Joe Ekins: The Tank Gunner Who Took Out the Black Baron and Three Tigers
Starting out as an employee at a shoe factory, 17-year-old Joe Ekins never could have imagined he would be credited with taking out not just…
AVS-36: The Worst Rifle Ever Developed By the Soviet Union
While the Soviet Union may have been adept at producing tanks, the same can’t really be said about its handheld weaponry. The interwar period and…
James Garner’s Nose Saved His Life While Serving In Korea
A number of Hollywood stars have served in the military, but few have done so during two conflicts. Actor James Garner was one of them.…
Gewehr 43: The German Semi-Automatic Rifle Inspired By the Soviet SVT-40
When the Germans launched Operation Barbarossa, they weren’t prepared for a number of things. While the weather is often the aspect most historians point to,…
Tommies: Did the Endearing Term for British Soldiers Actually Originate During WWI?
The term “Tommies” is most closely associated with British soldiers who served during the First World War. However, where and how did the nickname originate?…
Prince Philip and An American GI Are Two Deities Worshipped By WWII-Era Cargo Cults
Undoubtedly, the arrival of the Allies in Melanesia had a profound effect on those who lived there. Troops and natives came into contact for the…
John R Fox Ordered An Artillery Barrage On His Own Position to Save His Comrades
In one of the greatest acts of bravery seen during the Second World War, John R Fox ordered an artillery barrage on his own position…
PBRs: The US Navy’s Small and Nimble Watercraft In Vietnam
The Patrol Boat, River – commonly known as PBR – was a nimble, speedy riverboat commissioned by the US Navy, for use during the Vietnam…
The German V-1 ‘Buzz Bomb’ Was Developed to Terrorize the British Public
Vengeance weapon one (V-1), the “buzz bomb,” the “doodlebug” or the “Fi 103” – whatever name you call it by, this impressive World War II-era…
The Plumbing Disaster That Led to the Sinking of U-1206
During the later years of the Second World War, the German U-boat U-1206 was cruising silently off the coast of Scotland. It was one of…
Pardo’s Push Saved the Lives of Two Men, But Wasn’t Recognized for Decades
Capt. John R. “Bob” Pardo was assigned to the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, which attacked an integral North Vietnamese steel mill.…
MoH Recipient Robert Simanek Dove On a Live Grenade to Save His Comrades In Korea
Between 1950-53, only a few years after the end of the Second World War, the United States entered another conflict: the Korean War. As part…