Eric Liddell, the Record Breaking Olympian Who Kept Hope Alive in a Japanese Prison Camp
The Scotsman Eric Liddell is best remembered for his sporting accomplishments from the 1981 film that dramatized them, Chariots of Fire. However, his record-breaking performance…
Bill Slim and WWII’s Forgotten Army – One of the most successful commanders of the war
One of the greatest military commanders of WWII is usually forgotten in stories of the war. Bill Slim, the British general commanding troops in Burma,…
John Bridge: Heroic Bomb Disposal Expert of the Second World War
Unexploded munitions are a problem in war. Bombs and mines need to be deactivated to ensure operations can continue. It is difficult, dangerous, highly skilled…
Saving Sara Matuson: How 10 POWs Risked Their Lives to Save One Woman
Life in a prisoner of war camp could be hard and dangerous during the Second World War. It was even more so for ten British…
A Race for Superiority – The Sources of Military Intelligence in World War Two
During the Second World War, military intelligence came into its own in a way it never had before. The increasing speed, scale, and complexity of…
One Secret Agent Who Helped Pave the Way for D-Day
Many agents served in secret during the Second World War. Sent behind enemy lines, they risked their lives gathering information and supporting acts of resistance…
Second World War Naval Reservist Was Awarded the VC After Surviving 31 Air Attacks in 4 Days
At the start of the Second World War, thousands of reservists were called up to serve in the armed forces of Britain and other European…
Britain’s Sacrifice of Crete Preserved North Africa For The Allies In World War Two
In May 1941, German paratroopers invaded and overran the island of Crete. A British force, which included New Zealanders and supported by the local resistance,…
These WW2 Railwaymen Gave Their Lives to Prevent a Munitions Disaster
Close your eyes and imagine an act of wartime courage. What do you picture? A soldier carrying a comrade to safety? A captain buying his…
Seven Reasons Why Britain was Unprepared for World War Two
In retrospect, the outbreak of the Second World War seems both obvious and inevitable. However, to many people at the time, particularly in Britain, there…
Learning the Luftwaffe’s Secrets: How Intelligence Gathering Shaped the Battle of Britain
In WWII the Battle of Britain was fought in the air. A victory was achieved through the skill and courage of the rightly revered fighter…
British Intelligence – Transforming Aerial Reconnaissance in World War Two
Like other European nations, the British discovered the value of photo-reconnaissance (PR) during the First World War. Seeing a new way to learn about the…