May 10th 1940 brought news that the German Army had invaded the lowlands and France,
Norway had fallen in April with an embarrassing defeat of the British Landing Force sent to help
the Norwegians since the Country possessed no standing Army or Air force of its own.
The British Government was in crisis, Neville Chamberlain the architect of Appeasement at the
Munich Conference had decided to resign and the King summoned Winston Churchill to the Palace; His Majesty asked Churchill to form a government, all this on the day an avalanche of
of fire and steel was steamrollering across the European Frontiers, within three weeks the French
Army was near collapse the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.) was in full retreat toward the
coast at Dunkirk and threatened to be surrounded and captured in the open fields this hideous
dilemma which presented itself resulted in a quick decision to save the B.E.F. Army leaving all
of its heavy equipment behind and evacuate by sea so it might fight on another day.

27 Hillside Drive, Yonkers, NY was the address of our family Home,Park Hill, overlooking the
Hudson River. My Grandparents had died some years before the war, my Father and three
Sisters, Nettie, Florence, Mrs. Elma Rabe Phipps, and Her Son Billy Phipps, about 8 years old
at the time were living at the family home. The war news was of great concern and suddenly
life became uncertain, my Father and His Sisters listened to Churchill's stirring speeches broadcast to the British Peoples and of course directed to the American people by design.

Across the Hudson River opposite Dobbs Ferry two British Hollywood film stars were staying at
Sneden's Landing also much concerned about news from England they were, Sir Laurence
Olivier,"Wuthering Heights", and His Fiancee Vivien Leigh, "Scarlet O'Hara of Gone With The Wind" fame, would sit out on the deck and watch the yellow cubs buzzing around shooting
takeoffs and landings.