Andrew Knighton

Andrew Knighton is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE

Articles by Andrew Knighton:

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…

8 Civil Wars That Shaped Our The History Of Our World

Civil wars are often the most bloody and hardest fought conflicts. They have shaped the world as we know it. Caesar’s Civil War In 49…

The British POW Who Saved Hundreds of Jews from Death at Auschwitz

Few people have had a more ironic name that Charles Coward. This Second World War soldier risked his life while a prisoner of the Nazis,…

Great Military Deceptions of World War Two

Military intelligence was vital to the Second World War. Trickery abounded, as commanders tried to deceive opponents about their plans. Tricking Rommel at Alamein Intelligence…

How the British Military Learned in Advance About the V2 Rocket – and How They Responded

The V2 rocket and its predecessor V1 had the potential to transform the Second World War. The world’s first long-range unmanned missiles, they were a…

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…

21-Year-Old Bomber Pilot Who Died Saving His Comrades in WWII

On the night of May 30, 1942, Britain launched its largest bombing raid so far in World War Two. Of the 1,047 bombers that flew,…

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…

Sergeant Major Stanley Hollis, Recipient of the Only Victoria Cross for D-Day

The D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, saw many acts of courage. One man stood out and achieved the distinction of being the only person…

Two Childhood Friends Helped Found an Elite WW2 Unit Then Died on the Same Day, Hundreds of Miles Apart

Founded in 1940 during the difficult days of the Second World War, the Small Scale Raiding Force was an elite British naval unit. The predecessor…

Fog Of War – Often, the Allies Couldn’t Tell if Bombing Campaigns Were Working

Destructive bombing raids against Germany were a vital part of World War Two. They let the Allies lash out against the Nazi war machine long…

Godfrey Place: World War Two Submariner, Future Admiral, And Victoria Cross Recipient

A daring submarine exploit of the Second World War was an attempt to sink the battleship Tirpitz using midget submarines. One man who came close…