A British officer could have been executed for his affair with Princess Diana
British Officer Captain James Hewitt wasn’t just in hot water, he was sitting in a pig pen. It seemed like everyone in the world wanted to get a word with…
How 150 British Paratroopers seized a fortified artillery battery on D-Day
As part of Operation Tonga, the British airborne component of Operation Neptune (the official name of the D-Day), the 9th Parachute Battalion was tasked with capturing the Merville Gun Battery, whose guns were trained on…
The longest tank-to-tank kill was fired from three miles away
Britain’s Challenger-1 tank was originally designed to be sold to the Shah of Iran, but with the Iranian Revolution in 1979, that sale was cancelled. Britain developed the tank for…
The United Kingdom had special battalions for short soldiers in World War I
At the outbreak of the 20th century’s first global conflict, when you might think they’d take anyone who wanted to fight, the British Army was actually turning able-bodied men away. …
This British tank crew survived 3 days trapped in No Man’s Land
On July 31, 1917, the British guns in the Ypres salient roared to life, marking the opening of the Battle of Passchendaele. The battle would rage back and forth for over two months. Through the chaos, one amazing story emerged: A tank crew refused t…
The British planned to start World War III by invading Russia with the German army
With the dust still settling after the end of World War II in Europe, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill set his sights on the next threat to Western Democracy: the Soviet Union.
The British fought off the WWII Italian invasion of Malta with old biplanes
The Mediterranean island of Malta was a crucial possession during World War II. The Axis powers needed the island to secure its supply lines to North Africa. The Allies needed…
A British Naval Officer captured Guam by getting the governor drunk, then lost it
John Anderson was many things: a skilled seaman, a ship’s surgeon and charming drinking buddy. All three of these qualities would help him seize control of the island of Guam,…
The IRA loved this British general so much they couldn’t execute him
A little bit of charm goes a long way. Nowhere was that more apparent than when British General Cuthbert Lucas literally used a charm offensive to escape captivity and save…
This British war medal is only awarded to animals
Animals are an important part of war efforts. Before vehicles, soldiers rode horses into battle. Today, dogs are used to help with any number of tasks, such as sniffing out…