Second World War

British troops practising for D-Day, 1944

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Second World War

The Second World War took place between 1939 and 1945 and was the bloodiest conflict in human history. It split the world's nations into two opposing military alliances, the Allies and the Axis Powers.

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Explore Second World War stories

‘The 1st Cruiser’, 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), Surrey, November, 1940

The Sale Collection: Preparing for action

In the second instalment, we explore the wartime exploits of the 3rd County of London Yeomanry in 1940-41. During this time, the unit prepared for overseas deployment, training hard and getting to grips with a variety of armoured vehicles.

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The Sale Collection: Origins and early years

In the first instalment of this series, we learn about the origins of the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), its pre-war service and the outbreak of fighting in 1939.

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Passing German prisoners of war when moving up to the Aller, Germany, April 1945

Countdown to victory

In the spring of 1945, Allied armies began their final advance into the heart of Nazi Germany. After weeks of intense fighting, they secured victory, ending the most destructive war in Europe's history.

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Female prisoners after their liberation, Belsen, April 1945

The liberation of Belsen

As the British Army advanced into the heart of Nazi Germany in the spring of 1945, its soldiers were confronted with the full horrors of the Holocaust at the notorious Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

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Luck and superstition

Chance plays a significant part in deciding a soldier’s fate on the battlefield. Here we look at examples of close shaves and extraordinary escapes, and examine some of the superstitions soldiers draw on for comfort and protection.

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The war on glamour

During the Second World War, the Army relied on women to perform essential military roles. But some of the tactics used to recruit new members of the Auxiliary Territorial Service proved highly controversial.

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Abram Games and the power of the poster

Abram Games was 'Official War Poster Artist' during the Second World War. Always direct, and occasionally controversial, his posters have left a legacy that continues to influence the art of persuasion used by visual designers today.

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Abram Games poster, 'Your Britain. Fight for It Now', 1942

Abram Games, ABCA and the fight for post-war change

During the Second World War, Abram Games produced a series of posters for the Army Bureau of Current Affairs. These aimed to remind soldiers what they were fighting for, while also offering a glimpse of the post-war society to which they could aspire.

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The 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers with Achilles tank destroyers near Ferrara, April 1945

The battle for Italy

From 1943 to 1945, the Allies fought an attritional campaign in Italy against a resolute and skilful enemy. Far from being the ‘soft underbelly of Europe’, Italy became one of the Second World War’s most exhausting campaigns.

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Gurkhas open fire during an attack near Palel, April 1944

Battles of Imphal and Kohima

These battles formed the turning point of one of the most gruelling campaigns of the Second World War. The Japanese defeat in north-east India in 1944 became the springboard for the subsequent re-conquest of Burma.

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Breaking boundaries

During the Second World War, women took on increasingly diverse roles. But, like their First World War predecessors, they were still prevented from fighting.

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Claude Auchinleck: The auk

After initial successes in North Africa during the Second World War, Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck transferred to India as Commander-in-Chief. His unstinting logistical support there was vital to the Allied re-conquest of Burma.

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Explore Second World War events

Foe to Friend: The British Army in Germany since 1945

Exhibition

12 September 2020 - 1 September 2024

FREE

Foe to Friend

More than a million British soldiers have lived and served in Germany over the past 75 years. Follow their evolution from conquerors and occupiers to allies and friends.

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A clergyman and Civil Defence workers helping to clear the debris of a London school, 1940

Primary (virtual)

8 January - 19 July 2024

FREE

London in the Second World War: The Blitz (virtual)

Explore historic artefacts to discover more about the London Blitz and the people who worked to keep civilians safe.

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London in the Second World War: The Blitz

Primary workshop

8 January - 19 July 2024

FREE

London in the Second World War: The Blitz

Explore historic artefacts to discover more about the Blitz and the people who worked to keep civilians safe.

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School students getting to grips with the handling collection

Secondary workshop

8 January - 19 July 2024

FREE

World at War: Soldiers of Empire

Discover more about the contributions of soldiers from the British Empire in the First and Second World Wars.

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Talk At Museum

2 May 2024, 6.30pm

£10.00

Sky Warriors

Bestselling historian Saul David presents a riveting new account of the British airborne experience during the Second World War.

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Handwritten extract from Ted Senior's diary, c1943

Talk At Museum / Online

10 May 2024, 12.00pm

FREE

In Their Own Words: A Diary of the Death Railway

Attend a talk by research curator Justin Saddington, author of the 'In Their Own Words' series, as he examines the diary of Ted Senior, a soldier and prisoner of war who survived the building of the Thai-Burma ‘railway of death'.

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D-Day display in the Conflict in Europe gallery

Tour At Museum

11 May 2024, 11.00am

£2.00

Second World War: BSL Tour

Follow expert guide Edward Richards on a British Sign Language (BSL) tour of the galleries examining the Second World War.

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Performance At Museum

12 May 2024

FREE

Soldier Stories: Tommy Roper

Meet characters, both real and imagined, from the Army’s past and hear their amazing stories in our galleries.

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Performance At Museum

19 May 2024

FREE

Soldier Stories: Sister Evelyn Morgan

Meet characters, both real and imagined, from the Army’s past and hear their amazing stories in our galleries.

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A Churchill tank in a ruined Normandy village, 1944

In Conversation At Museum / Online

7 June 2024, 12.00pm

FREE

The Days After D-Day

Dr Glyn Prysor discusses the Battle for Normandy with Professor Jonathan Fennell, examining the Allied advance that followed on from the historic D-Day landings.

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People dressed in 1940s style dancing at the National Army Museum

Museum Late At Museum

15 June 2024, 6.00pm

£25.00

D-Day Dance

Put on your dancing shoes and jive back in time to the 1940s at this special after-hours event.

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Talk At Museum / Online

28 June 2024, 12.00pm

FREE

World Heritage and War: The Bombing of Pompeii

Professor Nigel Pollard uses the little-known story of the bombing of Pompeii during the Second World War to reflect on the risk that conflict poses to cultural heritage sites.

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Explore Second World War learning resources

Video

KS2-KS3 (Ages 7 to 14)

Shirley Hamilton: ATS Servicewoman

Explore the contribution of Caribbean women who joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) during the Second World War.

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Women of the West Indies Auxiliary Territorial Service, c1944

Video

KS3-KS4 (Ages 11 to 16)

Virtual Exhibition: West Indian Soldier

Explore the history of Caribbean people in the British Army, and of the British Army in the Caribbean, through this virtual tour of the West Indian Soldier exhibition.

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