Wacko But True: The Baboon Who Served in WW1
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
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
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
“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…
Whippet – The Other British Tank of World War One
The infantry was routed in the engagement, and a number even surrendered to the tanks. The British tank most commonly associated with World War One…
Up Up And Away- Letters From Above
The partially inflated parachute pulled Hinman’s harness up around his neck and held him against the side of the basket. Late September 1918, France. A…