Second World War

‘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.

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

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.

William Slim: The soldiers’ soldier

Field Marshal William Slim led the Fourteenth Army in Burma during the Second World War. Despite inheriting a disastrous situation, he restored his men's morale and led them to victory against the Japanese.

Dropping parachutists and supplies, Arnhem, September 1944

Operation Market Garden

In September 1944, the Allies launched a daring airborne operation to cross the Rhine and advance into northern Germany. Market Garden remains one of the Second World War’s most famous battles.

Second Battle of El Alamein

Fought in October-November 1942, this was the climax and turning point of the North African campaign of the Second World War. The armies of Italy and Germany suffered a decisive defeat by the British Eighth Army.

South Wales District (Western Command) formation badge, c1944

Talk

12 Jun 2026 FREE

Wales, Welshness and the Second World War

Join historian Martin Johnes as he considers the impact of the Second World War on Welsh identity, language and culture.

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

Video

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.

Trail

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.

Video

Let’s Talk Tanks

Set off on a mission to find out more about the everyday lives of tank crews during the Second World War in this family friendly video.

Home Activity

How to Draw: Second World War edition

Use our step-by-step instructions to have a go at drawing items from the Second World War.

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.

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.

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.

Home Activity

Jungle Survival Quiz

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

Home Activity

How to Draw: Desert edition

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

Home Activity

How to Draw: Transport edition

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