World War Two Google Maps

Using the Google maps facility here are some locations that will forever be associated with the Second World War. Click the + sign to zoom, click 'Satellite to transform the map into real photo images of the world, that can be magnified.

Changi, Singapore - Changi POW Camp was a notorious Japanese POW camp that held up to 50,000 Allied servicemen.

Anzio, Italy - When the Allies landed at Anzio in Jan 1944, they became trapped on the beachhead and for many weeks endured a terrible onslaught, before breaking out and continuing their advance up through Italy.

Coventry Cathedral, West Midlands, UK - On November 14th 1940, the city of Coventry was Blitzed. In one night over 568 civillians lost their lives and the ancient mediaeval cathedral was destroyed. Provost Richard Howard found amongst the ruins two large wooden beams lying in the shape of a cross. He tied them together.

Colditz Castle, Germany - The castle was home to the most determined, most awkward, most cunning, most excellent! prisoners of war who had a habit of escaping fom other camps. Even though this was supposed to be a secure answer to the 'problem' putting the best escapees was asking for trouble and there was many succesful escape attempts and they had even built and hid a glider that was going to be used but peace came before they had a chance to try it out for size! N.B The wife of the British Dentist who was at Colditz wrote to me and is in the book!

Kohima, Burma - The Battle of Kohima was a ferocious battle in 1944 that was a turning point in the Japanese attempt to invade India. The fact that part of the campaign became known as 'The Battle of the Tennis Court" as it centered around the Deputy Commissioners bungalow and tennis court says everything about the intensity and closeness of the fighting. In less than 3 months the British & Indian forces had 4,000 dead, missing or wounded.