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http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/01.htm

April 1st, 1940

UNITED KINGDOM: The government says that it will intervene to keep food prices down.
Douglas Bader, the brilliant pilot and rugby footballer who lost both legs when he crashed his Bristol Bulldog fighter in December 1931, is back in the cockpit, flying fighters again with the RAF. He left the RAF because he was no longer allowed to fly despite his mastery of his “tin legs”. But immediately the war was declared he started to pull strings until he was given a test on a trainer. All his old skill came flooding back - flying was still “a piece of cake”. No he can be seen stumping towards his Hurricane, as aggressive as ever, to fly patrols over Channel convoys, and when he takes of he flies like all the other pilots - only better than most.
This is one take on Bader, a somewhat controversial figure. Cris Wetton views from another angle.

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: Parliament passes General Smuts’ War Measures Bill.

GERMANY: Hitler fixes the date of Operation Weserubung [Exercise Weser], the invasion of Norway and Denmark, at 9 April and orders preparations to start.

U.S.A.: “Broadcasting” magazine reports that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has suspended its order for “limited commercial” operation of TV, censures the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) for their sales efforts which are seen as an attempt to freeze TV standards at the present level and calls a new hearing. Critics call the move “usurpation of power.” (Jack McKillop)

CANADA: Trans-Canada Airlines (TCA) begins transcontinental airline service today with a flight from Montreal, Quebec, to Vancouver, British Columbia. TCA operates 10-passenger Lockheed Model 14-H2 Super Electras and 14-passenger Lockheed Model 18-10 Lodestars. (Jack McKillop)

JAPAN: The prototype Mitsubishi A6M1, Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter (assigned the Allied Code Name “Zeke” in 1942) makes its first flight at Kagamigahara. A total of 10,449 aircraft will be build during the war. (Jack McKillop)