Today in World War II History—March 5, 1942

Gen. Sir Alan Brooke, Chief of General Staff, at his desk in the War Office in London, 1942 (Imperial War Museum: TR 151)
80 Years Ago—Mar. 5, 1942: Gen. Sir Alan Brooke becomes chairman of British Chiefs of Staff, in addition to his position as Chief of Imperial General Staff.
British expand conscription to men 41-45 and women 20-30.
First Naval Construction Battalion is established and officially nicknamed “Seabees.”
US Civil Air Patrol begins antisubmarine patrols on East Coast; base established at Rehoboth, DE.
Dmitri Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony premieres at the Bolshoi Theater, inspired by his experiences in the siege of Leningrad.

Poster of the US Civil Air Patrol, WWII