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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Mapping the Far East campaign

This video provides a brief summary of the battles fought in the air, on sea and on land during the Far East campaign of the Second World War. It also examines how we remember these events today.

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Japanese flag captured by 6th Battalion, 5th Mahratta Light Infantry, 1945

Yosegaki Hinomaru: Japanese good-luck flags

A collection of flags captured during the Second World War sheds light on the tough close-quarter combat of the Burma campaign and provides some rare insights about soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army.

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‘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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Explore Second World War events

Talk At Museum

14 November 2024, 6.30pm

£10.00

SAS Daggers Drawn

Bestselling author Damien Lewis introduces his new book, which tells the story of the SAS mission to confront Hitler's armoured legions deep behind enemy lines in the summer of 1944.

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New

Talk At Museum

20 November 2024, 6.30pm

£15.00

Cassino ’44

Join James Holland as he revisits the Second World War battles at Monte Cassino, bringing their dramatic scenes to life through the words of those who were there.

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A convoy of Jewish Brigade trucks, Italy, 1945

Talk At Museum / Online

29 November 2024, 12.00pm

FREE

Soldiers, Angels and Avengers: The Jewish Brigade in Italy

Join Dr Gianluca Fantoni as he chronicles the formation, deployment and field conduct of the Jewish Brigade Infantry Group during the Second World War.

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

Museum Late At Museum

8 December 2024, 6.00pm

£25.00

Jingle Bell Jive

Put on your dancing shoes for an evening of seasonal swing at our Christmas-themed 1940s dance night.

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Explore Second World War learning resources

Trail

KS2 (Ages 7 to 11)

The Blitz: Gallery Trail

Follow this gallery trail, accompanied by ATS servicewoman Shirley Hamilton, to find out more about the Blitz.

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Trail

KS3-KS5 (Ages 11 to 16+)

History of Warfare: Gallery Trail

Follow the trail to find ten gallery objects that explore the nature of warfare and the British Army through time.

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Trail

KS3-KS4 (Ages 11 to 16)

Second World War: Gallery Trail

Follow this gallery trail to find out more about the role of the British Army during the Second World War.

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Auxiliary Territorial Service personnel operating anti-aircraft defences, c1940

Quiz

KS2 (Ages 7 to 11)

Britain and the Blitz in the Second World War: Quiz

Put your knowledge of the Blitz to the test in this interactive quiz.

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Outside an advanced dressing station at Tilloy-les-Mofflaines, Western Front, April 1917

Timeline

KS4-KS5 (Ages 14+)

Health and Medicine in the Army: Interactive Timeline

Uncover the history of medical developments in the British Army through this interactive timeline packed with nearly 200 sources.

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Indian Army troops travelling upstream on a barge, Mesopotamia, c1916

Timeline

KS3-KS5 (Ages 11+)

India, Empire and the Army: Interactive Timeline

Explore the history of the British Army in India and the British Empire's Indian armies through this interactive timeline packed with over 200 sources.

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Members of the Coldstream Guards during an infantry exercise in Germany, c1977

Timeline

KS4-KS5 (Ages 14+)

Britain, the Army and the Cold War: Interactive Timeline

Explore the British Army’s role in the Cold War through this interactive timeline packed with over 100 sources.

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'The Divided Dominion', poster, published 21 June 1947

Video

KS3-KS4 (Ages 11 to 16)

The Partition of India: A Poetic Retelling

Discover more about the Partition of India and the events leading up to it through this poetry film, featuring archival images and original epic poetry.

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