Why did Nazis Shoot Female Russian Soldiers on Sight

Stories about military history often focus on battlefield tactics and strategy. When they do focus on people, it is usually on a male soldier. However, during WWII, the Germans often executed female soldiers on sight. This is doubly amazing because it suggests women were a significant part of the fighting forces and that they provokedContinue reading “Why did Nazis Shoot Female Russian Soldiers on Sight”

A Collection of Funny Photobooth Portraits of World War II Soldiers

These funny photobooths are from war-time photo album of John Beat, 14 BSD, RASC. North Africa, where he was in stores and supplies as part of the Royal Army Service Corp. Ever the joker, John posed for some souvenir photos with his best friends on leave in Cairo in March 1942.

General Theodore “We’ll Start The War From Right Here!” Roosevelt Jr. Was Awarded The Medal Of Honor On Utah Beach

A son will often attempt to live up to the legacy of their father, and when your father happens to be former President, Rough Rider, and man extraordinaire Teddy Roosevelt, that can be quite a tall order. Named after his father, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. fought in both World Wars and demonstrated the type of braveryContinue reading “General Theodore “We’ll Start The War From Right Here!” Roosevelt Jr. Was Awarded The Medal Of Honor On Utah Beach”

‘Wait for Me, Daddy’ – Story Behind One of Canada’s Most Famous Photos During World War II

It’s October 1, 1940 and Province photographer Claude P. Dettloff is standing on Columbia Street at 8th Street in New Westminster, his press camera up to his eye, preparing to take a shot. He’s focusing on a line of hundreds of men of the B.C. Regiment marching down 8th to a waiting train. Soldiers ofContinue reading “‘Wait for Me, Daddy’ – Story Behind One of Canada’s Most Famous Photos During World War II”

Faces of Evil: Female Concentration Camp Guards

In the early years of Adolf Hitler’s reign, guards within his concentration camps were primarily male. All that changed in 1942 when the first female guards were appointed to Auschwitz and Majdanek. Eventually, there were more than 3,500 female concentration camp guards – a small portion of the nearly 55,000 guards who served in theContinue reading “Faces of Evil: Female Concentration Camp Guards”

US Marine Colonel Francis Fenton conducting the funeral of his son Private First Class Mike Fenton, Okinawa, 1945

This picture depicts one of the most heart wrenching moments to occur on Okinawa involved a family with a proud Marine heritage. Colonel (later Brigadier General) Francis I. Fenton enlisted in the Marine Corps in August 1917. He gradually rose through the ranks until he became division engineer officer of the 1st Marine Division inContinue reading “US Marine Colonel Francis Fenton conducting the funeral of his son Private First Class Mike Fenton, Okinawa, 1945”

A Day in the Life of a Wartime Housewife in London in 1941

World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world’s countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis powers. In a total war directly involving moreContinue reading “A Day in the Life of a Wartime Housewife in London in 1941”

How Hans And Sophie Scholl’s White Rose Movement Fought Back Against The Nazis

Sophie Scholl was just 21 years old when she was executed along with her brother, 24-year-old Hans Scholl, on Feb. 22, 1943. The Scholl siblings had been arrested three days earlier and undergone nearly constant interrogation by the Gestapo before their trial. Nazi judge Roland Freisler, infamous for handing out death sentences in some 90Continue reading “How Hans And Sophie Scholl’s White Rose Movement Fought Back Against The Nazis”