# Buckingham Palace In WWII? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 16, 2011, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace-in-wwii/606365 "2011-12-16T02:05:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace-in-wwii/606365/21 "2011-12-16T23:41:32Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > And Elizabeth and Margaret weren’t children; they were young women, and worked in the women’s auxiliary services during the war - Liz was a mechanic. During the Blitz, Margaret was 10, which is certainly a child, and Elizabeth was 14, which I guess is a “Young woman” but very young indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace-in-wwii/606365/22 "2011-12-17T00:13:36Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > Britain was in a life and death fight against another nation that meant to annihilate it, all of the U.K.s European allies had surrendered, the country honestly didn’t know if it would win the war, and expected to be invaded in the near future, and you honestly think that the main thing on the Royals minds were would they get their old job back IF we won ! > > I don’t think so. Well, given that, it would have made even more sense for the royals to run away (from a pure self-interest point of view). ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace-in-wwii/606365/23 "2011-12-17T00:21:48Z")
Do you know about RAF Sergeant [Ray Holmes](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/4398484.stm) and [how he “saved Buckingham Palace”](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1492968/Flight-Lieutenant-Ray-Holmes.html)? ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace-in-wwii/606365/24 "2011-12-17T00:42:05Z")
Thank you, **KarlGauss** , for that link, I read all of it. This begs the question, however, why _just now_ are our Allies recognizing the bravery of their citizens? I know about secrecy and the release of records, having had a _Secret_ clearance while in the USAF, but this is _stupidity_, when we give such an honor to folks who are trying to hang on to whatever life they have left, and it’s treated as a “page three” item so LATE!!! Thanks, and sorry if this seems disjointed, and off-topic! Q ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace-in-wwii/606365/25 "2011-12-17T00:57:46Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > Do you know about RAF Sergeant [Ray Holmes](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/4398484.stm) and [how he “saved Buckingham Palace”](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1492968/Flight-Lieutenant-Ray-Holmes.html)? Cool story. But it’s “bail”, not “bale”! He didn’t “bale out” of the plane unless he was a block of hay! ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace-in-wwii/606365/26 "2011-12-17T01:20:01Z")
Ah, fair enough about their ages at the start of the war. Them living at Windsor was just what they would have done anyway though. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace-in-wwii/606365/27 "2011-12-17T04:15:21Z")
This earlier thread may be of interest: [Plans for the British Royal Family in the Event of a German Invasion (WWII) - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=386260) ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace-in-wwii/606365/28 "2011-12-17T05:59:13Z")
“Great Minds”… and all that, right **KarlGauss** and **Elendil’s Heir**? I should have known to use the search engine here before posting, but I’ve been reluctant to do so because I am afraid I may see the the question as one of those I asked before. Be that as it may, (I _love_ that phrase as much as I love “heretofore”!) I appreciate your patience, and castin’ some light over my dumb and sorry ass! Now, if y’all will 'scuse me, I need to git mah seff back to mah still!!! (That was me just having some fun about living in Georgia, okay?) 🙂 Thanks, Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace-in-wwii/606365/29 "2011-12-17T06:11:48Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > Britain was in a life and death fight against another nation that meant to annihilate it, all of the U.K.s European allies had surrendered, the country honestly didn’t know if it would win the war, and expected to be invaded in the near future, and you honestly think that the main thing on the Royals minds were would they get their old job back IF we won ! > > I don’t think so. Well, considering that Cousin Nicky and his family lost more than their jobs, yeah, I’d say that was probably a consideration. They’d be crazy NOT to think about it. It probably wasn’t their main concern, but yeah, I think the King probably was concerned with, “will I still have my throne?” That’s just human nature. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace-in-wwii/606365/30 "2011-12-17T06:52:42Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Thank you, **KarlGauss** , for that link, I read all of it. > > This begs the question, however, why _just now_ are our Allies recognizing the bravery of their citizens? > > I know about secrecy and the release of records, having had a _Secret_ clearance while in the USAF, but this is _stupidity_, when we give such an honor to folks who are trying to hang on to whatever life they have left, and it’s treated as a “page three” > item so LATE!!! > > Thanks, and sorry if this seems disjointed, and off-topic! > > Q What makes you think he wasn’t recognised during his lifetime??? That article is an obituary, not the only word on the subject! ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace-in-wwii/606365/31 "2011-12-18T11:21:34Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > What makes you think he wasn’t recognised during his lifetime??? That article is an obituary, not the only word on the subject! [A while back I did a bit of digging](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=323599) and found nothing to indicate that he had been recognized for his valour, i.e. no medal, at least. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace-in-wwii/606365/32 "2011-12-18T11:28:38Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > [A while back I did a bit of digging](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=323599) and found nothing to indicate that he had been recognized for his valour, i.e. no medal, at least. To be most unpopular, but I would like to point out that while I respect the late Sargent pilot’s skill and courage (and BTW why the hell was he an enlisted man flying an officers plane?) military medals are generally awarded for actions beyond the call of duty and protecting Buckhingham Palace was the Sargents duty. ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace-in-wwii/606365/33 "2011-12-18T21:27:02Z")
Roughly [one third](http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/whowerethefew.cfm) of RAF pilots flying in the Battle of Britain were sergeant-pilots. I don’t think there was such a thing as an officer’s plane. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buckingham-palace-in-wwii/606365.md?page=1)