BBC R4 Documentary - 'The Night The German's Didn't Come'

Prepared by Norman Longmate

Narrated by David Marlowe

Produced by Stanley Williamson

Broadcast September 7, 1971

Coded from tape at 128/44.1

Probably recorded from an AM source. Readily audible.

Thanks to the original uploader



The night the Germans didn't come - an account of

the events of the weekend of September 7 & 8, 1940



In the UK during WWII it was forbidden to ring church

bells without official sanction. Their use was reserved

for announcing that German troops had landed. They were

to be rung when the codeword 'Cromwell' was received at

local defence stations.



During the weekend of September 7 and 8, 1940 the bells

rang out. Confusion reigned. Some people took up defence

stations. Others didn't. For that weekend most believed

that the Germans had landed.



This programme describes these events and includes first

hand accounts by some of those involved.



To stick my tuppence worth in - it seems to me to have

been a drill that turned into an exercise that - perhaps

deliberately - got out of hand. But whatever the cause,

they were much better prepared after it.



Contributors

Mrs. M Baker

Mrs. Phyllis Channery

Mrs. Mary Hall

Mrs. Julia Whitfield

Graeme Bellamy

C H A Brown

Charles Brundled

Charles Crutchly

Vivian Lindler

Ronald Lewin



Readers

Geoffrey Banks

Marna Stole

Anthony Bowden

Wilfred Harrison

Ronald Harvey