1941: Year of Momentous Changes

January 1941 found William in Milan, Italy, and Philinda in Paris, France. But it was to be a year of tremendous changes in the world and in the lives of William and Philinda. Here are the highlights:

• At the opening of 1941, William is serving as Vice-Consul at the United States Consulate in Milan, Italy. He writes home on January 8 about a reasonably peaceful Christmas and New Year in letter 1941-01-06 M19 WLK to LMK family.
• Philinda begins 1941 living with her husband Jimmy Jones in Paris. Jimmy is working as a clerk in the U.S. Embassy, but for reasons unknown, we have no letters on file from the usually prolific Philinda between late September, 1940, from Paris (1940-09-29 F-78 LPK to JWC Family) and June 14, 1941 (1941-06-14 4-03 LPK to JWC family)
• May and June 1941 experience Germany's "Blitzkrieg", by which the Nazis invade the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Although the United States does not yet declare war, relations are broken with the Axis powers at that time. All American diplomatic missions are withdrawn.
• Philinda and Jimmy are evacuated to Lisbon, Portugal. Portugal remains neutral in World War II and U.S. diplomatic staff and families from around Europe gather there to await reassignment and transportation.
• Thus William is also evacuated from Milan to Lisbon. He writes in letter 1941-07-29 M10 WLK to LMK family from Lisbon about the trip from Italy, through occupied France and war-ravaged Spain to peaceful, prosperous Portugal.
• In late July, William is assigned to the U. S. Consulate in Dakar, French West Africa (now Senegal). An article in the Newark Advocate (1941-07-29 L-42 news clip) publishes this.
• William and Philinda meet and fall deeply in love. Philinda determines to return to the United States without Jimmy and file for divorce so she and William can be married. Documents from this period are available in the 1940s Period index under 1941.
• November 1, a brief article appears in the Newark Advocate (1941-11-01 L-43 news clip) relating that William is reassigned to the U. S. Consulate in Lagos, Nigeria
• November 14, William is given passage by air to England, since Nigeria is a British colony and all transport to Nigeria originates in England at this time.
• November and December, Philinda bases her stay in the United States at the home of her mother and stepfather in Orange, New Jersey. In frequent love-letters to William, beginning with 1941-11-21 L-89 LPK to WLK, she recounts some painful meetings with Jimmie Jones in New York, friendly meetings with William's sister Janie, also in New York, and spending a few peaceful weeks at her Aunt's farm in Vermont.
• Late in November, William departs England on a vessel whose primary mission is to transport British troops to India. There is a brief account of this trip based on hasty notes in his pocket accounting notebook.
• December 7, Japan executes a devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
  December 8, United States declares war on Japan.
  December 11, Germany and Italy declare war on the United States, which immediately declares war on them.
• December 20, William arrives in Lagos, where he is welcomed by staff at the U. S. Consulate and entertained with friendly beach parties over Christmas and New Years Day. On Christmas Eve, he writes a long, loving letter to Philinda with an account of his voyage and his (so far, brief) experience of life in Lagos.