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

Foreign nationals at the Battle of Trafalgar

Foreign nationals at the Battle of Trafalgar

The popular image of the navy in Nelson's time, is of ships manned solely by 'British Tars'. In fact the crews of the ships that fought at Trafalgar included sailors from America, Ireland, Prussia,...

Group, Armed Forces

1 memorial
A. J. Evans

A. J. Evans

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
A. E. Fisher, Jnr.

A. E. Fisher, Jnr.

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
Frederick John Shirley Chapman

Frederick John Shirley Chapman

Flight Lieutenant Frederick John Shirley Chapman was born on 11 February 1915 and his birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1915 in the Penzance registration district, Cornwall. The 1934 UK M...

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW2
1 memorial

Previously viewed

Grosvenor Hotel - head 05

Grosvenor Hotel - head 05

SW1, Buckingham Palace Road, Grosvenor Hotel

This 1860 building, by architect James Knowles Snr, is studded with many portrait busts of which we believe only these 14 are representat...

Queen Mary (consort)

Queen Mary (consort)

Wife of George V, grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II. Born Princess Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes of Teck at Kensington Palace. Nicknamed May, the month of her birth.  Her...

Person, Royalty

17 memorials
St John's House

St John's House

From the National Archives : "St John House was founded in 1848 as a 'Training Institution for Nurses for Hospitals, Families and the Poor'. It was a religious community run by a Master, who was a ...

Group, Education, Medicine, Religion

1 memorial
King Haakon VII

King Haakon VII

Born Christian Frederik Carl Georg Valdemar Axel in Charlottenlund Palace, near Copenhagen. Known as Prince Carl of Denmark, he became the first king of Norway after the 1905 dissolution of the uni...

Person, Royalty, Denmark, Norway

1 memorial
Henry Holland

Henry Holland

W1, Duke Street, 39, Henry Holland pub

The more standard pub signs show a rather cartoony head and shoulders of HH, with his dates. We have failed to find out why this pub is n...

1 subject commemorated