Tag: WW2

Stalin Vs Hitler: A comparison – who was worst?

It’s a bit of a fools errand trying to compare disasters, discoveries and empires from different time-periods.  How can one properly make comparisons between the Roman Empire and the British Empire for example?  The Mongol Empire and the French Empire?  Just when you think you have weighed up all the factors then you realise you… Continue reading Stalin Vs Hitler: A comparison – who was worst?

Coronavirus Diary 48 – A bit of this, a bit of that.

I’m continuing my self-isolation which is probably a good thing as typically for my luck, the streets and neighbouring villages around where I live have the highest Covid mortality rate in the whole-country per head of population. With the electrician gone I have spent the last few days tidying up which largely involves turning walls… Continue reading Coronavirus Diary 48 – A bit of this, a bit of that.

VE Day Remembered in Photos – This Is Your Victory!

The 8th May 1945 was V.E. Day or Victory in Europe Day over the Axis Powers of Germany and Italy and for much of the world, an end to WW2.  Many Western European nations have an annual WW2 national holiday based on Victory or Liberation Day.  The U.K. never has as ironically Churchill did not… Continue reading VE Day Remembered in Photos – This Is Your Victory!

Coronavirus Diary 20 – Make do and mend

The current virus pandemic is evoking lots of comparisons with WW2, at least in the U.K.  Though the quantifiable loss of lives and poverty doesn’t come close, ironically the virus takes away the one thing that everyone in the 1940’s had, the ability to gain comfort in the company of others. One of the things… Continue reading Coronavirus Diary 20 – Make do and mend

Cornish D-Day Veteran Harry Billinge (94) gets his MBE & meets the Queen.

Last year I made a memorable on  The Endcliffe Park Memorial in Sheffield & the incredible devotion of Tony Foulds. Recently a D-Day veteran who raised more than £25,000 towards the cost of building a national memorial honouring his fallen comrades has become an MBE. Incredibly despite having a key role in the Normandy landings,… Continue reading Cornish D-Day Veteran Harry Billinge (94) gets his MBE & meets the Queen.

War-Time Panic And The British Pet Massacre Of 1939.

There are many things that Britons have been labelled.  Napoleon said we were a nation of shopkeepers, he likely meant it as an insult.  We’re also famously a nation of gardeners and compared to most others, animal lovers.  Perhaps it is that other trait of supporting the underdog as there aren’t many things that are… Continue reading War-Time Panic And The British Pet Massacre Of 1939.

HMT Bedfordshire – The Royal Navy ship sank defending the United States.

I’ve written several posts about American servicemen who died in Britain in WW2, most recently on the The Endcliffe Park Memorial in Sheffield & the incredible devotion of Tony Foulds. A few weeks ago I came across a fascinating sad little bit of history from WW2 regarding some British servicemen who died in American waters, securing… Continue reading HMT Bedfordshire – The Royal Navy ship sank defending the United States.

Remembering a local disaster – The 75th anniversary of the Sandringham Road V1 attack, Watford.

To commemorate the 75th year anniversary of the 37 people killed in Sandringham Road by a German bomb during World War Two, Watford Borough Council is hosting a service of remembrance at North Watford Cemetery for those who died in worst loss of life in Watford during the Blitz. On Sunday 30 July 1944, a… Continue reading Remembering a local disaster – The 75th anniversary of the Sandringham Road V1 attack, Watford.

Winston Churchill style icon? Siren Suits – the precursor to Onesies.

It was only 2 or 3 years ago where much of the world, or at least those perhaps lacking in sartorial elegance, was obsessed with an item of clothing known as a Onesie.  Usually made for people who want a comfortable, cosy evening on the sofa or perhaps for those not going out on a… Continue reading Winston Churchill style icon? Siren Suits – the precursor to Onesies.