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

John Innes Brown III

John Innes Brown III

Major John Innes Brown III was born on 13 January 1920 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA, the son of John William Brown (1887-1955) and Cleone Henrietta Brown née Taggart (1898-1994). The Ame...

Person, Armed Forces, USA

War served, WW2
1 memorial
Corporal Frederick James Jeffers

Corporal Frederick James Jeffers

Frederick James Jeffers was born on 13 December 1874, one of the nine children of Thomas Edwin Jeffers (1842-1919) and Catherine Jeffers née Meredith (1846-1883). His birth was registered in the 1s...

Person, Armed Forces, Turkey

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
R. W. Povey

R. W. Povey

J. Lyons & Co. Ltd. staff member who died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial
1/23rd, 2/23rd and 3/23rd Battalions, The London Regiment

1/23rd, 2/23rd and 3/23rd Battalions, The London Regiment

British army regiment. Formed from volunteer units in the Surrey suburbs and was part of the London Regiment in the Territorial Force. When the London Regiment was abolished, the unit reverted to t...

Group, Armed Forces

1 memorial
George Robert Baylis

George Robert Baylis

George Robert Baylis was born on 26 June 1873 in Newington, Lambeth, one of the eight children of George Alfred Baylis (1844-1904) and Sophia Louisa Baylis née Yabsley (1841-1915). His birth was re...

Person, Armed Forces

War dead non-military, WW1
1 memorial

Previously viewed

Jack Bauer

Jack Bauer

Member of the ARP/Civil Defence Services - stretcher bearer. Andrew Behan has kindly provided this research: Jack Bauer was born on 14 March 1907 in Stepney, a son of Louis and Leah Bauer who were...

Person, Emergency Services

War dead non-military, WW2
1 memorial
Eric Newton

Eric Newton

Artist, writer, broadcaster and art critic. He produced several books in addition to his newspaper and radio work. His radio broadcasts made him well known to the British public in the 1930s. Art c...

Person, Art, Literature

2 memorials
Peggy Jones

Peggy Jones

One of the 11 "children of England" present on 7th July 1933 when The Princess Royal laid a foundation stone for a nurses home for the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.

Person, Children

1 memorial
George Thomas Dorrell, VC, MBE

George Thomas Dorrell, VC, MBE

Soldier. Born George Thomas Dorrell in Paddington. Wikipedia informs that he joined the army at the age of fifteen and first served in the Second Boer War. On 1st September 1914, at Néry, France, d...

Person, Armed Forces, Belgium, France, India, South Africa

War served, WW1
3 memorials