World War 1 | War History

Battlefield Babe: The Eight Year Old Soldier Of WWI

Jay Hemmings

He had a special child-sized uniform tailored for him, and was promoted to the rank of corporal after he participated in the Battle of Cer.…

Beautiful Story: Life-Saving Coin From WWI is For Sale

When he eventually reached for his pocket, he would find his coin hot and bent from the impact of the enemy’s bullet. On the tail…

Wacko But True: The Baboon Who Served in WW1

Jay Hemmings

Due to the baboon’s superior hearing and night vision, he was able to warn the troops about approaching enemies. Of all the animals likely to…

The Flying French: The Nieuport Fighting Scouts of WWI

The Nieuport fighting scout series of planes were among the more successful and influential designs of the First World War. The Nieuport Company Nieuport was…

Tolkien’s War: Mordor Was Born in WW1

Mark Shiffer

After getting married in 1916, Tolkien was then sent to the Western front in France a few months later, just in time for the Battle…

Gas Gas Gas! Its First Ever Use – Ypres 1915

Jay Hemmings

On April 22, 1915, the Germans released 6,000 canisters – around 168 tons – of chlorine gas. Of all the weapons developed and deployed by…

Filtering War: Kleenex Fights the Horrors of Gas Warfare

Early British Hypo helmets offered limited but vital protection once the mask was dipped in chemicals to filter the gas. Kleenex is one of those…

Lions Led by Donkeys: British Soldiers of WW1

Ruslan Budnik

“An army of sheep led by a lion can defeat an army of lions led by sheep.” “Lions led by donkeys” is a famous phrase…

Unknown Soldiers: Quest To Identify The Remains Of WW1 Tommies

In the meantime, his gravestone still waits for a name. Even today, more than a century after the end of the First World War, there…

Blood Transfusion Tripled Survival Rates: How WW1 Had an Impact on Blood Donation

More than a hundred years ago, Europe and America were convinced that serious and large-scale military conflicts were impossible. On January 1, 1901, in the…

It Wiped Out Large Numbers of Its Own Pilots – The Unstable Sopwith Camel

This aircraft is credited with destroying more enemy planes than any other British aircraft of World War One, but it was also responsible for killing…

Potato Masher Turned to Chips – WW1 Grenade Found in Hong Kong

Employees of a potato chip factory in Hong Kong discovered a German hand grenade. More than a hundred years have passed since the First World…