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@clubman
^
I'm not really an expert on this, but I'm fairly sure about the following:
Freewheels were in general use long before 1937, and were certainly used in the TdF. Going down mountains on fixed would be hopelessly slow compared with freewheeling. I think the original Sturmey Archer patent dates from 1902, and that hub included a freewheel.
It's perhaps worth mentioning that the rider who came second in the first ever proper road race in England was on fixed. (Llangollen - Wolverhampton 1942, just google Percy Stallard)
There were plenty of derailleur gears around before 1937, although they weren't quite as good as the modern versions (understatement).
It should be remembered that in Britain the only pre- war racing on the road was time trialling and, as we know, this is a discipline where fixed is not always a disadvantage. On the continent almost all road racing was 'massed start' and hilly roads were sought for rather than avoided.