Second World War

Captain Nigel Clogstoun-Willmott, c1944

Nigel Clogstoun-Willmott: Covert beach surveyor

During the Second World War, Nigel Clogstoun-Willmott founded the Combined Operations Pilotage Parties to undertake covert beach reconnaissance. This proved vital for the success of Allied seaborne invasions.

Captain Roger Courtney, 1943

Roger Courtney: SBS pioneer

Major Roger ‘Jumbo’ Courtney founded the Special Boat Section during the Second World War. This became one of Britain’s most important Special Forces and was a parent unit of the modern Special Boat Service.

Lieutenant Colonel Robert 'Paddy' Mayne near Kabrit, Egypt, 1942

‘Paddy’ Mayne: An Irish Lion

Lieutenant-Colonel ‘Paddy’ Mayne played a vital role in the early successes of the Special Air Service (SAS), becoming one of its most important commanders.

Lieutenant Jock Lewes, 1940

‘Jock’ Lewes: SAS mastermind

As the co-founder of the Special Air Service (SAS), Lieutenant ‘Jock’ Lewes played a vital role in establishing the unit’s ethos and high standards of training and discipline.

Major David Stirling, c1942

David Stirling: The Phantom Major

Colonel David Stirling was a pioneer of British Special Forces. In 1941, he founded the Special Air Service (SAS) in Egypt to undertake small-scale raids behind enemy lines.

Gun disguised as a pen for use by SOE agents, 1945

Special Operations Executive

Formed in 1940, the SOE was an underground army that waged a secret war in enemy-occupied Europe and Asia. Its agents demonstrated incredible courage and resourcefulness.

Sergeant Herbert Chambers with fellow Special Boat Service soldiers in Athens, 1944

Origins of the Special Forces

During the Second World War, Britain created a range of special units who undertook a variety of daring operations against the Axis Powers. The bravery and commitment of these forces has become the stuff of legend.

Bagnold sun compass used by the LRDG, c1942

Desert innovator: Bagnold's sun-compass

The Long Range Desert Group were masters of navigation. They owed much of their success to the scientific talents of Major Ralph Bagnold, whose sun-compass invention revolutionised desert travel.

Propaganda poster depicting a commando raid on a German-held port in Norway, 1940

The Commandos

In 1940, the British established a new raiding and reconnaissance force. Well-trained and highly mobile, they were to carry on the war against the Axis after the evacuation from Dunkirk.

Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Wavell, 1938

Archibald Wavell: Britain's first wartime victor

Field Marshal Sir Archibald Wavell led an imaginative and flexible campaign against the Italians in North Africa. His triumph over their vastly superior forces was Britain’s first success of the war and paved the way for later victories.

Model of a London and North Eastern Railway engine, c1943

A prisoner’s model masterpiece

A British prisoner of war’s model train, painstakingly made from scraps of rubbish, sheds light on the experiences of soldiers incarcerated in Germany during the Second World War.

Antony Mallaby's dressing gown with formation badges sewn on it, c1943

Dressing gowns that earned their stripes

A child’s dressing gowns, decorated with patchworks of military badges, reveal a moving story of growing up in Britain during the Second World War and the loss of a beloved parent.

Explore Second World War events

London in the Second World War: The Blitz
Primary
1 Jun 2024 - 20 Jul 2026 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.

School students getting to grips with the handling collection
Secondary
1 Jun 2024 - 20 Jul 2026 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.

A clergyman and Civil Defence workers helping to clear the debris of a London school, 1940
Primary
1 Jun 2024 - 20 Jul 2026 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.

'The Army That Never Was' book cover
Talk
18 Jul 2025 FREE

The Army That Never Was: D-Day and the Great Deception

Taylor Downing tells the remarkable story of the deceptions, hoaxes and misdirections carried out by the Allies ahead of the D-Day landings.

A family taking part in a giant board game challenge
Workshop
12-15 Aug 2025 FREE

Game On: Second World War

Join us as we delve into the fascinating history of the Second World War with our giant board game challenge.

Children taking part in an interactive gallery tour
Tour
13-15 Aug 2025 FREE

Marching Orders: VJ Day Tour

Join us on this family friendly gallery tour as we explore some of the events in the Far East that brought an end to the Second World War.

'Half a Banana' book cover
Talk
5 Sep 2025 FREE

Half a Banana: The Diary of a Gurkha Officer, 1942-45

Join Richard and David Kemmis Betty as they recount their father’s experiences as a British Indian Army officer fighting in Malaya and imprisoned in Singapore during the Second World War.

Detail from 'Troops of the Royal West African Frontier Force in the Arakan, Burma, 1944'
Exhibition
16 Sep 2025 - 13 Apr 2026 FREE

Beyond Burma: Forgotten Armies

Marking the 80th anniversary of VJ (Victory over Japan) Day, this exhibition shines a light on the remarkable multinational army that fought in some of the toughest conditions of the Second World War.

Royal Artillery gun detachment preparing to fire a 3.7 in howitzer during the Battle of the Ngakyedauk Pass, Arakan, February 1944
Spotlight
20 Sep 2025 FREE

Burma Day

Join us for a special day of talks and activities to celebrate the opening of our new exhibition, ‘Beyond Burma’, and to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.

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.

People feeling the textures of items in the handling collection
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.

Troops of the Royal West African Frontier Force in the Arakan, Burma, 1944
Tour
29 Nov 2025 £2.00

Beyond Burma: BSL Tour

Follow expert guide Edward Richards on a British Sign Language (BSL) tour of our forthcoming exhibition ‘Beyond Burma: Forgotten Armies’.

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

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.

History of Warfare: Gallery Trail
Trail

History of Warfare: Gallery Trail

Follow the trail to find 10 objects that explore the nature of warfare and the British Army through time.

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

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. 

British soldiers and locals watch the burning of Belsen, May 1945
Video

The Liberation of Bergen-Belsen

Explore the British Army's liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp and the substantial relief effort which followed.

Recruiting leaflet, Army Cadet Force, 1991
Timeline

Army Cadets: Interactive Timeline

Explore the history of the British Army Cadet Force and the Combined Cadet Force through this interactive timeline. 

Jungle Survival Quiz
Home Activity

Jungle Survival Quiz

Have you got what it takes to survive in the jungle? Try our quiz to find out!

How to Draw: Desert edition
Home Activity

How to Draw: Desert edition

Use our step-by-step instructions to try your hand at desert-themed drawings.

How To Draw: Transport
Home Activity

How to Draw: Transport edition

Use our step-by-step instructions to have a go at drawing Army transport.

Morse Code Challenge
Home Activity

Morse Code Challenge

Can you crack the code? Try our Morse code challenge at home!