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

Lieutenant Charles Pope, VC

Lieutenant Charles Pope, VC

Lieutenant Charles Pope, Australian Imperial Force (Western Australia), 15th April 1917. From East London Advertiser: "Pope, a one-time London bobby, was born in Mile End in March, 1883. He emigra...

Person, Armed Forces, Australia

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
J. Jonas

J. Jonas

J. Lyons & Co. Ltd. staff member who died in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
First police training school

First police training school

The first organised training school was opened in 1907 at Peel House in Regency Street, Pimlico. Officer recruits undertook a four-week training course before being posted to their beat. Moved to H...

Place, Armed Forces, Education

1 memorial
E. C. King

E. C. King

Resident of Hendon who served and died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial
C. F. Mott

C. F. Mott

J. Lyons & Co. Ltd. staff member who died in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial

Previously viewed

St Alphage Church

St Alphage Church

Escaped the Great Fire. Demolished and rebuilt in 1774-7. Unused it was demolished in 1923 leaving part of the tower and the porch but then that was badly burnt in WW2. There is a related ruin jus...

Building, Religion

1 memorial
London County Council

London County Council

Prior to the LCC London matters were run by church parishes. The LCC was the first directly elected strategic local government body for London. Replaced by the Greater London Council, covering a la...

Group, Politics & Administration

279 memorials
Kindertransport

Kindertransport

10,000 unaccompanied mainly Jewish children fled from Nazi persecution in 1938 and 1939. This was organised mainly by World Jewish Relief, but many Quakers helped the children at stations on the jo...

Event, Children, Transport, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Poland

2 memorials
Margaret Nakajima

Margaret Nakajima

Andrew Behan attempted to research this lady and wrote: "The only lady I could trace by consulting both the 'England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007' held at the General Regi...

Person, Friend / family

1 memorial
Horatio Prater

Horatio Prater

Our colleague, Andrew Behan, has found someone who is probably our man, Andrew writes: I can find no evidence of an H. Prater in the Croydon area in the 1880's so I believe that the Historic Engla...

Person, Benefactor, Medicine

2 memorials