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9. Whitehall Warriors

Admiral Lord West鈥檚 history of the Royal Navy in the 20th century: tough times after the Second World War. From 2014.

Lord West explains how Britain, and the Royal Navy, adjusted to dramatically straitened circumstances after the Second World War.

He describes the dramatic social changes that began after 1945, including big pay rises, improved food and conditions of service - and even the beginning of the end for hammocks.

He explores the Royal Navy's crucial role in the development of nuclear weapons, and the impact they had on defence thinking and the future of conventional forces. And he speaks to Laura Sandys MP, the daughter of former Defence Secretary Duncan Sandys, about his seminal 1957 Defence White Paper, which shaped British defence thinking for a generation.

Producer: Giles Edwards

First broadcast on 大象传媒 Radio 4 in June 2014.

Available now

15 minutes

Last on

Thu 9 May 2024 09:30
大象传媒 Radio 4 Extra

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8. Pacific Horrors

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10. Early Cold War

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Broadcasts

  • Thu 12 Jun 2014 13:45
    大象传媒 Radio 4 FM
  • Thu 9 May 2024 09:30
    大象传媒 Radio 4 Extra

Podcast

  • Britain at Sea

    Admiral Lord West tells the story of the Royal Navy during the 20th century.