1938 in the United Kingdom
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Events from the year 1938 in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.


Incumbents

*
Monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority and power i ...
George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of I ...
*
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Neville Chamberlain ( Coalition) *
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
37th


Events

* 1 January – Sir
Alexander Cadogan Sir Alexander Montagu George Cadogan (25 November 1884 – 9 July 1968) was a British diplomat and civil servant. He was Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs from 1938 to 1946. His long tenure of the Permanent Secretary's office makes ...
succeeds Sir Robert Vansittart as permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office. * 6 January – psychoanalyst
Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts ...
arrives in
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
having fled from
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
in
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
. * 17 January –
Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. Joseph Patrick Kennedy (September 6, 1888 – November 18, 1969) was an American businessman, investor, and politician. He is known for his own political prominence as well as that of his children and was the patriarch of the Irish-American Ken ...
, is appointed
United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom The United States ambassador to the United Kingdom (known formally as the ambassador of the United States to the Court of St James's) is the official representative of the president of the United States and the American government to the monarc ...
. * 14 February – the British naval base at
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
begins operations. * 20 February – Anthony Eden resigns as Foreign Secretary, over Chamberlain's policy towards
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
.
Lord Halifax Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, (16 April 1881 – 23 December 1959), known as The Lord Irwin from 1925 until 1934 and The Viscount Halifax from 1934 until 1944, was a senior British Conservative politician of the 19 ...
takes over. * 14 March – Chamberlain makes a speech in the House of Commons saying the government "emphatically" disapproves of the Nazi German ''
Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a " Greater Germany ...
'' in Austria two days previously but that "nothing could have prevented this action by Germany unless we and others with us had been prepared to use force to prevent it." * 16 April – Anglo-Italian Treaty: Britain recognises Italian government over
Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
, in return for Italian troops withdrawing from Spain. * 23 April –
York Castle Museum York Castle Museum is a museum located in York, North Yorkshire, England, on the site of York Castle, which was originally built by William the Conqueror in 1068. The museum itself was founded by John L. Kirk in 1938, and is housed in prison b ...
opened. * 25 April –
Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement The Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement was signed on 25 April 1938 by Ireland and the United Kingdom. It aimed to resolve the Anglo-Irish Trade War which had been on-going from 1933. Scope The prime minister Neville Chamberlain summarised the 4 possibl ...
with the
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...
settles the
Anglo-Irish Trade War The Anglo-Irish Trade War (also called the Economic War) was a retaliatory trade war between the Irish Free State and the United Kingdom from 1932 to 1938. The Irish government refused to continue reimbursing Britain with land annuities from fi ...
and agrees to the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
abandoning the British sovereign bases at the Treaty ports in Ireland. * 3 May – Empire Exhibition opens in
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
. * 10 May – an underground explosion at Markham Colliery, near Staveley, Derbyshire, kills 79. * 1 June – the
Bren light machine gun The Bren gun was a series of light machine guns (LMG) made by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1992. While best known for its role as the British and Commonwealth forces' primary infantry LMG in World War II, it was also used ...
comes into service with the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
. * 2 June – the children's zoo at London Zoo is opened by
Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
and
Ted Kennedy Edward Moore Kennedy (February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Massachusetts for almost 47 years, from 1962 until his death in 2009. A member of the Democratic ...
, two of the sons of United States ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy. * 18 June –
Women's Voluntary Service The Royal Voluntary Service (known as the Women's Voluntary Services (WVS) from 1938 to 1966; Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) from 1966 to 2004 and WRVS from 2004 to 2013) is a voluntary organisation concerned with helping people in need ...
founded to assist the
Civil Defence Service The Civil Defence Service was a civilian volunteer organisation in Great Britain during World War II. Established by the Home Office in 1935 as Air Raid Precautions (ARP), its name was officially changed to the Civil Defence Service (CD) in 1941. ...
. * 24 June –
Test cricket Test cricket is a form of first-class cricket played at international level between teams representing full member countries of the International Cricket Council (ICC). A match consists of four innings (two per team) and is scheduled to last f ...
