Meat rationing began today with no sign of queues at butchers' counters. Most people had stocked up in advance. Meat is rationed by price, the ration being 1 shilling and 10 pence worth per week. Children under six get half as much.

At current prices a family with two children over six could buy a six-pound joint of lamb at 1/4 a pound. Poultry, game, offal, sausages and meat pies remain off the ration. Restaurants are allowed to serve meat without asking customers for their coupons.

Manston, Kent: F/O Anthony Henry Hamilton Tollemache (1913-77), 600 Squadron Auxiliary Air Force, crash-landed. He tried in vain to save his passenger, sustaining serious injury - for this he will receive the Empire Gallantry Medal later changed to a George Cross.

"The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the following Awards: —

The Medal of the Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, for Gallantry: -

Flying Officer Anthony Henry Hamilton TOLLEMACHE, Auxiliary Air Force.

On the night of 11th March, 1940, this officer was pilot of an aircraft which carried a passenger and an air gunner and was engaged in a searchlight co-operation exercise. When approaching the flare-path to land, at 2320 hours, after completing the exercise, the aircraft struck a tree and crashed into a field, where it immediately burst into flames.
Flying Officer Tollemache was thrown clear of the wreckage, and his air gunner was able to escape. Realising, however, that his passenger was still in the aircraft Flying Officer Tollemache, with complete disregard of the intense conflagration or the explosion of small arms ammunition, endeavoured to break through the forward hatch and effect a rescue. He persisted in this gallant attempt until driven off with his clothes blazing. His efforts, though in vain, resulted in injuries which nearly cost him his life. Had he not attempted the rescue it is considered he would have escaped almost unscathed."

(London Gazette - 6 August 1940)

NORTH SEA: U-31(Lt. Habekost) is bombed and sunk by a solo RAF Blenheim dropping four x 250 pound bombs, of Bomber Command at Jadebusen in the Heligoland Bight (Schilling Roads). 58 dead (all hands). U-31 was undergoing sea trials and sank in only 50 feet of water. She is salvaged and re-commissioned to be lost once and for all eight months later. (Robert Guercio)

FRANCE: Toulon: The French battleship Bretagne and cruiser Algerie sail for Canada with 2,379 gold bullion bars part of the national reserve.

GERMANY:

FINLAND: The Finnish government informs the Finnish peace-delegation at Moscow that the Soviet terms are acceptable in an 'extreme situation'.

The Red Army starts its offensive directed at Viipuri when the Soviet 7th Army (Army Commander 2nd Class Kirill Meretskov) attacks aiming to outflank the city from north and encircle its defenders. On 7th Army's right flank attacked 50th Rifle Corps (Division Commander Filipp Gorelenko) with three rifle divisions (one of them motorized) and one tank brigade, and in middle 34th Rifle Corps with four rifle divisions (one of them motorized). The Red Army leadership wants to capture the city before the peace comes, apparently because of prestige. Thus thousands of lives will be wasted for no reason: the Soviet leadership already knows they will get the city in the peace that is about to be concluded.

The Foreign Ministry announcement published today in Finnish newspapers informs the nation for the first time that peace negotiations are being held at Moscow. The home front has been kept unaware of the desperate situation at the front by strict censorship, and the mood is still hopeful.

Soviet infantry on the bay's western shores broke across the Vyborg-Helsinki highway, opening the way to Helsinki. The breach of the highway cut Vyborg's supply route from Helsinki.

Jager Regiment 7 was Vyborg's defending regiment. To the north, there was the Finnish Jager Regiment 67. To the city's northeast stood the 100th Soviet Ski Division. To the south was the 138th Soviet Infantry Division. In this way, Viipuri was surrounded by the northeast, east, southwest, and south. The 7th Soviet Infantry Division was engaged in a frontal assault of the town.

GIBRALTAR:  U.S. freighter SS Exmoor, detained at Gibraltar by British authorities since 9 March, is released.  

CANADA:

ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 0317, motor tanker Eulota was hit by a torpedo from U-28 about 120 miles west of Ouessant. The torpedo, fired from about 1000 meters, struck amidships, broke her in two and set her on fire. The crew abandoned ship, but returned later that morning. An Allied aircraft sighted the burning tanker in the afternoon and directed HMS Broke and Wild Swan to the ship. They picked up the survivors and scuttled the still floating bow section.