Keep Calm & Golf On - Golf & The Battle of Britain

Ena Squire-Brown leaving her bombed-out home on the
day of her wedding.  Photo credit: www.dailymail.co.uk

On this Memorial Day, as we remember and honor those who have fought and died in war, let's also pause and remember that even as peoples endure the horrors of warfare life continues.  People laugh and cry, love and marry and have babies.  Children attend school, and golfers play on, and on, every act taken in brave defiance of the destructive power of war.

During the summer and fall of 1940, the German Luftwaffe waged a massive air attack against Great Britain, the largest and most sustained aerial campaign to that date in World War II.  Germany failed to achieve it's strategic objectives, and by the final months of 1940 the Battle of Britain had transitioned into into The Blitz, a protracted bombardment campaign that focused on the decimation of Britain's population centers.

In London and other British towns and cities daily life and the conduct of commerce continued, with only the most necessary accommodations and adjustments made to protect human life.  At Richmond Park Golf Club, located in London't Royal Park, established in 1924 and one of the finest public golf facilities in the London area, the effects of the Blitz were reflected not in the suspension of play but in a few Rules modifications designed to ensure players' safety.

Let there be golf!