is televised for the first time. * 3 July – the London and North Eastern Railway's streamlined Class A4 4468 ''Mallard'' reaches a speed of 126 mph (203 km/h), the highest certified speed for a steam locomotive. * 9 July – gas masks are issued to the civilian population. * 11 July–3 October – military installations at the
Treaty Ports Treaty ports (; ja, 条約港) were the port cities in China and Japan that were opened to foreign trade mainly by the unequal treaties forced upon them by Western powers, as well as cities in Korea opened up similarly by the Japanese Empire. ...
in the
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...
(
Berehaven Castletownbere () is a town in County Cork in Ireland. It is located on the Beara Peninsula by Berehaven Harbour. It is also known as Castletown Berehaven. A regionally important fishing port, the town also serves as a commercial and retail hub ...
, Spike Island at Queenstown, and
Lough Swilly Lough Swilly () in Ireland is a glacial fjord or sea inlet lying between the western side of the Inishowen Peninsula and the Fanad Peninsula, in County Donegal. Along with Carlingford Lough and Killary Harbour it is one of three glacial fjords ...
) are handed over from British control to the
Government of Ireland The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland. The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The gover ...
, under terms of the
Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement The Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement was signed on 25 April 1938 by Ireland and the United Kingdom. It aimed to resolve the Anglo-Irish Trade War which had been on-going from 1933. Scope The prime minister Neville Chamberlain summarised the 4 possibl ...
ratified by the Eire (Confirmation of Agreements) Act earlier in the year. * 22 July – Britain rejects a proposal from its ambassador in Berlin,
Nevile Henderson Sir Nevile Meyrick Henderson (10 June 1882 – 30 December 1942) was a British diplomat who served as the ambassador of the United Kingdom to Germany from 1937 to 1939. Early life and education Henderson was born at Sedgwick Park, near Horsha ...
, for a four power summit on Czechoslovakia consisting of Britain, France, Germany and the U.S.S.R. as London will under no circumstances accept the Soviet Union as a diplomatic partner. * 29 July – Holidays with Pay Act provides for paid annual leave in wage-regulated industries and for similar voluntary schemes in other employment. * 30 July – ''
The Beano ''The Beano'' (formerly ''The Beano Comic'', also known as ''Beano'') is a British anthology comic magazine created by Scottish publishing company DC Thomson. Its first issue was published on 30 July 1938, and it became the world's longest-run ...
'' comic first goes on sale, featuring the character
Lord Snooty Lord Snooty is a fictional character who stars in the British comic strip ''Lord Snooty and his Pals'' from the British comic anthology ''The Beano''. The strip debuted in issue 1, illustrated by DC Thomson artist Dudley D. Watkins, who designed ...
. * August –
Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
protest in London about passages they consider disrespectful of their religion in
H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''
A Short History of the World'' (1922). * 3 August – Lord Runciman, sent by Neville Chamberlain, arrives in
Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...
on his
mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...
of mediation, in the Sudetenland dispute. * 4 August – major
thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are some ...
over
Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
. * 13–20 August – Great Britain and the United States contest the inaugural
Amateur World Series The Baseball World Cup was an international tournament where national baseball teams from around the world competed. It was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF). Along with the World Baseball Classic, it was one of two activ ...
in
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
, played in the north of England. Britain wins every match. * 18 August –
Ewald von Kleist-Schmenzin Ewald Albert Friedrich Karl Lepold Arnold von Kleist-Schmenzin (22 March 1890 – 9 April 1945) was a German lawyer, a conservative politician, opponent of Nazism, and a member of the 20 July Plot to assassinate Hitler, for which he was execu ...
arrives in London, looking for British support for an anti-Nazi ''putsch'', using the looming crisis over the Sudetenland as a pretext. His private mission is dismissed by Neville Chamberlain as unimportant (Chamberlain refers to von Kleist as a "Jacobite"), but he finds a sympathetic if powerless audience in
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
. * 23 August – English cricketer
Len Hutton Sir Leonard Hutton (23 June 1916 – 6 September 1990) was an English cricketer. He played as an opening batsman for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1934 to 1955 and for England in 79 Test matches between 1937 and 1955. '' Wisden Cricke ...
scores a record Test score of 364 runs in a match against Australia. * 28 August – Lord Runciman's mission to mitigate the Sudetenland crisis begins to break down. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain recalls Ambassador
Nevile Henderson Sir Nevile Meyrick Henderson (10 June 1882 – 30 December 1942) was a British diplomat who served as the ambassador of the United Kingdom to Germany from 1937 to 1939. Early life and education Henderson was born at Sedgwick Park, near Horsha ...
from Berlin, to instruct Henderson to set up a personal meeting between Chamberlain and
Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
. * 31 August –
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
, still believing France and Britain mean to honour their promises to defend
Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...
