Some reflections as we approach the 80th anniversaries

The Second World War is no longer a recent war. Very soon, there will be no veterans left to tell us how they saw things and what it was really like for them. While some eyewitnesses who were children at the time might be with us to see the centenary of the conflict’s start, it is unlikely that they will remember much about its events. Of course, 80 years ago means that many people alive in the UK and other parts of the globe today remember talking to those who were there. Furthermore, the legacy of the war is still felt in many places and in our language; ideas and aspects of popular culture can still be tied to the conflict, sometimes creating new versions of what happened.

In a year of important Second World War anniversaries, what will be remembered in 2024 and what will survive a life without veterans and eyewitnesses? In this article, originally published in HA News, we look at two events where one might endure but the other is more likely to disappear from popular storytelling.