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.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

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 376

Other Subjects

A. Langford

A. Langford

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

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
C. W. Franklin

C. W. Franklin

Resident of Hendon who served and died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial
Field Marshal Lord Inge

Field Marshal Lord Inge

Trustee of The Memorial Gates Trust. Born as Peter Anthony Inge on 5 August 1935, his birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1935 in Croydon registration district. Our Picture Source and his ...

Person, Armed Forces

1 memorial
J. F. Flugel

J. F. Flugel

Resident of Hendon who served and died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial
J. Keith Alexander

J. Keith Alexander

Pilot Officer John Keith Alexander was born on 23 August 1912 in Joplin, Missouri, USA, the eldest of the five children of Ernest Earl Alexander (1890-1961) and Gladys Juanita Alexander née Burton ...

Person, Armed Forces, USA

War served, WW2
1 memorial

Previously viewed

John Lewis

John Lewis

Retailer. Born at Town Street, Shepton Mallet, Somerset. He worked in several drapery firms before opening his own business at number 132 (later 286) Oxford Street in 1864. In 1906 he walked from h...

Person, Commerce

1 memorial
Keith Bowler

Keith Bowler

We cannot find any information about Bowler himself, only that in c.1990-2010, at least, he lived in Wilkes Street Spitalfields and created these unusual pavement plaques. We understand they were c...

Person, Sculpture

22 memorials
Tommy Cooper

Tommy Cooper

Comedian.  Born Wales.  Member of the Magic Circle.  Died of a heart attack on stage at Her Majesty's Theatre, live on television. "I'm going to chop off the bottom of one of your trouser legs and...

Person, Humour, TV & Radio, Wales

4 memorials
John Felton

John Felton

Catholic lay priest and martyr. Father of Thomas Felton. A wealthy man, he lived at Bermondsey Abbey (the mansion built on the site) and supposedly fixed a copy of the papal bull excommunicating Qu...

Person, Religion

1 memorial
Mrs Toulson

Mrs Toulson

Married to Rev. Joseph Toulson. From My Primitive Methodists: "Joseph married Mary Ann Sanderson (1829-1912) in the summer of 1850. Census returns identify two children. Mary Hannah (1851-1936) – ...

Person, Friend / family

1 memorial