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. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 11
... Phillips before he went down with HMS Prince of Wales , then commanded throughout its most impor- tant years by Admiral Sir James Somerville . " Somerville was familiar with the region , having been Commander - in - Chief of the East ...
... Phillips , heralded the creation of the new Eastern Fleet , which superseded the East Indies Station and the China Station commands . Admiralty instructions to Phillips on 2 December 1941 told him of their Lordships ' decision to ...
... Phillips's command . On that day Phillips's fleet consisted of the two capital ships , the cruisers HMS Danae , Dragon and Durban , four destroyers ( the two at Hong Kong were on their way to Singapore ) , three gunboats ( at Hong Kong ...