The Royal Hospital Chelsea at War

The Royal Hospital and its resident Chelsea Pensioners fought for their survival as the Blitz rained over London. Martin Cawthorne chronicles the Hospital at war.

About the event

The Royal Hospital Chelsea is best known as a home for retired soldiers, but during the Second World War it found itself on the front line. Despite the enduring interest in this period, the Hospital’s wartime experience remained only partially understood—until the publication of Martin Cawthorne’s, The Royal Hospital Chelsea at War.

Drawing on extensive research, including remarkable archival material and studies undertaken at Oxford University, Martin has pieced together a vivid and comprehensive account of this unique chapter in the Hospital’s history.

In this talk, he will share insights from his research, reveal stories uncovered in the archives, and bring to life the challenges and resilience of the Royal Hospital during the war years.

After the lecture, Martin will be available to sign copies of his book.

About the speaker

Author Martin Cawthorne spent a career in finance before he began volunteering at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. He worked on a project to digitise part of the institution’s archive collection while undertaking a master’s degree in Historical Studies at the University of Oxford, for which he researched the Hospital’s wartime history. Martin is now recognised as the expert on the institution’s wartime story and works with the Royal Hospital Chelsea on a number of heritage and outreach projects.