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…
Marines’ Secret Weapon in the Pacific: Navajo Code Talkers
The Navajo ‘Code Talkers’ were one of the most unrecognized groups of Native Americans involved in cryptography in military history. They used their native Navajo…
“Dogs of War” – American Infantry in WWII
The infantry was one of the largest elements of the United States Army during the Second World War. Sadly, it was also one of the…
M36 Jackson Tank Destroyer in 33 Images
When encountering German heavy armor, the Americans liked to rely on speed, manoeuvrability and most of all firepower. This doctrine enabled them to apply effective…