19 Nov 1940
  • 357 German aircraft bombed Birmingham, England, United Kingdom overnight, dropping 403 tons of high explosive bombs and 810 incendiary bombs. About 900 were killed and 2,000 injured. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | TH]
  • Italian troops were driven across the Kalamas River in northwestern Greece by Greek troops. To the south, British cruiser HMS York arrived at Suda Bay, Crete, Greece and disembarked a battalion of troops. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | York | CPC]
  • RAF bombers attacked the Skoda armament plant at Pilsen, Czechoslovakia with little effect. ww2dbase [CPC]
United Kingdom
  • German bombers attacked an Allied convoy in the North Sea 12 miles off the coast of East Anglia, England, United Kingdom, sinking minesweeping trawler HMT Fontenoy and damaging 3 freighters. Sloop HMS Lowestoft shot down one German bomber. ww2dbase [England | CPC]
  • Noor Inayat Khan joined the British Women's Auxiliary Air Force, receiving the rank of Aircraftwoman 2nd Class. ww2dbase [Noor Inayat Khan | CPC]
  • German bombers arrived over Leicester, England, United Kingdom at 1940 hours and by the time they left their 150 high explosive bombs had killed 108 people, injured 284, and destroyed 255 homes and 56 industrial premises. This was the worst night of bombing that Leicester experienced during the war. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Leicaster, England | AC]
  • The four spies captured in Kent, England, United Kingdom on 3 Sep 1940, found unsuitable for use as double agents the four spies appeared for trial before Mr. Justice Wrottesley in a secret hearing at Court One of the Old Bailey in London. Three of the spies (Charles van den Kieboom, Carl Meier and Jose Waldberg) were found guilty under the Treachery Act and later executed. The fourth defendant, Sjoerd Pons, managed to convince the jury that he had had no intention of aiding the enemy, and was acquitted, only to be re-arrested by MI5 as he left the Court and interned until the end of the war, subsequently being deported back to his native Netherlands. ww2dbase [London, England | AC]

19 Nov 1940 Interactive Map

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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