As a staunchly moral individual of enormous influence, the Doctor’s apparent lack of engagement with one of Earth’s most appalling conflicts is perhaps surprising. There are many potential reasons for his absence from the events of the Second World War; monstrous fascism was already embodied in Terry Nation’s Daleks – who were directly inspired by Nazi Germany – and Doctor Who began transmission less than 20 years after the end of hostilities. As a consequence, it’s likely that for a long time, the Second World War was considered neither historical nor fantastical enough for consideration. However, since the series’ return in 2005 there has been a greater willingness to engage with this era in inventive and fascinating ways.