The Officials Who Hindered Britain’s Readiness for World War Two
In 1939, Britain was poorly prepared for war. Although some people in power had foreseen a conflict with Germany, others had not. For a range…
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…
The Reluctant Hero Who was awarded a Victoria Cross… Twice
The Victoria Cross is Britain’s highest award for military valor, and only three people have received it twice. One was so incredible, in fact, he…
The First Medal of Honor Recipient of WW2 Stood His Ground at Pearl Harbor
It is fitting in a war which would require inexplicable gallantry to win that it would begin with actions worthy of the nation’s highest military…
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…
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…
A Soldier’s Noble Quest to Return a War Medal to its Rightful Owner
This is the story of how a young soldier’s passion for collecting antiques led to a quest to reunite lost war medals with their owners…
Born to Fight – The Only Non-Commonwealth Recipient of the Victoria Cross
People say that some men were born at the right time in history for their gallantry to shine. For Dane Anders Lassen, WWII was his…
Vistula-Oder Offensive: The Offensive That Brought The Soviets To 70km From Berlin
In the 2004 film Downfall, depicting the last few days in Adolf Hitler’s bunker under Berlin before the city finally fell to Soviet troops on…
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,…
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…
The One-Armed Warrior Who Was Awarded The Victoria Cross
Some soldiers are so pig-headedly persistent that they go down in legend; including one who did so with only one arm. George Albert Cairns was…