against
Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
aggression, suggests in a personal note to Neville Chamberlain that His Majesty's Government may want to set up a broad international alliance, including the United States (specifically mentioning U.S. President
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
as possibly receptive to the idea) and the Soviet Union. * 7 September – ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
'' publishes a lead article which calls on
Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...
to cede the Sudetenland to Germany. * 9 September –
Auxiliary Territorial Service The Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS; often pronounced as an acronym) was the women's branch of the British Army during the Second World War. It was formed on 9 September 1938, initially as a women's voluntary service, and existed until 1 Februa ...
, as a women's voluntary service, established. * 15 September –
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Neville Chamberlain meets German Chancellor
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
in Berchtesgaden in an attempt to negotiate an end to German expansionist policies. * 21 September – representatives of the British and French governments call on Czechoslovak President
Edvard Beneš Edvard Beneš (; 28 May 1884 – 3 September 1948) was a Czech politician and statesman who served as the president of Czechoslovakia from 1935 to 1938, and again from 1945 to 1948. He also led the Czechoslovak government-in-exile 1939 to 194 ...
to tell him Britain and France will not fight Hitler if he decides to annex the Sudetenland by force. At home,
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
warns of grave consequences to European security if
Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...
is partitioned. * 25 September –
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
ordered to sea. * 27 September – is launched at Clydebank; she is the largest ship in the world at this time. * 29 September – Chamberlain signs the
Munich Agreement The Munich Agreement ( cs, Mnichovská dohoda; sk, Mníchovská dohoda; german: Münchner Abkommen) was an agreement concluded at Munich on 30 September 1938, by Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. It provided "cession to Germany ...
; and a resolution with Germany determining to resolve all future disputes between the two countries through peaceful means. * 30 September – Neville Chamberlain returns to the UK from Munich, at
Heston Aerodrome Heston Aerodrome was an airfield located to the west of London, England, operational between 1929 and 1947. It was situated on the border of the Heston and Cranford areas of Hounslow, Middlesex. In September 1938, the British Prime Minister, Ne ...
memorably waving the resolution signed the day earlier with Germany, and later in
Downing Street Downing Street is a street in Westminster in London that houses the official residences and offices of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Situated off Whitehall, it is long, and a few minutes' walk f ...
giving his famous ''
Peace for our time "Peace for our time" was a declaration made by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in his 30 September 1938 remarks in London concerning the Munich Agreement and the subsequent Anglo-German Declaration. The phrase echoed Benjamin Disr ...
'' speech.
George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of I ...
and Queen Elizabeth appear with Chamberlain on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to celebrate the agreement. * 1 October – ''
Picture Post ''Picture Post'' was a photojournalistic magazine published in the United Kingdom from 1938 to 1957. It is considered a pioneering example of photojournalism and was an immediate success, selling 1,700,000 copies a week after only two months. ...
'' magazine first published. * 29 October –
City Hall, Norwich Norwich City Hall is an Art Deco building completed in 1938 which houses the city hall for the city of Norwich, East Anglia, in Eastern England. It is one of the Norwich 12, a collection of twelve heritage buildings in Norwich deemed of parti ...
, designed in the
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
style by C. H. James and S. R. Pierce, is opened. * 4 November – at a public meeting in his parliamentary constituency of Epping,
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
narrowly survives an attempt by fellow Conservative and constituent Sir
Colin Thornton-Kemsley Sir Colin Norman Thornton-Kemsley, (2 September 1903 – 17 July 1977) was a Conservative and National Liberal politician in the United Kingdom. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kincardine and Western Aberdeenshire from 1939 to 1950, ...
to remove him from Parliament. * 16 November – first reported "attack" of the Halifax Slasher
mass hysteria Mass psychogenic illness (MPI), also called mass sociogenic illness, mass psychogenic disorder, epidemic hysteria, or mass hysteria, involves the spread of illness symptoms through a population where there is no infectious agent responsible for c ...
incident. * 21 November – Apostolic Delegation to Great Britain appointed. * 1–2 December – first
Kindertransport The ''Kindertransport'' (German for "children's transport") was an organised rescue effort of children (but not their parents) from Nazi-controlled territory that took place during the nine months prior to the outbreak of the Second World ...
from
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
to London Liverpool Street station via Harwich. * 16 December – aircraft carrier (launched by Cammell Laird in
Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liver ...
in 1937 under the 1934 build plan) is commissioned into the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
.


