As the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) prepared to sail for France in September 1939 the general view in Whitehall was that it was critically important for its departure to be kept from the press.
All went well at the start as the first troops left Portsmouth on 4 September. Further dispatches were due up to the end of the month.
The BEF’s cover was blown when the French press published details of the landings and cabled them to the America on 12 September. Defeated, the War Office removed its press embargo and the news of the departures appeared in the morning papers. A sudden change of mind by the War Office led to the Ministry of Information reimposing the embargo, ordering Scotland Yard to tour London and seize copies of any newspapers containing the prohibited item. As soon as this operation was under way, the French published yet more details of the BEF’s movements. The press embargo was relaxed once again.
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