The Entertainments National Service Association was an organisation established in 1939 by Basil Dean and Leslie Henson to provide entertainment for British armed forces personnel during World War II.
An ENSA concert party entertaining troops from the steps of a chateau in Normandy, 26 July 1944
ENSA Glamour Girls distribute cigarettes and beer to troops in North Africa, 26 July 1942.
The founders of the ENSA, Basil Dean (above) and Leslie Henson (below)
Leslie Henson
Peter Sellers
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Peter Sellers was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence with his performances on the BBC Radio comedy series The Goon Show. Sellers was featured on a number of hit comic songs and
Entertainments National Service Association
…Mantovani and His Orchestra exists. Many members of ENSA later had careers in the entertainment industry after the war, including actors Terry-Thomas, Peter Sellers and Kenneth Connor. Tap and acrobatic dancer Vivienne Hole, stage name Vivienne Fayre, a civilian aged 19, was the only ENSA member killed in the war…
Sellers in 1973
Blue plaque memorial at Sellers's birthplace in Castle Road, Portsmouth
Sellers (top) with fellow cast members Spike Milligan (left) and Harry Secombe (right) in a publicity shot for the BBC's The Goon Show
Terry-Thomas (pictured in 1968) starred with Sellers in four films between 1957 and 1959. Their last film together, I'm All Right Jack – the highest-grossing film at the British box office in 1960 – saw Sellers receive the BAFTA Award for Best British Actor.