Kent at War

As well as being the ‘Garden of England’ Kent has often been described as ‘Britain’s Frontline County’ and with good reason. In two world wars the county was threatened with being the beachhead for German invasions and it’s people had to face up to the realities and horrors of twentieth-century conflict. In both wars Kent faced the brunt of enemy air-raids; with the fall of France in June 1940 the county also came within range of German heavy artillery and later its deadly ‘V’ weapons. Many of the most important events of both wars were witnessed by the people of Kent, from the sight of of thousands of soldiers marching through Folkestone to board ships to take them on their way to the slaughter of the Western Front, through the Dunkirk Evacuation and the Battle of Britain to the celebrations of VE and VJ days. In this book, author Clive Holden seeks to capture the trials and tribulations of the times in pictures and words. Throughout these pages, you will read about the emotion and tragedy that took over people’s lives during the madness of war. Above all the book shows how the county of Kent, through the trauma of both wars, lived up to its proud motto – ‘Invicta’ - unconquered