Event    From 1939  To 1945

World War 2

Categories: Armed Forces, Tragedy

Sorry, we've done no research on WW2, it's just too big a subject. But do visit the picture source web site - it has a fascinating collection of maps. And we enjoyed these photos of current WW2 evidence in London. Also for some signs of WW2 on buildings in London see Spitalfields Life.

February 2015: Londonist did something we’ve been meaning to do for ages: they’ve brought together all the various heads of state and governments-in-exile that found a home in London during WW2.  We’ve shamelessly taken that splendid research and linked it to the associated memorials that we’ve found.

The Free French wartime headquarters were at 1 Dorset Square and at Carlton Gardens where there are two  plaques and a statue.  De Gaulle lived in Hampstead.

The Netherlands’ head of state, Queen Wilhelmina, lived at Claridge’s and had her Secretariat at 77 Chester Square where there is a plaque.  The Dutch government initially met in the Dutch Reformed Church at 7 Austin Friars but this was destroyed by bombs in 1940 which may be what prompted them to move to Stratton House, 79 Piccadilly. And the Dutch club was at Oranjehaven.

The Polish Prime Minister Sikorski based himself in the Polish embassy at 47 Portland Place. The Polish President Raczkiewicz lived at 43 Eaton Place and ran his government in exile from here.

Belgium’s government-in-exile was based at the Belgian embassy at 105 Eaton Square.

The President of Czechoslovakia, Edvard Beneš, lived at 26 Gwendolen Avenue Putney.  The Czech government in exile was run from 3-8 Porchester Gate, Bayswater Road.

King Haakon of Norway officially lived at the Norwegian embassy at 10 Palace Green W8 where there is a plaque (not at 10 Kensington Palace Gardens) but often stayed at Claridges.  Prime Minister Nygaardsvold ran his government-in-exile from Kingston House North on Prince’s Gate.

King Peter II of Yugoslavia lived at Claridges.  His government in exile was run from Kingston House, the same address as the Norwegian government.

Luxembourg based its government in exile at 27 Wilton Crescent.

King George II of Greece lived at Claridges.

We believe these were also based in London but we need more information: Denmark’s government; King Zog of Albania; Emperor Haile Selassie of Abyssinia.

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
World War 2

Commemorated ati

11 Group Operations Room

Unveiled by Lord Dowding.

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Abbey Road Depot - WW2 ARP members lost

Bill Wallis is described on the plaque as 'ARP Stretcher Bearer'. Which we ta...

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Abney Park - CWGC war memorial

The screen wall at the back, south, of the memorial carries a number of bronz...

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Adam Faith

Adam Faith (Terry Nelhams), 1940 - 2003, singer & actor born in a house o...

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African and Caribbean Armed Forces

Unveiled on Windrush Day. A very simple design, we think the horizontal obeli...

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Other Subjects

William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke

William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke

Nobleman, politician, and courtier. Herbert's first wife, Anne Parr, was a sister of Queen consort Catherine Parr, sixth wife to Henry VIII. Guardian of the young Edward VI, by whom he was created...

Person, Armed Forces, Politics & Administration, Property

1 memorial
E. H. Tyson

E. H. Tyson

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial
Lieutenant-General Charles Fleetwood

Lieutenant-General Charles Fleetwood

Fought on the anti-royalist side in the Civil War. In 1652 he married for the second time to Bridget, Cromwell's daughter and widow of Henry Ireton. That same year he was appointed Lord Deputy of I...

Person, Armed Forces, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Private William Henry Richter

Private William Henry Richter

William Henry Richter was born on 4 February 1898, the son of Joseph Richter (1863-1937) and Alice Richter née Griffin (1864-1923). His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1898 in the Maryle...

Person, Armed Forces, Transport, Belgium

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
A. W. North

A. W. North

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial

Previously viewed

John Thomas Bedford

John Thomas Bedford

Chairman of Committee for letting the City lands of the Corporation of London when the monument to Temple Bar was erected in 1880.  Commoner on the Bridge House Estates Committee, 1894 and a Deputy...

Person, Politics & Administration

2 memorials
Herbert C. Wotton

Herbert C. Wotton

Fireman killed as a result of an air raid an air raid on Old Palace School, Bow, E3 on 20 April 1941. Our colleague Andrew Behan has kindly researched this man: Auxiliary Fireman Herbert Charles W...

Person, Emergency Services

War dead non-military, WW2
1 memorial
John Bennet Lawes

John Bennet Lawes

Entrepreneur and agricultural scientist. Born at Rothamsted, Hertfordshire. He founded an experimental farm that eventually became the Rothamsted Experimental Station, and developed a superphosphat...

Person, Commerce, Gardens / Agriculture

1 memorial
Jim Marshall

Jim Marshall

Businessman and pioneer of guitar amplification. Born in London. An electrical engineer he built a portable amplification system, which he used in his evening job as a singer and drummer.  On 7 Jul...

Person, Engineering, Music / songs

2 memorials
The Theatre

The Theatre

The site of The Theatre is the tall building to the left in the picture. Often claimed to be the first London building specially devoted to the performance of plays though the Red Lion Theatre in M...

Building, Theatre

3 memorials