Jay Hemmings

Jay Hemmings is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE

Articles by Jay Hemmings:

As Australian As Mascots Get: Kangaroos In WWI & WWII

Other uniquely Australian animals and birds were smuggled by troops to the Egyptian and other First World War fronts, such as wallabies, kookaburras, koalas, and…

A Heil Of A Laugh: Jokes And Humor In The Third Reich

Sometimes, in the worst of situations, all you can do is laugh. Humor and laughter are two things that are central to being human. Even…

The MOH Marine who Carried an Aircraft Machine Gun on Iwo Jima

Battlefield conditions often necessitate a number of things in order to achieve victory–inventiveness and courage. One US Marine that exemplified both of these characteristics was…

The Officer Awarded The Military Cross in WWI, The Victoria Cross WWII

The fighting in East Africa was particularly difficult for European troops. The weather was blisteringly hot, and the terrain was extremely difficult to get through.…

Armored Fire: The E7-7 Mechanized Flamethrower

The first attempts to add flamethrowers to US tanks were made in 1943 when M1A1 flamethrowers were added to M3 Lee medium tanks. Fire has…

Why Did Officers Carry Pistols & Not Rifles Into Battle?

Given that melee weapons still played an important role on battlefields into the 19th century, the sword remained one of the primary weapons of the…

The Wellington Boot : Footwear Inspired By A 19th Century War Hero

The boot was perfect for riding, general use, and even informal evening wear. It soon became a hit, and it adopted Wellington’s name as the…

Was Committed to a Mental Asylum: The VC Recipient Who Saved Over 20 Men in No-Mans Land

O’Meara managed to rescue over twenty men during those few days. He also carried much-needed supplies and ammunition to trenches under heavy bombardment. While war…

The Cavalry Officer at Waterloo Whose Amputated Leg Became a Tourist Attraction

Despite the fact that eight horses were shot out from under him during these charges, he kept returning to the battle on fresh mounts. One…

The Worst Shark Attack In History & The Sinking Of The USS Indianapolis

The 800-odd seamen who survived the sinking of the cruiser were greeted with a horrifying sight when the sun rose. Hundreds of shark fins cutting…

When British & African-American Soldiers Rioted Against Racist US Military Police

George Orwell remarked that “the general consensus of opinion is that the only American soldiers with any manners are the Negroes.” Allied military bases were…

Going off Half-Cocked: The Invention Of The Flintlock Musket

The flintlock mechanism not only changed how soldiers fought on the battlefield, it also changed how firearms were made. This allowed a far greater variety…