Undated

* J. Arthur Rank purchases a share in
Odeon Cinemas Odeon, stylised as ODEON, is a cinema brand name operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Norway, which along with UCI Cinemas and Nordic Cinema Group is part of the Odeon Cinemas Group subsidiary of AMC Theatres. It uses the famous name ...
. * First
green belt A green belt is a policy and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges, which ...
s begin to be established in the UK, around
Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...
and
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, the latter under terms of the Green Belt (London and Home Counties) Act. *
Little ringed plover The little ringed plover (''Charadrius dubius'') is a small plover. The genus name ''Charadrius'' is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from Ancient Greek ''kharadrios'' a bird found in river ...
first breeds in England.


Publications

*
Elizabeth Bowen Elizabeth Bowen CBE (; 7 June 1899 – 22 February 1973) was an Irish-British novelist and short story writer notable for her books about the "big house" of Irish landed Protestants as well her fiction about life in wartime London. Life ...
's novel ''
The Death of the Heart ''The Death of the Heart'' is a 1938 novel by Elizabeth Bowen set in the interwar period. It is about a sixteen-year-old orphan, Portia Quayne, who moves to London to live with her half-brother Thomas and falls in love with Eddie, a friend of ...
''. * Agatha Christie's
Hercule Poirot Hercule Poirot (, ) is a fictional Belgian detective created by British writer Agatha Christie. Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-running characters, appearing in 33 novels, two plays ('' Black Coffee'' and ''Alibi''), and more ...
novels ''
Appointment with Death ''Appointment with Death'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 2 May 1938 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. The UK edition retai ...
'' and ''
Hercule Poirot's Christmas ''Hercule Poirot's Christmas'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 19 December 1938 (although the first edition is copyright dated 1939). It retailed at seve ...
''. *
Daphne du Maurier Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her grandfather was Geo ...
's novel ''Rebecca (novel), Rebecca''. * Graham Greene's novel ''Brighton Rock (novel), Brighton Rock''. * Kathleen Hale's children's book ''Orlando (The Marmalade Cat): A Camping Holiday'', first in the series featuring the eponymous character. * C. S. Lewis' novel ''Out of the Silent Planet''. * George Orwell's memoir ''Homage to Catalonia''. * Evelyn Waugh's novel ''Scoop (novel), Scoop''. * T. H. White's novel ''The Sword in the Stone (novel), The Sword in the Stone'', first in the twelve-volume ''The Once and Future King''. * P. G. Wodehouse's novel ''The Code of the Woosters''.


