Welcome to British Military History

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November 2011 - NEW UPGRADED WEB-SITE. Next upgrade due in May/June 2012.
Thank you to: Webworld-uk at: http://www.webworld-uk.com/

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Now affiliated to Naval and Military Press. Please see link below.
British Military History recommends 'Portsmouth World War Two Heroes' by James DALY. Please see link to website below and further details at United Kingdom 1939-40 Overview pdf document.

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Introduction
How to Use this Web-Site
What is New?
Links

Introduction

The Second World War ended officially in 1945, but its legacy continues today some sixty-six years later. Those who lived and fought during the war are becoming fewer, so this web-site is intended to provide an overview of the war from a British perspective for later generations.

It covers the various campaigns during the war that involved the British, Dominion and Empire armies. This includes details of the units and formations that fought in each of the campaigns (Orders of Battle), and biographies of some notable military officers of that period.

The web-site covers the period from 1930 to 1950. The reason for this is to include the build up to the conflict and the immediate aftermath. To many soldiers, the end of the war did not mean an end to armed conflict, as several small wars erupted in the Indian sub-continent, South East Asia and Palestine.

The focus is on the British Army, the pre-partition Indian Army (also known as the British Indian Army) and those of the Dominions (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa). The British colonies in East and West Africa and the Far East also provided many soldiers to fight for the British Army, so are integral to this web-site. Without the support of countries in the British Empire, the United Kingdom would have struggled to prosecute the war. This is particularly the case in the Middle East and Far East.

I have been interested in military history for many years, but have been seriously researching the subject since 2000. I live in Devon in England, and until recently, I worked in the public sector writing reports and national guidance for the Police Service, in conjunction with the Cabinet Office and Home Office. As such, I was trained in research and writing evidence based documents subject to close scrutiny.

The documents are written in a style that I hope readers will find interesting and informative. The sources used in writing new documents are included to establish the bona vides of the content on the web-site (existing documents will be revised in due course). I have amassed a large library of relevant books (being grateful to a tolerant family), and also use my local library to source other books. I also visit the British Library, National Archives and regimental museums whenever possible.

The web-site will be regularly updated with additional information being added over time. Any inaccuracies are mine, as are any comments contained on the web-site. I welcome constructive comments or feedback, as this process improves knowledge and understanding.

I hope that people researching their family history, military historians and others wishing to know more about British Army and British Indian Army during the Second World War will find this web-site informative and useful.

Regards: Rob PALMER - Webmaster and author.

How to Use this Website

The contents are divided into the main periods and campaigns of the Second World War from a British perspective. They commence in 1930 to illustrate the gradual build up to the war and continue until 1950. It is intended to cover the Korean War in due course as this commenced in 1950 and lasted until 1953. Some sections are complete but work is ongoing to complete all of them to my satisfaction.

Please view the video above courtesy of Barnaby PHILLIPS and Al Jazeera English. I hope, like me, you find it moving.

Within each section of the website, all or some of the following subjects are covered:

1. A chronology of key events;
2. Command structure diagrams;
3. Key personnel and history of the higher formations (commands, armies and corps);
4. Command, Area or District units;
5. Order of Battle of divisions & brigades.

There is also a section containing short biographies of army officers who reached the rank of Colonel or above during the Second World War, or, achieved some other notable exploit during the war. Lastly, there are some short histories of the divisional formations that fought in Burma and the Far East during the war.

If you click on the subject area of your choice, you will find additional information about the subject, and then a number of supporting pdf documents providing more detailed information. These pdf documents can be printed out for personal use, but, if they are intended to be used for a commercial purpose, please contact the webmaster prior to them being used.

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What is New?

Thank you to those of you who have contacted me, and in particular to those who have offered corrections or alternative viewpoints.

Statistics for April 2012 A Record!
Hits = 89,149
Unique Visitors = 3,222
Visits = 3,895
Thank you.

The latest activity on the web-site is shown below:

13 May 2012 - NEW: Two new pdf documents for 1 Polish Armoured Division (1944-45) and 1 Polish Independent Parachute Brigade Group (1944-45) - European Formations - North West Europe 1944-45

11 May 2012 - NEW: Major General Hervey Degge Wilmot SITWELL - Biographies 'S'. AMENDED: British Troops in Borneo and Netherland East Indies (1941-42) and text in document. AMENDED: Major General Arthur Hugh Jay SNELLING.

27 April 2012 - NEW: General Sir John Francis Stanhope Duke COLERIDGE and General Sir Eric de BURGH.

23 March 2012 - NEW: Major General Sir Herbert Ralph HONE - Biographies 'H'

16 March 2012 - NEW: Brigadier Godfrey Vaughan PALMER - Biographies 'P'.

24 February 2012 - AMENDED: General Sir James Handyside MARSHALL-CORNWALL (Biographies 'M').

21 February 2012 - NEW: Text in Greece 1944, and seven new pdf documents attached.

20 February 2012 - Now affiliated to Naval and Military Press. As I purchase many books from them, I can recommend them for a wide range of military publications.

31 January 2012 - AMENDED: Text in British Troops in Borneo and Netherland East Indies, and an amended pdf document within this section.

5 January 2012 - NEW: Text in Anti-Aircraft Command 1930 - 1938, and two new pdf documents of the 1 Anti-Aircraft Division and 2 Anti-Aircraft Division.

31 December 2011 - NEW: pdf Major Alexander Henry LAMBERT (Biographies L); and AMENDED: pdf Brigadier William AIRD-SMITH (Biographies A); Brigadier Walter Lindley FAWCETT (Biographies F); and Captain Francis John George WALKER and Major Hugh David WALKER (Biographies W). A sincere thank you to Michael PETHER from New Zealand for his assistance re AIRD-SMITH and FAWCETT.

9 December 2011 - NEW: Text in French Divisions, U.S. Divisions and Commonwealth Divisions in Tunisia 1943. New pdfs loaded 2 New Zealand Division (1943 Tunisia) and 4 Indian Infantry Division (1943 Tunisia).

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