Btw, has anyone as of "today" seen a news report referring to the Second World War?
I have not, and wonder if that term was not used before December 7, 1941?
I remember reading the term in an analysis piece back before 9/1/39. At that time it was used in a theoretical way, of course. I'd hate to have to find it again to back up this assertion. I should have started an index right from the start.
Since the war started I haven't seen World War II or variants used.
I was a little surprised to see "Battle of Britain" come into such common usage as we have seen. From the moment Churchill coined the term - wasn't it at the end of June? - I have been seeing it in news, editorials and anlalysis. The funny thing is, now that it is happening it is not really recognized for what it is. The air war appears to be seen as a symetrical affair. British raids on German occupied areas receive the same sort of coverage as German raids on ships in the Channel or Great Britain. I still haven't noticed any mention of the need for air superiority to enable a German invasion of Britain. Even though that invasion is considered inevitable in the news, if not in the upper reaches of the military and government.
But then I don't read this stuff as carefully as I should. Maybe Baldwin is all over it.
I remember our analyst Hanson Balwin saying it at least once real early on. I did some quick looking and found it in his report from September 4, 1939.
From 20,000,000 to 40,000,000 men, from youth to middle-age, may eventually fight the battles of the second World War.
Notice that he didn't even capitalize the word "second" as we do today. It definately was not prevalently used at this point and I think I've only seen it a handful of times up to this point. I will probably take better note of it from here now that you mentioned it.