World War Two was a conflict that lasted from 1939 until 1945. It involved virtually every part of the world, as the Allied Forces of Great Britain, France, the United States, the Soviet Union and China fought against the Axis powers of Germany, Italy and Japan.
Here, we take a look at five facts from this incredible period of history that you may not know.
Longest Battle
By far the longest continuous military campaign of World War Two was the Battle of the Atlantic. This battle focused around the Allied forces attempts to provide aid to Great Britain, and the German and Italian attempts to thwart their efforts.
The battle began just after the outbreak of World War Two on 3rd September 1939, and lasted until the Germans were defeated at the end of the war.
Famous Participants
Many famous actors played their part, so to speak, in World War Two. The British actor David Niven was living in Hollywood at the beginning of World War Two. Ignoring the British Embassy who advised against people travelling to Britain during this time, Niven became the only British actor to do so, and he rejoined the army that he had served with during the 1930’s. He took part in the invasion of Normandy in June 1944 and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel by the end of the war.
Before coming to the attention of Hollywood, Texan native Audie Murphy served in World War Two and became America’s most decorated soldier. By the time Murphy received the Medal of Honor in April 1945 at the age of just 19, he had already received over twenty awards for valour, including two Silver Star medals, two Bronze Star medals and a Distinguished Service Cross.
Last Ditch Attempt
There was an attempt to bring about an early end to World War Two, in 1941, by one of Adolf Hitler’s right-hand men; the Deputy Fuhrer, Rudolf Hess.
Hess flew solo to Scotland in May 1941 in an attempt to garner peace talks. He parachuted out of his aircraft and when he landed was immediately arrested. He was briefly imprisoned in the Tower of London. After the war, Hess was tried as a war criminal at Nuremberg. He was convicted and sent to Spandau Prison, Berlin.
Keep Calm and Carry On
‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ was one of three motivational slogans that was chosen by the Ministry of Information in London in mid-1939, to be released on posters in the event of war. The posters, however, never saw the light of day. Over 2.45 million posters displaying the message were printed during World War Two, only for the vast majority to be recycled in 1940 to help the government deal with a severe lack of paper.
It wasn’t until the year 2000 that a copy resurfaced, when a couple who own a second-hand bookshop in Northumberland bought a box of old books at an auction, and found the poster at the bottom of the box. Knowing nothing of its history, they framed it and hung it in their shop. It became so popular they reprinted it and sold it. The rest, as they say, is history.
Courageous Canine
In 1940, following a heavy air raid during the Blitz in London, a local air raid warden, Mr E.King, found “Rip”, a crossbreed terrier, alone and hungry amid the carnage. Mr King fed Rip some scraps and the pair became inseparable.
Rip became the mascot of the Southill Street Air Raid Patrol, and although he was not trained as a search and rescue dog, he took to it like a natural and is believed to have helped save the lives of more than 100 people during the Blitz. Rip was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal in 1945, and wore his medal on his collar with pride.
We have released a range of sovereigns that, for the first time ever, pays tribute to the ordinary ranks of the British armed forces involved in the Second World War. You can view the 2021 We Will Remember Them Gold Sovereign Range HERE.