The Coronation of 2 June 1953 is a long way away now, in a vastly different world and culture. True, a major war was going on, but the Korean armistice was to begin in July, after a final Chinese offensive on 10 June, and the Cold War was fully active in Europe. National service was a central experience for young British men, and end of empire conflicts such as the Kenyan and Malayan emergencies were ongoing. It was a sombre world for some, but World War Two was slowly falling further behind,...
