Category Archives: World War II

This week in the War, 17–23 June 1940: Two tourists in Paris

Posted on June 17, 2012 by secondbysecond

Most visitors to Paris love the city—and I’m no exception; I adore it—and most come in July or August. It’s the time of year when Parisians flee to the countryside, abandoning their parks and boulevards to hordes of tourists. Paris … Continue reading →

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In the news: Ghosts of Olympics past

Posted on June 15, 2012 by secondbysecond

With this year’s London Olympics fast approaching, the topic of previous Olympic Games has garnered much attention in UK newspapers. An article in yesterday’s Guardian by Alex von Tunzelmann focussed on the Berlin Olympics of 1936 and the movie Olympia, … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 10–16 June 1940: Faith, Hope, and Charity

Posted on June 12, 2012 by secondbysecond

The Italians had been watching from the sidelines. Suddenly, 10 June 1940, Benito Mussolini announced, in a grandiose speech from his balcony over Palazzo Venezia, that they were joining in the war on Germany’s side. Good timing. France was on … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 3–9 June 1940: We shall fight on the beaches…

Posted on June 11, 2012 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 4 June 1940, Winston Churchill declares to the House of Commons that the nation will continue to fight, no matter what. “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, … Continue reading →

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In the news/Book review: 6 June–Anniversary of D-Day

Posted on June 6, 2012 by secondbysecond

Today (6 June) is the day when veterans and dignitaries of the warring nations of WWII gather on the beaches of Normandy to give thanks, and to honour the fallen of 68 years ago. This week, tourists will fan out … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 27 May–2 June 1940: The Snow Goose

Posted on June 1, 2012 by secondbysecond

The Snow Goose, Paul Gallico’s coming-of-age novel, is set in the lonely marshlands of Essex during World War II. A young girl named Fritha finds a injured snow goose and she and a surly lighthouse keeper nurse the bird back … Continue reading →

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In the news: Memorial Day 2012

Posted on May 28, 2012 by secondbysecond

The use of dogs in warfare goes back to ancient times, even as far back as the Greeks, and the Egyptians. During World War I, the Belgians used their Bouviers des Flandres to haul machine guns to the front. In … Continue reading →

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In the news: Bohuslav Kimlicka–One of the Few

Posted on May 27, 2012 by secondbysecond

Bohuslav Kimlicka flew with the Czech air force, defending his country from the Nazi invasion of 1938. Afterwards, he fought with the French, attempting to stem the 1940 German Blitzkrieg , and then with the Royal Air Force. His descendants … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 20–26 May 1940: Maxime Weygand–man of the hour

Posted on May 24, 2012 by secondbysecond

Monday 20 May 1940, General Maxime Weygand (who had been appointed French commander-in-chief the previous day)  met with General Gamelin, whom he was replacing, and with a government which was already beginning to panic. The seventy-three-year-old Weygand had (like de … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 13–19 May 1940: German breakthrough at Sedan

Posted on May 16, 2012 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, with their invasion of the Low Countries well under way, German forces attacked the town of Sedan in the Ardennes region of France. Responsibility for the attack fell to Panzer Group Kleist (named for its … Continue reading →

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