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.

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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

Captain Francis Dansays

Captain Francis Dansays

Naval officer.  RN Lieut-Governor of Greenwich Hospital.

Person, Armed Forces, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Barber Beaumont

Barber Beaumont

Army officer, painter, philanthropist. Born John Thomas Barber and in 1812 for no known reason, he added the name of Beaumont. He specialised in historical and portrait miniatures, and displayed at...

Person, Armed Forces, Art, Commerce

3 memorials
W. J. Causton

W. J. Causton

Secretary of the British Legion Hornsey in 1929.

Person, Armed Forces

1 memorial
C. Verrent

C. Verrent

J. Lyons & Co. Ltd. staff member who died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial

Previously viewed

The Rose Theatre - Kingston upon Thames

The Rose Theatre - Kingston upon Thames

Its layout is based on the former Rose Theatre in Southwark. The front rows have no seats, but instead of standing space for 'groundlings', patrons bring their own cushions. A plaque at the entranc...

Building, Theatre

1 memorial
Bank of England

Bank of England

Londonist have an interesting post about animals at the Bank of England. The Guardian, 16 April 2022, reporting on an exhibition at the Bank of England, informed that the Bank once owned 599 slave...

Group, Commerce, Politics & Administration, Race Issues

1 memorial
Coalbrookdale Company

Coalbrookdale Company

An iron foundry set up by Abraham Darby in Shropshire. Can you guess what the Coalbrookdale war memorial is made of?

Group, Engineering

5 memorials
Evelina Hospital for Sick Children

Evelina Hospital for Sick Children

The Evelina Children's Hospital was founded by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild and named for his wife, who had died aged 27 with her child in labour in 1866. It was planned by Dr Arthur Farre in a pu...

Group, Children, Medicine

2 memorials
William Crawford Gorgas

William Crawford Gorgas

Born Mobile, Alabama. Worked in the medical department of the US army and specialised in yellow fever. Died in London from a stroke while on his way to West Africa.

Person, Armed Forces, Medicine, USA

1 memorial