In my days on London campus I was introduced to the sketching, drawings and poetry of Mervyn Peake. I remember him as a sensitive soul who wrote about the agony of war. I no longer have any of his work, but did a little research and found
this.
I don't know if in fact it was penned in 1939... Probably not, since "1941" is in the title. but I would guess he has some socially connected poems that resonated the times just prior to declaration of war.
At any rate, it was nice to visit Mervyn again. Good luck with your project. It sounds intriguing. Auden's "Lull" poem is penetrating.