bader taken prisoner by the Germans after a mid-air collision over France.^[2]
• 12 August – Dudley, which suffered 10 fatalities in a landmine attack in November last year, suffers five more fatalities when a second landmine is dropped in the town.
• 15 August – Josef Jakobs becomes the last person executed at the Tower of London when he faces execution by firing squad following conviction for an offence under the Treachery Act 1940.^[13]
• 16 August – HMS Mercury Royal Navy Signals School and Combined Signals School opens at Leydene, near Petersfield, Hampshire.
• 18 August – National Fire Service established.^[2]
• 30 August – first official 'Shetland bus' clandestine mission using Norwegian fishing boats between Shetland and German-occupied Norway.
• October – the first Ronald Searle cartoon to feature St Trinian's School is published, in the magazine Lilliput.^[14]
• 31 October – a Huddersfield factory fire kills 49, many of them young women.^[15]
• End October – President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt approves US$1bn in Lend-Lease aid to Britain.
• 1 November – announcement that radical politician Sir Charles Trevelyan is donating his family home, Wallington Hall, Northumberland, to the National Trust, its first such stately home acquisition.^[16]
• 13 November – the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal is hit by the German submarine U-81 off Gibraltar; she capsizes and sinks under tow the next day.^[2]
• 27 November – Tobruk is relieved by the Eighth Army (which has controlled British and other Allied ground forces in the Western Desert from September) in Operation Crusader.
• 5 December – Britain declares war on Finland, Hungary and Romania.^[17]
• 8 December – the Battle of Hong Kong begins less than eight hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor when Imperial Japanese forces invade British Hong Kong. British Malaya is also attacked and there follows the declaration of war on Japan.^[6]
• 10 December – sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse in the South China Sea: two Royal Navy capital ships, HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, are sunk by Japanese aircraft.
• 13 December
  • Battle of Cape Bon off Tunisia: two Italian cruisers are sunk without Allied losses.
  • Britain declares war on Bulgaria.
• 15 December – Crofter Hand Woven Harris Tweed Co Ltd v Veitch decided in the House of Lords upholds the right of trade unionists to strike as part of collective bargaining.
• 18 December – National Service (No. 2) Act comes into effect: All men and women aged 18–60 are now liable to some form of national service, including military service for men under 51 and unmarried women between 20 and 30. The first military registration of 18½-year-olds takes place. The schedule of reserved occupations is abandoned.^[6]
• 25 December
  • The Battle of Hong Kong ends after 17 days with surrender of the Crown colony of Hong Kong to the Japanese.
  • Sir Alan Brooke succeeds John Dill as Chief of the Imperial General Staff, an office he will hold until 1946.
• 27 December
  • Winston Churchill becomes the first British Prime Minister to address a Joint session of the U.S. Congress.
  • British Commandos raid the Norwegian port of Vaagso, causing the Germans to reinforce the garrison and defenses.

Undated[]

• Spring – Noël Coward composes the song London Pride.
• British Red Cross begins (in London) to open wartime charity shops.
• J. Arthur Rank purchases the Gaumont-British Picture Corporation, with its 251 cinemas and its subsidiary operations, Gainsborough Pictures and Lime Grove Studios.
• Factory Canteen, predecessor of multinational foodservice company Compass Group, is founded in England by Jack Bateman.^[18][19]

Publications[]

• Joyce Carey's memoir A House of Children, novel Herself Surprised and pamphlet The Case for African Freedom.
• Agatha Christie's novels Evil Under the Sun (featuring Hercule Poirot) and N or M? (featuring Tommy and Tuppence working undercover in the war).
• T. S. Eliot's poem The Dry Salvages, third of the Four Quartets (in February New English Weekly).
• Patrick Hamilton’s novel Hangover Square.^[20]
• James Hilton's novel Random Harvest.
• John Gillespie Magee, Jr.'s sonnet "High Flight".
• The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations.
• John Pudney's poem "For Johnny".
• Rebecca West's book Black Lamb and Grey Falcon.

Births[]

