Canadian fighter pilot in WWI ordered to go back to flight school. He didn’t. Instead, he went on to shoot down 72 enemy aircraft
Air Marshal William Avery “Billy” Bishop was a Canadian fighter pilot in WWI who crashed his plane during a practice run and was ordered to…
Hipster Before His Time: General Burnside – The Swashbuckling Union General Who Pioneered Sideburns
What do a rifle, various railroads, the American Civil War, the Franco-Prussian War, the National Rifle Association, and sideburns have in common? Here is the…
The Only Woman Ever To Join The French Foreign Legion Served In WWII & Vietnam
The Légion Étrangère is better known as the French Foreign Legion – a military organization open to men who are foreign nationals. In 1945, however,…
On fire this heroic airman picked up a burning 1,100° phosphorus bomb to save his crew certain death
The Medal of Honor is America’s highest military award given to those for acts of valor that in some cases border on insanity. In WWII,…
Things we may not know about WW1 – In 1914, a soldiers average height was 5’2” & Canadian troops had the highest rates of venereal disease
World War I was fought from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. Because many of the combatants had colonies and alliances beyond the continent, it…
John Reginald Gorman – The Amazing Irish Kamikaze Tank Buster
In WWII, the Germans had a reputation for their formidable technology. What they did not consider, however, was the formidable Irish reputation for bullishness. John…
In 1943, several US airmen went on a suicide mission. Two men were awarded a Medal of Honor for Separate Acts of Heroism in One Cursed Bomber
In 1943, several US airmen went on a suicide mission. Two men were awarded a Medal of Honor – the only time in WWII that…
Unsolved Mysteries of WWI
The Lost Treasure of the Tsars Tsar Nicholas II was Russia’s last emperor who was forced to abdicate in March 1917. Facing civil unrest and…
Hans von Luck: The Gentlemanly Nazi Commander
War has always been brutal. Sometimes, however, generals try to be civilized. In the midst of battle, they stop, chat with the enemy, and enjoy…
A Devout Christian, he Joined the Nazi Regime: A Strange & Lonely Hero, SS Officer Kurt Gerstein Who Tried to Save Jews
A devout Christian, he joined the Nazi regime and then later tried to oppose it. When that did not work, he hatched a new plan…
How Climate Change Helped the Swedes March Across A Frozen Sea And Defeat The Danes
It all started in 1655 during the Second Northern War. Sweden was fighting against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Russia, Brandenburg-Prussia, the Habsburg Monarchy, Denmark-Norway, and sometimes,…
Two Jet Fighters Sent Up to Shoot Down a WWII Warbird in 1956 – They Blasted 208 Rockets at it, it Survived
In August 1956, a drone went rogue over Southern California, threatening cities, including Los Angeles. In its aftermath, over 1,000 acres had been destroyed, forests…