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.

Read More

Abbey Road Depot - WW2 ARP members lost

Bill Wallis is described on the plaque as 'ARP Stretcher Bearer'. Which we ta...

Read More

Abney Park - CWGC war memorial

The screen wall at the back, south, of the memorial carries a number of bronz...

Read More

Adam Faith

Adam Faith (Terry Nelhams), 1940 - 2003, singer & actor born in a house o...

Read More

African and Caribbean Armed Forces

Unveiled on Windrush Day. A very simple design, we think the horizontal obeli...

Read More

Load next 200 of 356

Other Subjects

Major Edmund Leopold de Rothschild, CBE, TD

Major Edmund Leopold de Rothschild, CBE, TD

Financier and horticulturalist. He was born on 2 January 1916 in Westminster the second of the four children of Lionel Nathan de Rothschild (1882-1942) and Marie Louise Eugénie de Rothschild née B...

Person, Armed Forces, Commerce, Gardens / Agriculture, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Sir William Constable

Sir William Constable

From Yorkshire. MP for Scarborough and then Knaresborough. Colonel of a regiment of foot in Cromwell's Parliamentary army, governor of Gloucester and one of the signatories to the death warrant of ...

Person, Armed Forces, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Edward Cooper, VC

Edward Cooper, VC

Awarded the VC for his heroism on 16 August 1917, age 21, while serving in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps. "Enemy machine gun fire from a blockhouse was holding up the battalion’s advance. With four ...

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial
Essex Regiment

Essex Regiment

The regiment was formed from the union of the 44th (East Essex) Regiment of Foot and the 56th (West Essex) Regiment of Foot. Following action in all major conflicts it was gradually disbanded in th...

Group, Armed Forces, Belgium, France

2 memorials
B. S. Heading

B. S. Heading

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

Previously viewed

St Dunstans - Garvin

St Dunstans - Garvin

EC4, Fleet Street

You can see three of these memorials in our photo of the church. The fourth, the plaque to Garvin, is on the east-facing wall to the left...

1 subject commemorated
Runnymede Air Forces Memorial

Runnymede Air Forces Memorial

TW20, Cooper's Hill Lane

The poem was apparently written soon after the memorial was completed.  Photo of the engraving. The “ML, 7 April 1952” is probably the f...

1 subject commemorated, 4 creators
Professor Sir Ernst Chain

Professor Sir Ernst Chain

SW7, Chemistry Building, Imperial College Road

The plaque was unveiled on or shortly before 10 April 2019. It was not yet on the building but on one of those easel things often used fo...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Cheistha Kochhar

Cheistha Kochhar

Born in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India, Cheistha Kochhar was a PhD student at the London School of Economics. She had already worked in a range of roles including business start-ups and with variou...

Person, Cyclist, Tragedy, India

1 memorial
Sugar

Sugar

Sugar was John Henderson's companion for 10 years before she died. When Sugar died John said: “She was my best friend and I was hers. We did everything together. ... “She was a rescue dog. One day ...

Animal, Animals

1 memorial