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March 26th, 1940

UNITED KINGDOM: RAF Bomber Command: Reconnaissance of northwest Germany (Ruhr); Nine aircraft detailed for trip, five took off, one returned early U/S, one shot down by Dutch fighters . One of 77 Squadron’s Whitleys, N1357 flown by Flg. Off T.J. Geach, strayed over neutral Holland and Fokker G-1 twin engined fighters were scrambled to intercept. It was sighted by an aircraft of 3e JaVa and was shot down south of Rotterdam by Lt P. Noonan. Sgt J.E. Miller was killed, but the rest of the crew survived as internees. [Macmillan states that this took place on the 26/27 but Donnelly states 27/28 any confirmation of one or t’other]

NEW ZEALAND: Michael Savage, the Labour Prime Minister, dies of cancer aged 68. He is succeeded by Peter Fraser. (Jack McKillop)

U.S.S.R.: Moscow: Stalin refuses to meet Hitler for talks on the Polish border question.

FRANCE: Reynaud appeals to his people to carry on the total war against Germany.

U.S.A.: St. Louis: The Curtiss CW-20T twin-engine transport makes its first flight at Lambert-St. Louis Airport, Missouri, piloted by Eddie Allen. The USAAC becomes interested in this aircraft and places an order for 46 C-46 Commandos on 13 September 1940. A total of 3,180 C-46s were built during the war by Curtiss and Higgins including 160 ordered for the USMC as R5C-1s. (Jack McKillop)

CANADA: A General Election for a new House of Commons is held. William Mackenzie King’s Liberals win a record 183 seats, the Conservatives (National Government Party) 40, CCF 8, Social Credit 9 and Independents 5 including Dorise Nielsen a secret member of the Communist Party who ran on the Unity Party ticket in the North Battleford district of Saskatchewan. (Jack McKillop)