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,…
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…
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…
The British POW Who Saved Hundreds 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,…
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…
The First Thousand-Bomber Raid – Changing the WWII Air War
From the start of the Second World War, Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) committed themselves to a particular bombing strategy. They believed that, with heavy…
James Bond Director Guy Hamilton Was An Undercover Agent In World War Two
If you are not a movie aficionado, the credit at the end of a 007 movie listing Guy Hamilton as director will not mean much…
He Was Awarded the Medal of Honor and then Demoted
It is perhaps a tale that Veterans of the United States Air Force are more familiar with, the story of “Airman Snuffy.” Given a choice…
Thaman Gurung, V.C. – A Brave Gurkha gives his Life to save his Comrades in WW2
Since their first interactions with the British East India Company in 1814, the Gurkhas are renowned for their bravery and skill in combat. These Nepalese…
Hugh Seagrim, Who Fought WW2 from Behind Japanese Lines
In the small Karen village of Mewado, Burma, two men stood smoking cigarettes. The owner of the cigarettes, Captain Inoue, was an officer in the…
A Terrible Mistake – Why The USSR Ignored Britain’s Warnings of Impending Invasion
On June 22, 1941, Germany invaded the USSR. It was a move that came as a shock to the Soviets, but less so to the…
Four British Intelligence Agents of World War Two and Their Very Different Civilian Lives
In the early stages of WWII, Britain had to hastily improve its capacity to make war. It included recruiting skilled professionals to previously neglected military…