From Horses to Motors

Here's a short article about a (then) young man who was drafted into the cavalry, learnt about horses and then had them replaced with motors.  It's that fascinating crossover of technologies.

Only the Brave

I just got my hands on a movie called "Only the Brave", no idea what it's like yet, but its part of the story of second generation japanese-americans fighting during the WWII.  I had no idea about this, I thought they were all interned!  Anyway, the history around the special japanese-american fighting units is fascinating.

Fans of WWI aviation

I was delighted to find a web site set up for fans of WWI aviation. Not only does it have lots of info but there is an active forum too ( but you'll have to join )

Commando comic's 50th birthday

The Commando comic that I've read on and off since I was about 10 (30 years) has just reached it's 50 birthday.  Excellent stuff, I love these things 

History King

The question of how many soldiers were involved in the Battle of the Somme has recently popped up over at History King.  The answer is short, sweet and rather inconclusive!

Sherman for sale - NOT SOLD

Now maybe it's just me but 200,000 for a rusty Sherman hulk seems like a lot?

Official WWI War Diaries

This was a staggering find, scanned images of actual offical war diaries for various parties during WWI. This collection is stored on the Australian Government museum site.  These will be a real boon to the amature WWI researcher who otherwise wouldn't have had access to such material.

Japanese ships sunk

The link today is to a list of Japanese shipping sunk by the American submarines.  I knew a lot of shipping was sunk during the war, but when you see a list like this, it really brings home just how many ships and crews were truely sunk

WWI aviation manual

Although the quality of the scan is quite low this manual of aviation dating from 1917 does have some fascinating sections and some pictures to glance over

Life in a Tank

Fancy reading about what life in a WWI tank was like?  Well now is your chance with this narrative of experiences by Richard Haigh.

A tribute to the dead of WWI

There is a free to download MP3 album that has been put together as a tribute to those that fell during the first world war. It has a dark ambient sound that wont be to everyone's taste.

German attack on Convoy

I've just found this astounding, if short, audio clip that is a genuine recording  made while German bombers attacked a Briish Convoy in 1941.

Dam Busters audio drama

We've all heard about the Dam Busters and their highly successful Dam busting raid, right?  Do you have any idea what other things they did?  Well, in short they remained a specialist unit for the remainder of the war and even had a very special D-Day mission.  You can hear all about it in this old time radio dramatisation of their war time service.

Popular Science 1940's style

A Popular Science web site presents a slideshow of 9 sensational war time headlines. Read the shock! Read the despair about the German 88!

Tunnel of Victory

Wind tunnels are something we see if not every day then at least once a week in a film on the TV or even in an advert.  What you dont see every week is a wind tunnel that helped win the war!

Prisoners of War

Over on the WWII experience web site thay have a collection of short memoirs from POW interned in the Pacific campaigns.

A modern Sherman (M4) rolling around a field.  Are these still being built for enthusiasts?

Draft cards for the famous

The Command Posts web site has some scans of famous peoples draft cards, including Louis Armstrong and Fred Astaire!

Easy Company Motivation

I've found a collection of 18 motivational posters you can print out, each of which features the words/pictures of members of Easy Company from WWII (the company feaured in the HBO series Band of Brothers).

WWI aircraft factory in pictures

I recently found a free to download photobook of the Fisher Body Aeroplane Div (World War I),  factory where they are making de Havilland & Caproni Biplanes. The photos show the factory in action, the men and women working on the lines and the products of their efforts.  It's a totally thrilling read

Tanker memoir

The Bradenton has a short memoir article from a d-day tanker with a loathing of hedgerows!

Park your UBoat in my Mall

A massive 3 ton model of a UBoat ( made for the film U571 ) is being parked in a Biloxi mall

Journalists memoir

Here's a srort article written by a WWII era journalist, remembering his meeting s and interviews with some of the "stars" of the war.

WWI Tunnels

The BBC's online magazine is running a good article on the tunneling that took place during the first world war. They mention, not just the tunneling itself but the counter tunneling and the placing of mines.  Some nice pics too.

U-Boat tunnel opened

"The National" has a short article on the recent opening of a Nazi built tunnel for housing late war submarines, as a museum.  Even considering the poor slaves who worked and died in its construction, it's amazing how something so big, could have been built so quickly.  

Happy Warriors zine

The latest Milk Run Fanzine has just been released with a couple of amazing stories from WWII bomber crews. It's a PDF download, only two pages long, but still worth a read.

Veterans review aerial photography

Listen and view an audio slideshow as two WWII veterans look over some aerial photography from D-Day and Auschwitz.

Operating the M3

Here's a another treat for Tank fans.  It's the operating manual [declassified] from the M3 light tank, as issued in 1943.

Eisenhower's words

I'm sure we've all read or at least heard Eisenhower's D-Day briefing  to the troops, but this is the first glimpse I've ever had of his draft notes for the "we failed" speech!

History of Propaganda Posters

Here's an interesting artilce that's a light introduction to Propaganda Posters of World Wars 1 and 2.