In early 1943, while at Harvard, Jean Claude was drafted into the Army. He was surprised to find life there more to his taste than he had anticipated, and that his fluent French marked him out for special service.
Articles
Enter our survey – and win!
Here at Military History Matters we are always interested in hearing feedback from our readers.
MHM Competition: November/December [Competition Closed]
This issue, we’re giving away three copies of SAS Band of Brothers, courtesy of Quercus. SAS Band of Brothers is the new epic from bestselling military historian Damien Lewis. It is the story of the triumphs and tragedies of an elite group of specialist soldiers as they commit daring raids behind enemy lines in 1944, […]
REVIEW – Lawrence of Arabia on War: the campaign in the desert, 1916-18
Rob Johnson’s achievement in this book is to take Colonel T E Lawrence seriously as a theoretician and practitioner of war, and to produce the most comprehensive assessment of his contribution ever published.
War Athletes: Lilli Henoch
Henoch displayed a natural all-around talent in several sports, making her future accomplishments even more impressive, considering the few opportunities available for female athletes at the time.
REVIEW – Missing: the need for closure after the Great War
In the post-war years, they were remembered on monuments and in cemeteries, ‘made present’ by absence, by anonymity rather than by naming. The bereaved had no bodies over which to grieve, only the landscape itself and a few souvenirs sent home from the front.
Back to the Drawing Board: Rifled muzzle-loading artillery (RML)
The mid 19th century saw a revolution in naval weapons technology – smooth-bore muzzle-loading artillery, which had changed little for over 300 years, was suddenly supplanted by far larger rifled guns firing steel armour-piercing shot and explosive shells to ranges far beyond anything achieved even 50 years earlier.
REVIEW – Churchill and Stalin: comrades-in-arms during the Second World War
As Churchill liked to say, to defeat the Nazis the Russians gave their blood, the Americans their money, and Britain held out for the crucial year from the summer of 1940.
War of Words – ‘Flak’
After the war, flak would also come to mean very strong criticism or abuse.
Archive of Churchill’s chauffeur found during lockdown clear-out
The collection of letters, telegrams, and instructions was the property of the late Reginald Parker. It was found by a furloughed clerk in a jigsaw box during a home clear-out.
Advertisement