Category Archives: World War II

This week in the War, 11–17 December 1944: Deaths of painter Wassily Kandinsky and band leader Glen Miller

Posted on December 12, 2016 by secondbysecond

This week in the war saw the deaths of one of the world’s great artists, Wassily Kandinsky, and one of the world’s great performers, Glen Miller. They died within a two days of each other. As a student, Moscow-born Kandinsky abandoned … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 4–10 December 1944: Phasing out the Blackout

Posted on December 9, 2016 by secondbysecond

This week in the war throughout the British Isles from 9 December 1944 on, premises were no longer required to be blacked out when the air raid sirens sounded. The Luftwaffe was no longer perceived to be a threat, and light … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 27 Nov—3 Dec 1944: Britain’s Home Guard stands down

Posted on December 2, 2016 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 3 December 1944, Britain’s Home Guard stood down. The Home Guard (originally called the Local Defence Volunteers) had been formed when the British Isles were threatened by invasion. In 1944, the tables were turned … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 20–26 November 1944: Henry the Fifth—the Movie

Posted on November 24, 2016 by secondbysecond

This week in the war saw the release, on 22 November 1944, of the movie Henry V—based upon the play by William Shakespeare. The movie won an Oscar (in 1946) for Laurence Olivier, who was the director and also played … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 6–12 November 1944: United States presidential election makes history

Posted on November 9, 2016 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 7 November 1944, Franklin Delano Roosevelt made history by becoming the first (and last) president of the United States to be elected to a fourth term in office. Roosevelt defeated the Republican challenger, New … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 30 Oct–5 Nov 1944: RAF raid Gestapo headquarters in Aarhus, Denmark

Posted on November 3, 2016 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 31 October 1944, the RAF launched a precision bombing raid against the Gestapo headquarters in Aarhus, Denmark. The Danes had appealed to Britain to bomb the headquarters to destroy files that were being used … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 23–29 October 1944: The Battle of Leyte Gulf

Posted on October 26, 2016 by secondbysecond

One of the major naval battles of the Second World War, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, took place near the Philippines this week in the war, between 23 and 26 October 1944. American troops had landed on the Philippine island … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 16–22 October 1944: The Volkssturm—Germany’s national militia

Posted on October 21, 2016 by secondbysecond

After so many setbacks on the Eastern Front, the Germans had realized that the quick Blitzkrieg victories of the past would not be repeated and that henceforth an all-out effort would be required. Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels introduced the concept of … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 9–15 October 1944: Death of Erwin Rommel

Posted on October 12, 2016 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel died by suicide. The Gestapo believed that Rommel was complicit in the July Bomb Plot to assassinate Hitler. Postwar investigations suggest that this was likely true, although the evidence is not completely conclusive. … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 2–8 October 1944: Dam-buster style raid against the seawall at Walcheren in Holland

Posted on October 4, 2016 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 3 October 1944, the RAF successfully attacked the seawall on the Dutch island of Walcheren. Aircraft dropped the same kind of ‘Barnes Wallis’ bombs that had been used by the Dam Buster squadron to breach German … Continue reading →

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