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 Robert Henry Charles Dixon

Rifleman Robert Henry Charles Dixon

Robert Henry Charles Dixon was born on 13 October 1889 in Walworth, London, one of the five children of Robert Dixon (b.1862) and Annie Dixon née Cromwell (b. c1869). His birth was registered in th...

Person, Armed Forces, France

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Francis Rolfe

Francis Rolfe

Resident of the Central Ward, Hendon who served and died in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Leading Stoker Bertram Horace W. Peckham

Leading Stoker Bertram Horace W. Peckham

Bertram Horace W. Peckham was born on 20 June 1883 in Winton, Bournemouth, Hampshire (now Dorset). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1883 in the Christchurch Registration District, Ham...

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
W. F. Shingleton

W. F. Shingleton

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
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

Previously viewed

Councillor Angela Harvey

Councillor Angela Harvey

Westminster Council's member for Housing in 2007. Elected as Lord Mayor of Westminster in 2012.

Person, Politics & Administration

3 memorials
cnihtengild

cnihtengild

A guild of knights, whose role may have been to defend London from attack from the east.  The book "London, 800-1216: The Shaping of a City  By Christopher Nugent Lawrence" has a go at explaining w...

Group, Armed Forces

1 memorial
Fruiterers Hall & warehouses

Fruiterers Hall & warehouses

In 1754 the Fruiterers had warehouses at the “Three Cranes”, situated in a lane called Fruiterers’ Alley, running off Thames Street. The Company’s meeting place or hall at that time was the Fruiter...

Building, Property

1 memorial
Civic Trust

Civic Trust

From the picture source website: " founded in 1957 by Duncan Sandys, a British politician, and the former son-in-law of Sir Winston Churchill. It campaigned to make better places for people to live...

Group, Architecture, Community / Clubs

4 memorials
Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II

Born 17 Bruton Street, to the Duke and Duchess of York. For information on where she was brought up see Byron Statue. When she was 10 her father became King George VI (on the abdication of his brot...

Person, Royalty, Seriously Famous

126 memorials