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Sir William Empson

1 of 12 portraits of Sir William Empson

© estate of Rupert Shephard

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Sir William Empson

by Rupert Shephard
oil on canvas, circa 1944
18 in. x 14 in. (459 mm x 356 mm)
Purchased, 1973
Primary Collection
NPG 6466

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  • Sir William Empson (1906-1984), Poet, literary critic and teacher. Sitter in 12 portraits.

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Current affairs

London is hit by the V1 Flying Bomb. This weapon, developed by the German Luftwaffe and colloquially known as the 'Buzz Bomb', or 'Doodlebug', was the first guided missile and was used for attacks on targets in England and Belgium.

Art and science

Laurence Olivier's epic film version of Henry V is released. Olivier directed and starred in the film, which was partly funded by the British government in recognition of its morale-boosting patriotic appeal. The cast included service men as Henry's army.

International

France is liberated from German-occupation following the Battle for Normandy. Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of occupied-France led by Field Marshall Montgomery, was the largest seaborne invasion in history, involving almost three million soldiers crossing the channel from England to France. Troops landed on the 6th June (D-Day), and Paris was liberated in late August.

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