• 5 January – Kevin Keelan, English footballer
• 7 January
  • Iona Brown, British violinist and conductor (died 2004)
  • John E. Walker, English chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
• 8 January – Graham Chapman, British comedian (died 1989)
• 12 January – Long John Baldry, blues singer (died 2005)
• 19 January
  • Tony Anholt, actor (died 2002)
  • Colin Gunton, theologian (died 2003)
• 27 January – Beatrice Tinsley, English-born astronomer (died 1981)
• 5 February – Gareth Williams, Baron Williams of Mostyn, Labour politician, Leader of the House of Lords, Lord President of the Council (died 2003)
• 7 February – Kevin Crossley-Holland, English author and poet
• 10 February – Michael Apted, English film director (died 2021)
• 26 February – Tony Ray-Jones, British photographer (died 1972)
• 27 February – Paddy Ashdown, Liberal Democrat politician, born in the British Raj (died 2018)
• 28 February – Tristan Garel-Jones, Welsh-born Conservative politician (died 2020)
• 4 March – Adrian Lyne, English film director
• 25 March – Lindy Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, artist, conservationist and businesswoman (died 2020)
• 26 March – Richard Dawkins, British scientist
• 28 March – Jack Simmons, English cricketer
• 30 March – Graeme Edge, rock drummer and songwriter (The Moody Blues)
• 5 April – Dave Swarbrick, folk rock fiddle player (died 2016)
• 7 April – Gorden Kaye, comic actor (died 2017)
• 11 April – Shirley Stelfox, English actress (died 2015)
• 12 April – Bobby Moore, English football player and World Cup winning captain (died 1993)
• 23 April – Ed Stewart, English disc jockey (died 2016)
• 26 April – Robin Jacob, English academic and judge
• 10 May – Chris Denning, English radio presenter and convicted sex offender^[21]
• 11 May – Graham Miles, snooker player (died 2014)
• 13 May – Miles Kington, journalist and humorist (died 2008)
• 26 May – Ron Wallwork, English race walker
• 27 May – Derek Robinson, physicist (died 2002)
• 29 May – Doug Scott, English mountaineer (died 2020)
• 2 June – Charlie Watts, English rock drummer (died 2021)
• 5 June – Jeff Rooker, Baron Rooker, English academic and politician, Minister of State for Immigration
• 7 June – Lady Elizabeth Shakerley, English party planner, socialite and first cousin once removed of Queen Elizabeth II (died 2020)
• 8 June – Robert Bradford, Northern Irish footballer and politician (assassinated 1981)
• 14 June
  • Roy Harper, guitarist
  • Mike Yarwood, impressionist and comedian
• 18 June – Delia Smith, cook
• 25 June – Eddie Large, born Edward McGinnis, Scottish-born comedian (died 2020)
• 27 June
  • Ian Black, swimmer
  • James P. Hogan, author (died 2010)
• 7 July
  • Christopher Beeny, English actor (died 2020)
  • Alan Durban, Welsh international footballer, manager
  • Michael Howard, Welsh politician
  • Bill Oddie, English writer, composer, musician and comedian
  • Jim Rodford, English musician (died 2018)
• 10 July – Jackie Lane, actress
• 11 July – Tommy Vance, disc jockey (died 2005)
• 18 July – Duncan Worsley, cricketer
• 4 August – Martin Jarvis, actor
• 16 August – David Dickinson, British antiques expert, television presenter
• 21 August – Howard Lew Lewis, English comedian, actor (died 2018)
• 22 August – Barry Jackson, English track and field athlete
• 26 August – Chris Curtis, drummer (The Searchers) (died 2005)
• 10 September – Christopher Hogwood, English conductor (died 2014)
• 17 September – Marit Allen, film costume designer (died 2007)
• 26 September – Martine Beswick, actress and model
• 27 September – Peter Bonetti, England football goalkeeper (died 2020)
• 29 September – Fred West, English serial killer (suicide 1995)
• 30 September – Angela Pleasence, actress
• 4 October – Jackie Collins, English-born novelist (died 2015)
• 5 October
  • Stephanie Cole, English actress
  • Steven Spurrier, wine merchant and writer (died 2021)
• 19 October – Peter Thornley, English professional wrestler best known for the ring character Kendo Nagasaki^[22]
• 20 October – Anneke Wills, actress
• 21 October – Dickie Pride, rock and roll singer (died 1969)
• 23 October – Greg Ridley, rock bassist (died 2003)
• 28 October
  • John Hallam, English actor (died 2006)
  • Hank Marvin, born Brian Rankin, English guitarist^[23]
• 31 October – Joy Grieveson, British sprinter
• 1 November – Nigel Dempster, columnist (died 2007)^[24]
• 2 November – Bruce Welch, born Bruce Cripps, English guitarist
• 18 November – David Hemmings, English actor (died 2003)
• 24 November – Pete Best, English drummer
• 5 December – Sheridan Morley, theatre critic (died 2007)
• 17 December – Alan Sinfield, English academic (died 2017)
• 18 December – Prince William of Gloucester (died 1972)
• 24 December
  • Michael Billington, English actor (died 2005)
  • John Levene, British actor
• 31 December – Alex Ferguson, Scottish footballer and football manager

Deaths[]

• 5 January – Amy Johnson, aviator (born 1903; aviation accident)
• 8 January – Lord Robert Baden-Powell, soldier and founder of the Boy Scouts (born 1847)
• 10 January – Frank Bridge, composer (born 1879)
• 24 January – Josslyn Hay, 22nd Earl of Erroll (born 1901; murder)
• 12 February – Charles Voysey, Arts and Crafts designer and domestic architect (born 1857)
• 11 March – Sir Walford Davies, composer (Royal Air Force March Past) (born 1869)
• 13 March – Tom Mann, trade unionist (born 1856)
• 28 March – Virginia Woolf, novelist (born 1882; suicide)
• 5 April – Sir Nigel Gresley, railway steam locomotive designer (Flying Scotsman and Mallard) (born 1876)
• 16 April – Josiah Stamp, 1st Baron Stamp, economist (born 1880; enemy action)
• 23 May – Herbert Austin, 1st Baron Austin, car designer and manufacturer (born 1866)
• 1 June – Sir Hugh Walpole, New Zealand-born novelist (born 1884)
• 30 June – Charles Cripps, 1st Baron Parmoor, lawyer and politician (born 1852)
• 11 July – Sir Arthur Evans, archaeologist (born 1851)
• 13 October – David Devant, stage magician (born 1868)
• 7 November – Frank Pick, transport administrator and promoter of industrial design (born 1878)

References[]

See also[]

• List of British films of 1941
• Military history of the United Kingdom during World War II