Births

* 1 January – Robert Jankel, businessman, founder of carmaker Panther Westwinds, Panther (died 2005) * 2 January ** David Bailey (photographer), David Bailey, photographer ** Ian Brady, serial killer (died 2017) * 11 January ** Alastair Morton, railway executive (died 2004) ** Arthur Scargill, trade union leader * 20 January ** Derek Dougan, footballer (died 2007) ** Bob Friend (newscaster), Bob Friend, newscaster (died 2008) * 21 January – Nicholas Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers, English lawyer and judge, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales * 26 January – Henry Jaglom, English-born director * 3 February – Geoff Clayton, English cricketer (died 2018) * 8 February – Margo McLennan, actress (died 2004) * 17 February – Yvonne Romain, actress * 26 February – Brian Kilby, marathon runner * 27 February – Jake Thackray, singer-songwriter (died 2002) * 28 February – John Bulmer, documentary photographer and filmmaker * 6 March – Pauline Boty, pop art painter (died 1966) * 14 March – Eleanor Bron, actress and author * 18 March – Kenny Lynch, entertainer (died 2019) * 24 March – Ian Hamilton (critic), Ian Hamilton, poet and critic (died 2001) * 6 April – Paul Daniels, magician (died 2016) * 22 April ** Alan Bond, English-born Australian businessman (died 2015) ** Adam Raphael, English journalist and editor * 28 April – Fred Dibnah, steeplejack and television personality (died 2004) * 3 May – Lindsay Kemp, dance and mime artist (died 2018) * 9 May – Geoffrey Holland, English civil servant and academic (died 2017) * 11 May – Bob Scott (ornithologist), Bob Scott, ornithologist (died 2009) * 12 May – Terry Farrell (architect), Terry Farrell, architect * 23 May – Peter Preston, newspaper editor (died 2018) * 26 May ** May Blood, Baroness Blood, politician (died 2022) ** Andrew Clennel Palmer, engineer (died 2019) * 31 May – John Prescott, Welsh-born Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Deputy Prime Minister * 7 June ** Graham Percy, illustrator (born in New Zealand; died 2008) ** Ian St John, Scottish footballer (died 2021) * 14 June – Angela Browne, actress (died 2001) * 18 June – Michael Sheard, actor (died 2005) * 21 June – Don Black (lyricist), Don Black, lyricist * 25 June – Jim Feast, chemical scientist * 26 June – Ted Wragg, professor of education (died 2005) * 27 June ** Kathryn Beaumont, actress, voice actress, singer and schoolteacher ** David Hope, Baron Hope of Craighead, judge * 28 June – Simon Douglas-Pennant, 7th Baron Penrhyn * 29 June – Peter Wollen, film theorist and filmmaker (died 2019) * 1 July – Susan Maughan, singer * 3 July – Ron Fogg, footballer (died 2020) * 5 July – James Bond (speedway rider), James Bond, motorcycle speedway rider * 6 July ** Tony Lewis, cricketer ** Stuart Young (cricketer), Stuart Young, cricketer * 9 July – Faanya Rose, British-American businesswoman, conservationist, philanthropist and explorer * 10 July – Hugh Mellor, philosopher (died 2020) * 11 July – Brian Scarlett, physicist (died 2004) * 15 July – Josephine Cox, novelist (died 2020) * 16 July – Tony Jackson (singer), Tony Jackson, singer and bass guitarist (died 2003) * 18 July – Ian Stewart (musician), Ian Stewart, Scottish rock keyboardist (The Rolling Stones) (died 1985) * 19 July – Nicholas Bethell, 4th Baron Bethell, historian and human rights campaigner (died 2007) * 20 July ** Roger Hunt, footballer (died 2021) ** David Pratt (cricketer), David Pratt, cricketer ** Diana Rigg, actress (died 2020) * 22 July – Terence Stamp, actor * 27 July – Peter Ucko, archaeologist (died 2007) * 28 July – Ian McCaskill, weather forecaster (died 2016) * 29 July **Christopher Gibbs, antiques dealer (died 2018) **Tom Raworth, poet (died 2017) * 4 August – Simon Preston, organist (died 2022) * 6 August – Rees Davies, historian (died 2005) * 25 August – Frederick Forsyth, writer * 30 August – Alf Meakin, track and field athlete * 31 August – Martin Bell, journalist and independent politician * 10 September – David Hamilton (broadcaster), David Hamilton, radio and TV personality * 12 September ** Michael Leader, actor (died 2016) ** Patrick Mower, actor * 13 September ** Angus Douglas-Hamilton, 15th Duke of Hamilton and 12th Duke of Brandon, Scottish peer (died 2010) ** John Smith (Labour Party leader), John Smith, Scottish politician, leader of the Labour Party (died 1994) * 16 September – Edward George, Baron George, Eddie George, financier and Governor of the Bank of England (died 2009) * 20 September – Jane Manning, opera and concert singer (died 2021) * 25 September – Ron Hill, distance runner and sports clothing entrepreneur (died 2021) * 27 September – Arthur Metcalfe, racing cyclist (died 2002) * 9 October ** Denzil Davies, Welsh politician (died 2018) ** Angus Montagu, 12th Duke of Manchester, English peer (died 2002) * 13 October – Hugo Young, journalist (died 2003) * 20 October – Iain MacMillan, photographer (died 2006) * 22 October – Derek Jacobi, actor * 24 October – Michael Graydon, air marshal * 28 October ** David Dimbleby, broadcaster ** Anne Perry, born Juliet Marion Hulme, detective novelist and murderer * 1 November – Malcolm Laycock, radio presenter and producer (died 2009) * 12 November ** Terry McDonald (footballer), Terry McDonald, footballer and coach ** Richard May (judge), Richard May, judge (died 2004) * 15 November – John MacKay, Baron MacKay of Ardbrecknish, politician (died 2001) * 4 December – Richard Meade, equestrian (died 2015) * 9 December – Robin Popplestone, computer scientist (died 2004) * 10 December – Brian Jones (poet), Brian Jones, poet (died 2009) * 12 December – Felicity Ann d'Abreu, film producer * 15 December – Michael Bogdanov, theatre director (died 2017) * 17 December – Carlo Little, drummer (died 2005) * 21 December – John Quayle (actor), John Quayle, actor * 22 December – Brian Locking, bassist (The Shadows)


