A ship’s bell is a central focal point on board, it’s typically used to sound out the time but they’re also used in heavy fog, emergencies and to sound out “eight bells” when a funeral is being held on board for a sailor. The H.M.S. Cardiff bell was fitted to the ship when it was…
The Unimog is one of the most universally loved 4x4s in the world. Which is really saying something, because typically the various genres within the 4×4 world often don’t get along. The Germans developed the Unimog in the years after WWII using the same logic the British used to create the Land Rover. There was…
Randolph Engineering Aviator Sunglasses were originally developed to military spec standards (Mil-S-25948) for use by fighter pilots and astronauts. They been standard issue to all military pilots since 1982, and they have the bayonet temples that are required to put the sunglasses on (and take them off) when you’re wearing a helmet. Technicians at Randolph…
The Harley-Davidson XA was a motorcycle developed for use by the US military during WWII. If it looks a little familiar to you, that’s because you’ve probably seen it a few times before, but with a different badge on the fuel tank. Harley based the design of the XA (which stands for Experimental Army) on…
The Ikara was an Australian anti-submarine missile developed in 1959, over the course of its life it would be used by the Australian, British, Brazilian, New Zealand and Chilean navies. Ikara is an Australian Aboriginal word for “throwing stick”, it was powered by a Bristol Aerojet Murawa two-stage solid-fuel rocket engine and could be controlled…
The D-Day assault is one of the most important military events of the 20th century, the heroism, courage and selflessness displayed by the Allies as they began the mission to retake Europe has few parallels in history. This Paratrooper Jump Knife belonged to Norman Capels of G Company, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division. It isn’t…
In 1942 during some of the heaviest fighting of the Second World War a team of engineers at de Havilland were hard at work developing a jet-powered aircraft that they hoped would help turn the tide of the war and bring an end to the bloodshed. The jet engine had only been invented 5 years…
Project Iceworm was a secret Cold War operation to create subterranean nuclear missile launch sites under the Greenland ice sheet – within close striking distance of the USSR. It was all done under the cover of Camp Century, a pretend US Government operation used as a cover story for the Danish government – who were…
The USS Macon and its sister ship, the USS Akron, were the largest helium-filled airships ever made. They were launched in 1933 and 1931 respectively, and each only had a service life of roughly two years – both were lost in separate severe storms. Macon had a hull made from structured duraluminum with three internal…
In the post-WWII years Winston Churchill once famously said “The only thing that really frightened me during the war was the U-boat peril”, this was largely because of how reliant Britain was on supplies, manpower and equipment from Canada, the USA, Australia and further afield. If Hitler had successfully managed to close off the resupply…
The Kawanishi H6K was a flying boat developed by the Japanese in the years leading up to WWII, it was largely based on European flying boats of the era and boasted remarkable endurance – with many of its wartime flights lasting 24 hours or more. With a crew of 9 and a cruising speed of…
The story of Captain Eric Melrose “Winkle” Brown is one of the greatest WWII tales you’re every likely to come across. Many of us have seen dozens, perhaps even hundreds of documentaries about the Second World War, but this one is my favourite and I don’t think it’ll ever be usurped. It’s difficult to condense…
