The British Empire and the Second World WarIn 1939 Hitler went to war not just with Great Britain; he also went to war with the whole of the British Empire, the greatest empire that there had ever been. In the years since 1945 that empire has disappeared, and the crucial fact that the British Empire fought together as a whole during the war has been forgotten. All the parts of the empire joined the struggle and were involved in it from the beginning, undergoing huge changes and sometimes suffering great losses as a result. The war in the desert, the defence of Malta and the Malayan campaign, and the contribution of the empire as a whole in terms of supplies, communications and troops, all reflect the strategic importance of Britain's imperial status. Men and women not only from Australia, New Zealand and India but from many parts of Africa and the Middle East all played their part. Winston Churchill saw the war throughout in imperial terms. The British Empire and the Second World War emphasises a central fact about the Second World War that is often forgotten. |
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... Division's advance down the Kabaw valley and on to the Chindwin river at the end of 1944 , ending an extremely effective and valuable contribution to imperial military campaigns both in Africa and Asia . Whilst the 1st NRR represented ...
... Division . The 16th British Infantry Brigade disembarked on 14 March 1942. The 11th East African Division's headquarters moved to Ceylon in 1942 , where the 21st East African Brigade arrived on 21 March 1942. Later in the war troops of ...
... Division went to Burma in December 1943. ( IWM , IND 2864 ) 19. The Battle of Imphal - Kohima , July 1944. British 3 inch mortar detachments support the 19th Indian Division's advance along the Mawchi Road , Burma . ( IWM , IND 4723 ) ...