The Archive holds a significant number of personal testimonies and wartime memorabilia of Allied and Axis airmen who served in the Second World War. Spitfire pilot Flight Sergeant Eric Mahar, seconded from the Royal Australian Air Force to the RAF, volunteered for a confidential mission and found himself in Malta. Taking off from an aircraft ..read more

Everyone’s War  Far East This issue of Everyone’s War focuses on service in the Far East, beginning with Leslie Beswick of King George V’s Bengal Sappers and Miners, 5th Indian Division. Leslie was in action with his unit on the Imphal to Tiddim Road. He describes bridging operations, the infamous ‘Chocolate Staircase’ section of Tiddim ..read more

Everyone’s War –  D-Day In this issue of Everyone’s War we have first-hand accounts of operations on D-Day, beginning with 77 Assault Squadron on Sword Beach. With bad weather causing a delay, their landing was beset with difficulties from the start. 3 Troop, tasked with gapping, encountered underwater obstructions, heavily mined defences, and continual enemy […] The post Introduction – Journal 47 – D-Day appeared first on SWWEC ..read more

INTRODUCTION – Journal 37 Medics. The reason for this issue’s theme of Medics is twofold. Firstly, it is to honour the men and women who served in the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) and other medical services and institutions during the Second World War, and to thank those who contributed their material to the Centre’s ..read more

Introduction – Journal 38  Americans This issue’s cover theme draws from the Centre’s archive on American service personnel. In our first article, Texas- born Willard Korsmeyer recounts his introduction to the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, describing himself as ‘one of the more diminutive pilots… assigned to the largest fighter’. He flew escort for bomber raids and ..read more

In this edition of Everyone’s War we share first-hand accounts from those who served in the Arakan Campaigns in Burma. Dr Rob Turnock introduces Arakan (now known as Rhakine State) with an outline of the three campaigns…. …from the failure of first offensive on the Arakan front in 1942/1943, to the renewed offensive in late ..read more

The British Modern Military History Society (BMMHS) send the following message - We invite all members and supporters of SWWEC to join our Zoom talks and meetings ..read more

  Further references  – Journal 37  MEDICS   See below further references for some of the articles in Journal 37  “Medics”       References – Battle School Training , J.Goulty i Author’s Interview: Pte Bill Titchmarsh (2/6th Queen’s Regiment), Royal Hospital Chelsea, 18/8/10. ii Timothy Harrison Place, Military Training in the British Army, 1940-1944 ..read more

Please support the Centre. We rely entirely on donations to continue the work for education . At the moment we are scanning thousands of images to make them available online ..read more

In this edition of Everyone’s War we share first-hand accounts from those who served in the Arakan Campaigns in Burma. Dr Rob Turnock introduces Arakan (now known as Rhakine State) with an outline of the three campaigns…. …from the failure of first offensive on the Arakan front in 1942/1943, to the renewed offensive in late ..read more