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Richard65 It is important to realise that Winston Churchill (not yet knighted) was by no means alone in thinking the sun would never set on the Empire. Churchill's political career was over but the Empire was still held in high esteem in Britain in the 1950s, though fading fast.
It is also important to realise the primary cause of World War Two was Nazi and Japanese military expanionism and as we were to learn, their abominable cruelty. The British Empire was important but really something of a side-effect except perhaps in Churchill's mind. I wonder if secretly he did know the Empire was approaching its end but did not like to admit. For most Britons including the Government, fighting the Germans and Japanese was paramount; though Britaan certainly did have important Imperial territories in SE Asia.
In the early-1960s my Primary School had a voluntary weekly collection for a medical charity called BELRA, the British Empire Leprosy Relief Association. I think most of its work was in Africa, where the disease was and still is common and sadly, still highly stigmatic through fear.
The charity is still active, still doing very important work in co-operation with other organisations, but changed its name to Leprosy Relief Association in 1964.
Elsewhere the "BE" part lives on in the British Empire Medal honorary award, but for continuity.
