In the Timeline we will continue to record the names of local men who fought in World War I and then died through their wounds, or from the flu epidemic which was still sweeping across the world in 1919.

We will also detail the main events which were reported in the Bucks Free Press every week during 1939, as the country prepared for the almost inevitable breakdown in relationships with the increasingly belligerent Germany under Adolf Hitler.

In the week up to February 8:

On February 2 the inaugural meeting of the Buckinghamshire National Service Committee was held in Aylesbury.

The function of the committee was to ensure that the county had an efficient defence organisation in the event of war, and specifically if an enemy invasion should occur.

It was reported that the county’s war establishment was 5,809, plus 1,679 in reserve, total 7,488.

Under Air Raid Precautions (ARP) between ten and eleven thousand volunteers had been enrolled, of which 4,199 had been trained and 4,471 were under training.

There were shortages however, 136 in First Aiders, 140 for drivers of cars, and considerable but unknown numbers for the auxiliary fire services. In High Wycombe another fifty nine women volunteers were required for ARP services and another sixty were required as ambulance drivers.

For the latter role the woman were required to be “strong, have good driving experience and be prepared to be trained in driving the vehicles used as emergency ambulances”.

In the Wycombe Rural Area the shortfall in auxiliary fire services was 143 in a required total of 484.

Another concern throughout the county was the shortage of air raid shelters and there was discussion about whether it was best to have many smaller shelters, or to“ erect huge shelters at various points”.

Second Lieutenant Edward H Dimmock from Marlow died on February 3.

Private Frederick W Thompson from High Wycombe died on February 6.

On February 8 Captain Edmund Sturge from Tylers Green died.