Category: Odd Facts
The RAF in American Skies – How British Pilots Trained in the U.S. during WW2
“Passage of the Lend-Lease Act in March 1941 allowed for the training of British pilots in the United States and the formation of British Flying Training Schools.” By Tom Killebrew IN EARLY 1941, Great Britain stood…
A Crushing Defeat – France’s Humiliating Loss of the Fortress Louisbourg
“Although the Americans were an army of amateurs, French forces furnished them every possible opportunity to capture the formidable fortress of Louisbourg.” By George Yagi Jr. THE CAPTURE OF the seemingly impregnable Fortress of Louisbourg…
Iron Cross – A Brief History of Germany’s Best-Known Military Medal
“To this day, the Iron Cross remains one of the most recognizable medals in military history.” THE BLOODBATH THAT was the First Ypres is remembered in Germany as Kindermord bei Ypern or simply the “Massacre of…
Dashing Through the Snow – The Unbelievable Reindeer Corps of World War Two
“Of the 800 herders who went to the northern front in 1941, 200 never returned. By the end of the war, almost half the herders and their reindeer had perished.” By David Lawlor IN THE…
Invasion Mania – Britain’s Curious Pre-WW1 Obsession With Novels About Foreign Occupation
(Originally published in MilitaryHistoryNow.com on Sept. 14, 2014) “In 1870, Britons watched with disquiet as Prussia’s military poured into France and put Paris under their guns. Could such a foe cross the English Channel and do…
You’re Free To Go — Military Paroles in the 18th and 19th Centuries
“Feeding and guarding so many captives was often beyond the logistical means of even the largest armies in the New World, so commanders routinely freed these captured amateurs, often within hours of the end of a battle.”…
