As 1943 drew to a close, Britain was a happier nation than it had been for many a year. There was still a way to go before World War Two would be over, but finally it felt like the Germans were on their back foot. A New Year’s message by Deputy Prime Mini
Year: 2014
Meet the Experts: Forces War Records Web Manager Neil White talks about his grandfather, who served in Burma in World War Two.
Today we have a brand new video of our own Neil White, Forces War Records Web Manager, talking about his grandfather Major P H White who served in Burma in World War Two. If you have ever commented on or messaged our Forces War Records Facebook page, or f
Neil Oliver Special Guest Blog: Once you’ve Discovered your Soldier Ancestor, how to Learn More about their World.
Broadcaster, author and historian Neil Oliver pens his final Blog for Forces War Records, explaining how you can enrich your family research to make your military ancestor feel like a living, breathing person.
How Tolkien’s experiences on the Somme in World War One inspired his famous stories
J R R Tolkien’s memories from his time serving with the Lancashire Fusiliers on the frontline in World War One, and his views on war in general, are vividly captured in passages from ‘The Lord of the Rings’.
Doodlebugs: when silence meant catastrophe
The ‘Doodlebug’, or V1 flying bomb, was one of the most effective weapons the Germans came up with in the war, and in terms of morale, it was one of the most devastating. Just when people were starting to feel safe again after the Blitz, that hair raising
Why the De Havilland Mosquito is the best WW2 aircraft
Faster than the Supermarine Spitfire, more accurate than the Avro Lancaster, and a better torpedo bomber than the Fairey Swordfish, the de Havilland Mosquito was one of the most versatile aircraft of its day, a flying machine in a class of its own.
WW1 Diary – Life as a Turkish POW after the Siege Of Kut
Submitted by his son, Nigel Crawford, this is an extract from the exclusive personal diary of Brigadier Kenneth B S Crawford, Royal Engineers, who fought in the Mesopotamia Campaign (now Iraq) from November 1914 until his capture in April 1916 at Kut-al-A
The True Story of the ‘Christmas Truce’
World War One is remembered as a bloody and brutal period in our history, so the Christmas Truce of 1914 stands out as a rare and shining moment of peace and harmony between the warring sides, when the bitterness of combat was forgotten in spirit of the s
On the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month 1918, the guns of World War One fell silent.
On this day the world rejoiced as peace was declared. However, for millions of men the Armistice came too late, and indeed, many poor souls were lost in the last days or even hours before the ceasefire came into effect.
Harry Patch – The Last Survivor of the Trenches from WW1
In honour of Remembrance Day, this week the Forces War Records team paid a visit to the grave of Henry John ‘Harry’ Patch, the last survivor of the trenches of the First World War.