Second World War

Levison Wood (left) with his dad Lev Wood Senior

Levison Wood: My Grandfather’s War

Author and explorer Levison Wood discovers the story of his grandfather's wartime service in Burma through family memorabilia and National Army Museum archives.

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.

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.

‘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.

Warrant Officer Jimmy Sale, 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), Westbury, Wiltshire, 1941

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

People feeling the textures of items in the handling collection

Tour

12 Oct 2025 FREE

Beyond Burma: Sensory Tour

Explore our forthcoming exhibition ‘Beyond Burma: Forgotten Armies’ through a sensory tour guided by our Community Engagement Team.

Audience members at a National Army Museum talk

Conference

14 Oct 2025 £15.00

Burma Conference

Join us for an all-day academic conference highlighting new and emerging research into the ‘forgotten’ armies of the Burma campaign.

Talk

17 Oct 2025 FREE

Sir Alf Ramsey: How the Army Shaped Him

Grant Bage considers the military service and formative experiences of World Cup-winning football manager, Sir Alf Ramsey.

Tour

17 Oct 2025 FREE

Beyond Burma: Sensory Tour

Explore our forthcoming exhibition ‘Beyond Burma: Forgotten Armies’ through a sensory tour guided by our Community Engagement Team.

Book launch

23 Oct 2025 £15.00

SAS: The Great Train Raid

Bestselling author Damien Lewis is back with another daring SAS mission, this time uncovering a story long veiled in secrecy that is both heroic and harrowing.

Book launch

28 Oct 2025 £15.00

The White Lady

Author Helen Fry returns for the launch of her new book, which focuses on two key intelligence networks operating behind enemy lines during the World Wars.

Troops of the Royal West African Frontier Force in the Arakan, Burma, 1944

Tour

7 Nov 2025 £15.00

Exhibition Tour: Beyond Burma

Enjoy a guided tour of ‘Beyond Burma: Forgotten Armies’ with the exhibition's lead curator, Alan Jeffreys.

Detail from an Indian National Army propaganda leaflet, c1944

Talk

21 Nov 2025 FREE

The Indian National Army in Burma

Gautam Hazarika provides a fascinating insight into the role of the Indian National Army and its service alongside the Japanese during the Second World War.