Britain at war

In the twentieth century, there were two world wars within thirty years and Britain was in the thick of them both. The UK had barely recovered from the First World War when along came another. There are several articles on this site about these times and I'm collecting them here.

This is an ongoing project and articles will be added in the future, so check back. I've also recommended a few books you might find interesting (if not fascinating) and these are hugely popular at the moment. 2014 sees the one hundredth anniversary of WW1 so there are very few people alive today who remember it. But WW2 ended only seventy years ago. But yet today, reading about it and watching videos & DVDs it seems like another world and one that is so hard for us to imagine today. Thank you for visiting, and please leave your comments at the bottom of the page - I'd love to hear from you.

Do you have an article I can add here? Let me know.

The image of Winston Churchill and the gallery images below are copyright-free photographs from Wikimedia. The copyright details of the thumbnail images below is shown on the articles themselves..

It's hard for us these days to imagine what daily life was like during war years. Here, I'm collecting articles so that we can find out more.

Did you have parents who were teenagers during the WW2?

If so then you're probably like me and were brought up to serve economical food, save fuel and 'dig for victory' - lessons that are still valid today.

Click for the article

It was only when I visited the Channel Islands that I realised that they were occupied during WW2.

These islands are only a couple of dozen miles from mainland Britain.

For five years, thousands of British citizens lived under Nazi rule.

Read more.

During the conflicts, food was severely rationed in the United Kingdom and people never knew what would or wouldn't be available in the shops.

But they coped - admirably and effectively.

Frugal food tips

This is the story of my dad who was in the British army in Berlin immediately after the war.

He made some good friends there and this article features a moving letter written to him in 1947 from a Berliner.

An excellent story of war and friendship

Read on

There are many stories about wartime that have been lost over time. Let's get a great collection of them right here.

Did you know that dogs were extensively used during the wars?

(What's more, they are still used in combat zones throughout the world.)

This is the story of just one brave little fellow - a terrier known as Airedale Jack.

Read more here

Other animals were put to good use during wartime too.

This article tells the story of the carrier pigeons who took messages back and forth from headquarters to the thick of the combat zones.

Read also about a modern find.

Learn about Gustav the pigeon

These articles are specifically stories about the soldiers, airmen, sailors and other men and women who spent wartime in uniform.

The First World war was unusual in that it was the first time in history that aviation had played a part.

In this excellent and comprehensive article, writer Jimmy the Jock, has explained more about this development.

See fascinating photographs too. Just look at the one you see here an on the right as an example.

Read more about warplanes

In any war, it's important to keep up the spirits of the armed forces and the people back at home.

See a selection of wartime entertainers.

George Formby was THE top entertainer in Britain during the Second World War.

But he had a somewhat eccentric lifestyle.

It's a sad story, too

Find out more

Glenn Miller was incredibly popular in Britain during the Second World War.

This is a review of that fabulous film, The Glenn Miller Story.

Love it.

Find out more

The music of another American act was extremely popular in Britain during the Second World War.

If you've never heard them, now's your chance.

Read more & see videos

During the Second World War, and in the couple of years prior to its commencement, various members of the Mitford family were often in the news.

These six sisters were from an aristocratic family and had violently opposing political views. Seen at one time as mere brainless socialites, the sisters held the headlines often.

See the links below for details.

Unity

Diana

Deborah

If you're looking for a book that's not only a great story but is also truly fascinating when it comes to learning about everyday life - and the dangers - of ordinary people during those years, this is excellent.

Read more

June 6th., 1944 saw one of the most important events of the Second World War.

This film is THE definitive depiction of this momentous occasion.

I recommend this most highly.

See more

The evacuation of Dunkirk was a truly amazing event that sparked off one of Winston Churchill's most famous speeches.

This is a totally brilliant film about individual acts of heroism and 'the bulldog spirit'.

Read my review

We should really include the aftermath of the Second World War here.

Britain took a long time to recover.

This is a wonderful article by BrianS us telling about a tremendous book.

Click here for more

It wasn't just London that suffered. This video shows what happened in the sleepy and somewhat genteel city of Bath. Bath had no military bases and no factories that were involved in war work, yet it - and countless other towns and cities - shared the same fate.