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WWII On This Day: October 31

What happened on October 31 during World War II? This date brings together 3 events from 1940, 1942 and 1944, with period photographs and links to the full operations documented across WW2 Theatres.

1940
A wrecked German aircraft in England. Its crew, if they survived, were out of the war.
A wrecked German aircraft in England. Its crew, if they survived, were out of the war. Imperial War Museums · Public domain Source
The Battle of Britain

The official battle period ends

The British official chronology ends the Battle of Britain on 31 October. By then the Luftwaffe's main daylight bomber effort had diminished, while fighter-bomber attacks and the night offensive against British cities were continuing. Fighter Command had not destroyed the Luftwaffe and Germany had not ceased attacking Britain. The operational result was narrower and more important: the RAF fighter defence remained intact enough to deny the uncontested air superiority required for the projected invasion. The Blitz was already underway and would continue into 1941. Keeping the campaigns separate prevents the…

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1942
British artillery bombardment illuminating the night at the start of the Second Battle of El Alamein, 23 October 1942.
Sergeant Gladstone / IWM E 18465 · UK Government public domain (Imperial War Museums)
The Second Battle of El Alamein

The Australian northern salient withstands repeated attacks

German and Italian infantry and armour counter-attacked the 9th Australian Division’s northern salient on 31 October and 1 November. Australian field and anti-tank artillery fired across open approaches while infantry held shell-damaged positions. The defence reduced Rommel’s freedom to move mobile reserves from the north. Montgomery kept pressure on the sector to fix Axis forces during the preparation for a renewed breakthrough attempt near Tell el Aqqaqir.

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1944
LVT-4 Alligator amphibious vehicles pass Terrapin amphibious vehicles near Terneuzen during the Battle of the Scheldt, 13 October 1944.
Department of National Defence / Library and Archives Canada · 13 October 1944 · Public domain in Canada · Source
The Battle of the Scheldt

The attack onto the Walcheren Causeway

With South Beveland almost clear, the 2nd Canadian Division attacked along the Walcheren Causeway on 31 October. The exposed embankment was roughly 1.2 kilometres long, with tidal flats on both sides and prepared German positions at the western end. Successive Canadian battalions fought for a foothold while British troops of the 52nd Division prepared to exploit routes through the Sloe area farther south. The causeway battle fixed German defenders as the seaborne assaults opened the next morning.

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