Paper presented to the Fifth Pan-American Railway Congress, Buenos Aries. Written by Bonavia for Sir Charles Newton, M. Inst., Chief General Manager, London & North Eastern Railway. Includes chapters entitled: September 1939, the false calm: October 1939 – April 1940, the year of crisis: 1940, the years of endurance: 1940 – 1944, the return to Europe: 1944 and the price of victory