Deaths

* 13 March – Frederick George Jackson, Arctic explorer (born 1860) * 9 April ** Archibald Kennedy, 3rd Marquess of Ailsa, aristocrat (born 1847) ** Thomas Octavius Callender, Sir Thomas Callender, engineer and businessman (born 1855) * 16 April ** Steve Bloomer, footballer and manager (born 1874) ** Bertram Mills, circus manager (born 1873) * 16 May – Lewis Bayly (Royal Navy officer), Sir Lewis Bayly, admiral (born 1857) * 9 June – John Broadbent, army officer and politician (born 1872) * 23 June ** Clement Edwards, lawyer, journalist and activist (born 1869) ** William Gillespie (actor), William Gillespie, actor (born 1894) * 4 July – Archibald Berkeley Milne, Sir Archibald Berkeley Milne, admiral (born 1855) * 16 July – Samuel Insull, British-born American businessman (born 1859) * 18 July – Marie of Edinburgh, Queen consort of Ferdinand I of Romania, granddaughter of Queen Victoria (born 1875) * 12 September – Prince Arthur of Connaught, grandson of Queen Victoria (born 1883) * 24 October – Gilbert Greenall, 1st Baron Daresbury, businessman (born 1867) * 27 October – Lascelles Abercrombie, poet and critic (born 1881) * 16 November – James Barr (physician), James Barr, physician (born 1849) * 24 December – William Mitchell-Thomson, 1st Baron Selsdon, politician (born 1877)


See also

* List of British films of 1938


References

{{Year in Europe, 1938 1938 in the United Kingdom, Years of the 20th century in the United Kingdom