Kent at War 1939–45
Kent at War 1939–45

Author: Tanya Wynn

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2019-06-30

Total Pages: 404

ISBN-13: 1473887429

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This comprehensive account of the southern English county during WWII covers everything from the Dunkirk evacuations to the Battle of Britain and more. Located along the English Channel, the southeastern county of Kent played a significant role in the Second World War. This volume covers Kent’s many contributions—both civilian and military—throughout the conflict. The chronicle details how the Dover Patrol kept Allied shipping safe in the English Channel, as well as the preparation and aftermath of the Dunkirk evacuations of May 1940, with all of the vessels leaving from and returning to Kent ports and harbors. Kent’s numerous airfields were of vital importance during the Battle of Britain between July and October 1940. The Richborough camp, set up in 1939 at the old First World War Kitchener barracks, provided safe haven to thousands of German and Austrian Jewish refugees. This book includes never before published letters written to one of the camps residents during his stay there. Historian Tanya Wynn also discusses the county's military hospitals and pow camps, it’s Victorian Cross and George Medal winners, and the restricted areas that adorned the coast as the people of Kent battened down the hatches, knowing that they were the very first line of defense in case of a German invasion.

Kent at War
Kent at War

Author: Bob Ogley

Publisher:

Published: 1994

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 9781872337494

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This illustrated history of World War II relives the drama, heroism and horrors as they unfolded in Kent - a county in which many people were nearer to occupied Europe than they were to their own capital city. All the major events are covered - mobilization, evacuation, the phoney war, Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, the Blitz, the fighter sweeps from Kent airfields, D-Day, the flying bombs and rockets, and VE Day in May 1945.

York at War, 1939–45
York at War, 1939–45

Author: Craig Armstrong

Publisher: Pen and Sword Military

Published: 2022-05-05

Total Pages: 148

ISBN-13: 1526704749

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York has often been overlooked when it comes to Britain’s wartime experience. The city was not though to have many industries of great wartime importance and it was not a part of the initial evacuation scheme. Yet this does not accurately reflect the wartime contributions of the city, as several of its large confectionary factories were converted to wartime use, while it was also a key rail hub, forming a vital link in the national network. Unbeknownst to the people of the city, York had been selected as the latest target in the Luftwaffe’s Baedeker Raids. In a short, sharp, blitz raid in the early hours of 29 April 1942, more than 3,000 houses were destroyed or damaged and almost 100 people killed while others were left seriously injured. Wartime York had a particularly close connection with the RAF as the city was surrounded by airbases. People became very used to seeing the uniforms of men and women from Bomber Command and the city was to prove very popular with airmen seeking relaxation. Places such as Betty’s Bar became infamous as airmen of almost every Allied nationality came to blew off steam. The nearby presence of the airfields also meant that the people of York and the surrounding area were witnesses to tragedies when aircraft crashed on their return to the bases.

City of London at War 1939–45
City of London at War 1939–45

Author: Stephen Wynn

Publisher: Pen and Sword Military

Published: 2020-03-30

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1526708337

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The City of London was always going to be an obvious target for German bombers during the Second World War. What better way for Nazi Germany to spread fear and panic amongst the British people than by attacking their capital city?Although not vastly populated in the same way that a bigger city or larger town would be, there were still enough people working there during the day for attacks on it to take their toll. The city’s ancient and iconic buildings also bore the brunt of the German bombs, including churches designed by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire in 1666. The book looks at the effects of war on the City of London, including the damage caused by the 8 months of the Blitz between September 1940 and May 1941. The most devastating of the raids took place on 29 December 1940, with both incendiary and explosive bombs causing a firestorm so intense it was known as the Second Great Fire of London. It also looks at the bravery of the staff at St Bart's Hospital, which was one of the medical facilities that remained open during the course of the war. Other stories include the sterling work carried out by the City’s civilian population and the different voluntary roles that they performed to help keep the city safe, including the Home Guard and the Fire Watchers, who spent their nights on the city’s rooftops looking out for incendiary devices dropped by the German Luftwaffe. Despite the damage to its buildings and its population, by the end of the war the City of London was able to rise, like a phoenix, from the flames of destruction, ready to become the vibrant and flourishing borough that it is today.

Youth at War
Youth at War

Author: Mike Osborne

Publisher: Fonthill Media

Published: 2023-09-17

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13:

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The Second World War was the cause of more civilian casualties, many of them young people, than of military. In Britain, young people were on the front line, facing the threat of enemy invasion and the fragmentation of daily life. Their education was disrupted as their schools were taken over by government, the military and ARP; as pupils were evacuated and staff conscripted; curriculum was diluted and part-time schooling instituted; and concerns over food and accommodation increased. Along with the physical dangers of bombing and the increased disease caused by deprivation and social dislocation, youngsters endured psychological and emotional pressure from anxieties over home and family. Young people worked in industry and agriculture; served in the Home Guard and ARP; carried out voluntary activities in health and welfare; and prepared for military service as cadets and in uniformed organisations. School buildings aided the war effort as military HQs, training centres, research centres for weapons development and, central to ARP, especially in the cities, were often at the forefront of the bombing. This book attempts an overview of the circumstances under which youngsters grew up between 1939 and 1945 on the Home Front, with particular emphasis on the 14-18 age group.

Australia's War 1939-45
Australia's War 1939-45

Author: Joan Beaumont

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-09-10

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 1000256316

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The Second World War was a dominant experience in Australian history. For the first time the country faced the threat of invasion. The economy and society were mobilised to an unprecedented degree, with 550 000 men and women, or one in twelve of a population of over 7 million, serving in the armed forces overseas. Social patterns and family life were disrupted. Politically, the war gave a new legitimacy to the Australian Labor Party which had been confined to the wilderness of the Opposition at the Federal level for most of the inter-war years. The powers of the Federal government increased and a new momentum for social reform was generated at the popular and governmental level. In the international sphere, the war fundamentally shook Australian confidence in the power on which it had relied for generations, Great Britain. It generated a sense of independence in Australian foreign policy and initiated a new, if halting and problematic, realignment towards the United States. In this accessible book Joan Beaumont, Kate Darian-Smith, David Lee, David Lowe, Marnie Haig-Muir, Roy Hay and David Walker consider the range of Australia's experience of this conflict. In a single volume they draw together the many aspects of the war and distil the current state of historical scholarship. Australia's War 1939-45 will be invaluable to tertiary students and of enormous interest to the reader concerned with the social, political and military history of Australia. A companion volume on the First World War is also available.

Kent at War, 1939–1945
Kent at War, 1939–1945

Author: Mark Khan

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2014-09-20

Total Pages: 220

ISBN-13: 1473845165

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Following on from Blitz on Kent, all aspects of life during the Second World War were experienced during in this embattled county. From the onset of the war Kent became a key part in the front line defence of Britain. Defences were built, and the Home Guard formed.With the threat of invasion receding, the county took part in the great offensive against Nazi Germany. Preparations and training took place that lead to the D-Day invasion in June 1944 and ultimate victory in 1945. This book will tell the story of the story of the County from the very beginning of the war to the end and afterwards, both from civil and military perspectives.Subjects covered are: Invasion defences, Home Guard, Dunkirk, life during wartime, D-Day, German Prisoners of War, the Americans in Kent, The Royal Navy, people and life during wartime, The RAF, soldiers in Kent regiments, training, individual studies, the military on the move: Bren Carriers, Churchill tanks, Covenanter tanks, artillery, Matilda tanks, Valentine tanks, motor bikes, lorries, lease-lend Vehicles, weapons, women in wartime Kent, VE Day and post-war Kent the legacy of the war.