History | War History

A Brief History of the SAS, Britain’s Fighting Elite

Andrew Knighton

Britain’s principal special forces unit, the SAS are perhaps the country’s most famous military unit They are internationally influential experts in special missions. World War…

The Crash of the only flyable Lockheed P-38 Lightning in Europe – July 15 1996

Joris Nieuwint

The only Lockheed P-38 Lightning that was flyable in Europe was completely destroyed when it crashed at Duxford Airfield near Cambridge, England. The crash occurred…

Fighting Through the Streets of Fallujah, David Bellavia Survived Brutal Hand to Hand Combat

Any other year and November 10th would be one of joy and revelry as David Bellavia celebrated his birthday.  However, 2004 was not any other…

Operation Nimrod: The SAS Assault on the Iranian Embassy

On 5th May 1980, the Special Air Service (SAS) stormed the Iranian embassy in London, ending a six-day siege. It was an event that brought…

6 Brutal Forms of Military Discipline from History

However hard they are trained, all armies face some problems with discipline. Anything from shirking tedious duties to running on a bloodthirsty rampage can undermine…

Corporal Dunham: First Marine to Receive Medal of Honor Since Vietnam – Jumped on a Grenade To Save Fellow Marines

Jeff Edwards

In the decades following the Vietnam War, there would be conflict, battle, and loss of life.  But for the United States Marine Corps whose tradition…

Pearl Harbor: 16 Days To Die – Three Sailors trapped in the USS West Virginia

Ian Harvey

In the aftermath of the attacks on Pearl Harbor during World War Two stories emerged of sailors who were trapped in the sunken battleships, some…

“My plans are perfect” – 5 Victorian Generals Disastrously Promoted Beyond Their Abilities

Andrew Knighton

“Brains! I don’t believe in brains.” – Prince George, Duke of Cambridge and Commander-in-Chief of the British army until 1895. The “Peter Principle”, where people…

Operations Anger and Cannonshot, Liberating Apeldoorn & Arnhem

In early Spring of 1945, the Western Allies prepared to cross the Rhine, invading Germany and the areas still under the control of the Third…

The Dog That Went on Missions To Bomb Germany And Became A National Hero

Jeff Edwards

In the great tragedy of war, one often needs to find something on which to hold in the darkest moments.  For a Czech Pilot at…

Remembering the Bataan Death March – April 9, 1942

“We’re the battling bastards of Bataan; No mama, no papa, no Uncle Sam. No aunts, no uncles, no cousins, no nieces, No pills, no planes,…

Tapping the Admiral: Horatio Nelson Pickled in Liquor

Jinny McCormick

A long used euphemism in sailing circles, and in some pubs and bars, refers to slurping liquor from a straw directly from the barrel. The…