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

Rifleman Henry James Freeman

Rifleman Henry James Freeman

Henry James Freeman was born in 1887 in Peckham, a son of James Daines Freeman (1858-1925) and Annie Clementine Freeman née Johnson (1865-1955).His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1887 i...

Person, Armed Forces, Belgium

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
1st Madras Fusiliers

1st Madras Fusiliers

Part of the force commanded by Havelock. Infantry.

Group, Armed Forces

1 memorial
Lieutenant Felix Ernest Jones, MC

Lieutenant Felix Ernest Jones, MC

Felix Ernest Jones was born on 27 May 1888, a son of William Jones (1855-1925) and Madeline Mary Jones née Weiss (1857-1914). His birth was registered in the Edmonton registration district, Middles...

Person, Armed Forces, Law, Belgium

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
R. K. Spicer

R. K. Spicer

Resident of Hendon who served and died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial
Gilmore Cecil Daniel

Gilmore Cecil Daniel

Lieutenant Colonel Gilmore Cecil Daniel was born on 30 November 1917 on the Osage Indian Reservation, Skiatook, Osage and Tulsa County, Oklahoma, USA, the elder son of Pearl C. Daniel (1898-1969) a...

Person, Armed Forces, USA

War served, WW2
1 memorial

Previously viewed

French Protestant Church

French Protestant Church

Persecuted in France, about 50,000 Huguenots fled to Britain where Edward VI granted them asylum. The French Protestant Church of London was established by Royal Charter in 1550. It took over the T...

Building, Religion, France

3 memorials
Covent Garden Market

Covent Garden Market

The piazza, created in 1630 by Inigo Jones for Francis the 4th Earl of Bedford, attracted stalls and hawkers so in 1670 the 5th Earl decided to formalise and profit from the situation and obtained ...

Place, Commerce

2 memorials
Lady Anne Agnes Erskine

Lady Anne Agnes Erskine

Born Edinbugh, eldest daughter of the Earl of Buchan. There is a story about her coming across an outdoor gathering at Moorfields at which Rowland Hill (see Surrey Chapel) was preaching and him pic...

Person, Religion, Scotland

1 memorial
Friends of the Royal London Hospital

Friends of the Royal London Hospital

Registered charity also known as 'Friends of the London Hospital (Whitechapel)' and 'League of Friends'. We're guessing that this is the current form of the 1908 "friends of the hospital" that erec...

Group, Community / Clubs, Medicine

1 memorial
London Fire Brigade

London Fire Brigade

The London Fire Engine Establishment, formed in 1833 under the leadership of James Braidwood, was a private organisation funded by insurance companies, mainly aimed at saving material goods from fi...

Group, Emergency Services

13 memorials