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 84
... cruisers and a destroyer severely damaged , and one battleship , four cruisers and six destroyers in need of considerable repair . In evacuating the army from Crete , 1828 seamen lost their lives . At sea in 1941 the Royal Navy could ...
... cruisers , and a cruiser and six destroyers refitting or under repair . Based at Ceylon were the battleship HMS Revenge and the cruiser Exeter , with the cruiser Enterprise and the carrier Hermes refitting . On the Australia Station ...
... cruisers ( HMAS Australia and Canberra ) , four six - inch cruisers ( HMAS Adelaide , Hobart , Perth and Sydney ) , five old destroyers and two sloops . These thirteen fighting ships and a few auxiliary vessels were manned by 5540 ...