Britain: World War II
Classic Weapons of World War II
This database catalogues nearly 100 machines and tools of war that shaped the
outcome of the 20th century's defining conflict and laid the foundations for
the world we know today.
Blitz: The diary of an air raid
29/30 December 1941: when German bombers launched on London their most devastating attack yet. Accompanied by computer reconstructions.
- The
1940s House
Information on what life was like in a London suburb during World War II. - The Battle of Britain:
A beginner's guide
Sources of information that you can use to find out more about – and get some idea of the experience of – the battle won by 'the Few'. - The
Battle for Italy
Resources for researching this campaign further. - Battle Stations I
The machines that played a crucial role during World War II. - Battle Stations II
The machines and structures that helped the world's superpowers achieve mastery of the battlefield – from World War II, the Korean, Cold and Vietnam wars and some from more recent conflicts. - Blitz: Bombing and total war
An examination of the huge influence that aerial bombing campaigns have had on the conduct and aims of modern warfare – from World War II to 'shock and awe' in Iraq. - Britain's
Biological Weapons: The hidden history of Porton Down
The story of Porton Down from its beginnings before World War II to today. - Britain's Trains and Railways:
A beginner's guide
Everything you wanted to know about steam engines, railway companies and electric locomotives. - Classic Weapons of World War II
This database catalogues nearly 100 machines and tools of war that shaped the outcome of the 20th century's defining conflict and laid the foundations for the world we know today. - The Dambusters
An extract from the book by military historian John Sweetman about the 1943 raid against German dams with 'bouncing bombs'. - D-Day: A beginner's guide
There is masses of information on the internet about 'the longest day'. We have sifted through hundreds of websites to come up with the best. - Douglas Bader
Loved and loathed, Bader became a national hero after losing his legs in an air crash only to rejoin the RAF and become the most famous of ‘the few’ in the Battle of Britain. - Escape
from Colditz
You're a Colditz prisoner, in solitary confinement. Escape seems out of the question. But there is a way. Can you find it? - Hood and Bismarck
An extract of the book by David Mearns and Rob White on the two famous battleships of World War II. - Humphrey
Jennings: The man who listened
to Britain
Director who became a leader of the British documentary film movement and made a series of classic morale-boosting films during World War II. - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
While it caused a furore in wartime Britain, the 1943 film’s portrayal of a section of the European military caste was scrupulously accurate and it has grown in stature with each passing year. - London: The greatest city
Edited transcript of the Channel 4 documentary on the history of Britain's capital, together with many of the computer reconstructions that appeared in it. - Magic
at War
The story of Jasper Maskelyne, a star magician, whose sleight-of-hand techniques came in useful during the World War II campaign to defeat Rommel in north Africa. - MI5
A concise account of the intelligence agency responsible for assessing threats to national security from its establishment in 1909. - Monarchy
Dynamic timeline that illuminates the lives of the men and women who sat on the English/British throne and the powerful individuals who supported and sometimes fought them. - Origination
Brings together the wealth of web resources that record and celebrate the contributions of immigrant cultures to British history. - The Other Band of Brothers: Execution on the Home Front
How the racism in the American and British armies impacted on the black and Asian soldiers who fought in them. - The
Real Charlotte Grays
The story of the women who operated behind enemy lines as agents and couriers during World War II. - Rumours of War
Black propaganda, subversive rumours and pornography were, says historian Christy Campbell, all used by a secret Whitehall department to undermine the Nazis. - Secret
History: Wartime crime
How looters, thieves and conmen took advantage of the chaos and upheaval of World War II Britain, their activities often ignored or simply hushed up. - The Sinews of War
The curator of the Bank of England Museum reflects on the Bank's role in funding Britain's wars. - Sink the Bismarck
If you want an accessible version of the dramatic pursuit of the Bismarck in May 1941, this 1960 film is, according to Dr Eric Grove, as good a place to start as any. - Soldier
Poets
Two poets – Alun Lewis and Keith Douglas, who served and died young in World War II – are rescued from oblivion. - Spitfire Ace
In this extract from their book, Martin Davidson and James Taylor delineate why the Spitfire achieved legendary status during World War II and has maintained it since. - Talking
of War
Four intellectual heavyweights – historians Antony Beevor, Joanna Bourke, Niall Ferguson and Jorg Friedrich – discuss the legacy of World War II. - Ten Days to D-Day
In this edited extract from his book, David Stafford describes the few weeks before D-Day and introduces the personalities he will follow throughout this momentous period. - The Tower
Historical nuggets from some of the curators of the Tower of London. - The Triumphs and Disasters of Churchill's
Secret Army
Robin Cross asks whether the SOE was less successful than we have been led to believe. - U-571
It may be have the right period details, but this purely imaginary tale purporting to show that the Americans, and not the Brits, captured a vital Enigma codebook in 1942 fails to win over Daniel Lee. - Warlords
World War II was a series of private psychological battles waged between Hitler, Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill. This website examines the lives of these four leaders and compares eight significant psychological traits. - Weapons of War
This C4 Learning website charts the development of weapons technology from World War I to the present. - Winston Churchill: A beginner's
guide
A selection of the best sites about the 'Greatest Briton'. - Women in the 20th Century
This C4 Learning website examines the roles of women during the last century in terms of war, work and the family. - World War II: A chronology
Every aspect of the conflict, including all the major events and personalities and all theatres of war, accompanied by links to relevant websites.
