German troops invade Poland. Great war is inevitable

On September 1, 1939, German troops invaded Poland after bombing the capital, Warsaw, and other Polish cities. This violent act marked the beginning of World War II, the most widespread and deadly war in history. Tens of millions of soldiers and civilians lost their lives.

Even though the battles took place thousands of miles away, mostly in Europe, Palm Beach County was touched by World War II. Read more about it in these columns from the Post Time section of Historic Palm Beach:

• Belle Glade and Clewiston had POW camps during World War II.
  
• A ship grounded on Palm Beach was a major spectacle.
• Pig Pen Was Classic WWII-Era Diner
• The end of World War II brought personal victory for South Floridians.
• A county road’s namesake was killed in World War II.
• The Palm Beach County Park Airport in Lantana handled civilian traffic when PBIA — then known as Morrison Field — was turned over to the military during World War II.
  
• World War II brought destruction, death, military bases, and, eventually, boon to the area.
• The rumor of World War II U-boat sailors sneaking ashore is an urban legend.
• Read a summary of local history from the war years.

And when you think you know everything there is to know about World War II in Florida, take the quiz!

We invite you to share your own history of life in the Palm Beaches and Florida. You can share your personal stories and memories in the comments below. If you have photos or images that depict life here in times past, you can share those by uploading your pics to our Photo Galleries. See photos that others have shared here.

Thanks for enriching everyone’s enjoyment of Historic Palm Beach.

Read more about life in Florida during World War II: War in Paradise: Stories of World War II in Florida by Eliot Kleinberg.

Tags: World War II