Luftwaffe Eagle: A WWII German Airman’s Story – Review by Mark Barnes
This intriguing book is the autobiography of the Luftwaffe airman Erich Sommer who flew as a navigator on bombing missions and photo-reconnaissance flights before becoming…
American Tanks and AFVs of World War II
I keep occasional tabs on a number of Facebook pages dedicated to military vehicles and in particular the US built armor that have become icons…
D-Day Darlings Keep the Magic Alive
The D-Day Darlings were formed ten years ago by Katie Ashbury and have been immensely successful performing at numerous military events, including The Legion’s Festival…
Great Female Aviators – WASPs of WWII
Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention, and when the United States faced a pilot shortage in 1942, they freed up male pilots…
Defying Blitzkrieg – Heroes of the Brest Fortress
The defense of the old fortress located near the Belarusian city of Brest has become an example of fortitude and courage. When the German army…
America’s Battle for Cherbourg, June 1944
Cherbourg was one of the US Army’s first major targets during Operation Overlord. The city at the end of the Cotentin peninsula was a significant…
Pavlov’s House – “Fortress” at Stalingrad
In the Russian city of Volgograd today, one of the largest statues in the world stands atop Mamayev Kurgan, a hilltop that changed hands a…
8th Air Force in Britain – Keeping the Past Alive
I had the wonderful opportunity in May of this year to participate in the National WWII Museum’s Masters of the Air Tour of 8th Air…
Mighty Eighth Vets: A Ball Turret Gunner & Navigator Roles in the City of Savannah Restoration
Hundreds of men and women have contributed to the restoration of the B-17 City of Savannah at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air…
“Not Many But Much” – Foreign Pilots in the Battle of Britain, There Were More Than We Realize
“Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few.” This famous statement, from a speech by…
From Journey’s End to the Dam Busters – Review by Mark Barnes
I am late to the party with this one but there is no harm done. I reviewed the marvellous film adaptation of Journey’s End towards…
Keeping the Past Alive – Oral History of the U.S. Navy
The U.S. Naval Institute’s Oral History program started in March 1969 by Dr. John T. Mason, a former U.S Navy officer. Mason had conducted interviews…