At the start of the Second World War, the Indian Army numbered just under 200,000 men. By Victory over Japan Day on 15 August 1945, it had become the largest volunteer army in history, with over 2.5 million men answering the call.Largely serving as infantry, Indian and Pakistani troops proved to be incredibly proficient and fearless soldiers, fighting their way across Africa, Europe and Asia. The majority of their forces doggedly held off the might of Japanese Military as The Allies were pushed…
Exploring our collection of POW records, we recently discovered one of the most remarkable records ever found in our World War 2 archives.These fascinating documents were uncovered in our Prisoners Of War 1715-1945 collection, a vast archive of original papers created by the Foreign Office, Colonial Office, War Office, Admiralty and Air Force. Published online in association with The National Archives and covering both military personnel and civilians, these valuable records shed light on the terrible hardships endured by Allied prisoners…
When people ask"who is your hero?" my answer is always the same; my grandfather Arthur Raymond Wilton. Ray, as he liked to be known, was an incredible man who was loved by many and while I was fortunate to share a very close relationship with him, for years much of his early life remained a mystery to me.I knew he had fought with the armed forces in the Second World War but, as with many members of that…
The Second World War (1939-1945) was one of history's most catastrophic conflicts. The first truly global war, it claimed over nine million lives and affected the vast majority of families across the UK and Europe.You may have known someone who served during the war, or you may have been lucky enough to hear first-hand accounts of their experiences. Researching Second World War records can be very rewarding as you will often be searching for someone you knew personally or had…
During the Second World War, an estimated 140,000 Allied military personnel were captured by Japanese Imperial Forces and held in a network of camps stretching from Rangoon (Burma-Myanmar) down through Malaya, Singapore, Sumatra and across Indonesia. The details of many of these brave man can now be uncovered using our new Prisoner of War 1939-1945 collection; over 1 million fascinating records relating to allied POW's held by Japanese, German and Italian forces in Asia, Europe and Africa. Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival on his way