Remembrance in 2020

The world so many knew had been turned upside down by the Second World War, and the end of the war did not mean the end of the service or sacrifice for so many - 3.8 million British men and 400,000 women were demobilised, returning to their homes and families, some for the first time in many years.

Many of the feelings, emotions, and challenges faced by the Second World War generation, while different in their causes and extent, they have echoes for many today; shortages of goods, feeling socially isolated, familial dislocation, a sense of the unknown, a feeling of being forgotten, and the collaboration of nations and communities to face a common foe. And as the entire nation relied on our service personnel and public servants then, so we do again today.

To learn more about the challenges faced and overcome by the Second World War generation, and the similarities they share with the world today, click on the links below:

• Rebuilding – rebuilding of nations and communities
• Reuniting – reuniting families, friend and communities
• Reimagining – the new world created by the Second World War generation
• The Veterans Perspective - Watch our collection of WWII veterans' stories about their war and the challenges they faced at its end