At 11:30 on the night of July 30, 1940, Winston Churchill left London by train for the north of England for an inspection tour. The next day the prime minister inspected Home Guard units as well as coastal and other defenses, including those near Hartlepool. Accompanied by Lieutenant-General Hastings Ismay and Commander Thompson, he motored along the coastal front and occasionally left the car to make a closer inspection of the defenses. After watching one exercise, the prime minister famously posed with a Tommy gun. Churchill also inspected a shipyard where he spoke with a group outside the front gates, calling out “Are we downhearted” to which they roared, “No.” Churchill returned to London that evening by train. In London he met with Secretary of War Anthony Eden and Chief of the Imperial General Staff John Dill. During the day, Churchill cabled President Franklin Roosevelt about the war situation and requested American aid, including destroyers, motor boats, and flying boats.