Greasepaint and Cordite: How ENSA Entertained the Troops During World War II

by Andy Merriman

Once the Second World War had broken out, it soon became clear that morale would be crucial in the military effectiveness of our armed forces. And so was born the Entertainment National Services Association, or ENSA – to send the nation’s best singers, dancers, musicians and comedians, from Noël Coward to Gracie Fields, to entertain the troops, however far away they might be.

Over the course of the war ENSA gave their first break to such postwar stars as Tommy Cooper and Frankie Howerd, as well as enshrining the young Vera Lynn forever as the forces’ sweetheart. When Allied troops landed in Normandy in 1944, George Formby followed close behind, while a distinguished troupe under Laurence Olivier was performing Shakespeare to British soldiers in Hamburg within weeks of the German surrender.

Now, Andrew Merriman has talked to surviving ENSA veterans from Vera Lynn to Dame Beryl Grey, to piece together the extraordinary adventures of the ordinary men and women sent out across the world – even to inhospitable, dangerous Burma – whose contribution to the war effort was song, dance and laughter.

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2013

Reviews

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book interesting, well-written and well-researched.

My criticism is that it would have been better if the book had been written twenty or thirty years earlier when more ordinary ENSA entertainers were alive and could have shared their memories of working for the organisation. Instead, a great deal of information had been found in books by - or about - famous performers like Vera Lynn and Joyce Grenfell. I had already read many of the books in the author's bibliography, so I did not discover much new information in this book as the experiences of forgotten performers were rather thin on the ground.

[Robin Braysher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating and entertaining read, especially with so many familiar names who started off in ENSA etc.; it's worth mentioning, though, that it doesn't restrict itself to ENSA but also includes other entertainment bodies, such as 'Stars in Battledress', which makes for a more interesting book. Broadly chronological, it does go off on multiple tangents, particularly when looking at the careers of entertainers, but it's the gossipy nature of the book that makes it entertaining. It probably could have done with better editing as there are some errors and I was irritated by the multiple misspelling of 'Ordinance' for 'Ordnance', but that's just me!

That the author is the grandson of a founder member of the Roosters Concert Party, formed in Greece in 1917, and the son of a writer on the radio show 'Beyond Our Ken' is of no relevance, but shows his 'showbiz' credentials.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, if you have an deep interest in war time entertainment, but written as if it was an official government report on ENSA. Not very entertaining.