Welcome

SAS troops displayed their formidable skills as they

SHOOTING STARS OVER KOREA

© Alamy Taken c.1950 US Air Force F-80C

SURRENDER IN SOMOSIERRA

© Getty Taken: August 1936 Republican soldiers are

FOREIGN LEGION TEST FIRE

© Getty Taken: November, 1990 French Foreign Legion

TIMELINE OF THE... PALESTINE WAR

In the years following the Second World War, bitter fighting erupts between Jews and Arabs in two overlapping conflicts, involving mass killings, a refugee crisis and the founding of a new state

BATTLE FOR JERUSALEM

The summer of 1948 saw the Arabs gain the upper hand during several clashes for the holy city, which was supposed to be a neutral space

HEROES & LEADERS

The conflict over Palestine was led by multinational, multi-talented men who were soldiers, politicians, writers, biochemists and archaeologists

SIR JOHN BAGOT GLUBB

THE BRITISH COMMANDER OF THE ARAB LEGION DURING THE ARAB- ISRAELI WAR 1897-1986

HABIS MAJALI

THE BEDOUIN OFFICER WHO DEFEATED THE ISRAELI FORCES AT LATRUN

YIGAEL YADIN

THE ARCHAEOLOGIST AND STAFF OFFICER WHO CLASHED WITH DAVID BEN-GURION IN

ABD AL-QADIR AL-HUSAYNI

THE PALESTINIAN LEADER OF THE ‘ARMY OF THE HOLY WAR’ 1907-48 PALESTINE

THE ARAB LEGION

Organised by the British Army and built with the help of Bedouin volunteers, the Legion were the most daunting adversaries the Israelis fought in 1948

ARIEL SHARON SOLDIER TO STATESMAN

The legendary commander’s hardline politics were forged in the violent summer of 1948

SAS

Born in the harsh conditions of North Africa in 1941, the Regiment has served in combat zones around the world, setting the standard for modern special forces

RALPH BAGNOLD & THE LONG RANGE DESERT GROUP

Referred to by David Stirling as the SAS’s ‘Libyan Taxi Service’ this band of intrepid eccentrics, explorers and survivalists formed the early blueprint of the special forces regiment

SPECIAL BOAT SECTION

While the Special Air Service cut its teeth in the desert of North Africa, this sister unit honed its craft in the Mediterranean

THE “PINK PANTHER”

For nearly two decades this distinctive modified vehicle served as a mobile base for SAS operations in desert environments

TOUGHEST MISSIONS

Over 80 years the SAS has taken part in many challenging operations and played an often critical but covert role in conflicts around the world

THE LIBERATION OF FRANCE 1944

In the build up to and aftermath of the Normandy landings, several SAS squadrons entered German territory and caused mayhem for the enemy, destroying weapons, supplies and communication and transport lines

THE MALAYAN EMERGENCY

1948-60 Disbanded in October 1945, the SAS was resurrected to tackle a communist insurgency in the jungles of Southeast Asia

THE IRANIAN EMBASSY SIEGE MAY 1980

Terrorists take over a London embassy and seize hostages – beginning one of the most famous operations in SAS history

LOUGHGALL, NORTHERN IRELAND 8 MAY 1987

The SAS operation that destroyed the heart of the Provisional IRA’s East Tyrone Brigade

THE PERSIAN GULF WAR 1990-91

An SAS mission to locate Scud missile launch sites in Iraq ends in disaster

ARRESTING BOSNIAN WAR CRIMINALS

1992-2004 Numerous atrocities were committed during the Balkans conflict – but the perpetrators had nowhere to hide from the SAS

HOSTAGE RESCUE SIERRA LEONE 10 SEPTEMBER 2000

When 11 British soldiers are captured by a militia group in West Africa, the SAS launches a daring mission to save them

GREAT ESCAPE

Best-selling author and expert on the history of the Regiment, Damien Lewis, reveals two incredible stories of endurance and survival in World War II

CHARLES H. COOLIDGE

In the autumn of 1944, in the Vosges Mountains of eastern France, this Technical Sergeant led an outnumbered group of GIs who stood their ground against repeated German attacks

JAFFA

Richard the Lionheart’s tactical genius enabled his army to repulse Sultan Saladin’s horse-archers in the last great clash of the Third Crusade

GURKHAS IN HELMAND

Soldier and author Captain Kailash Limbu tells his extraordinary story of leaving Nepal to join the British Army and surviving five combat tours in Afghanistan

“YOU HAVE TO KEEP GOING"

Kailash Limbu was one of tens of thousands of Nepalese applicants who had to endure stiff competition and tough exercises to become a British Gurkha soldier

“A GOOD TOOL"

The kukri is the Gurkha’s signature weapon and a practical knife with origins linked to Alexander the Great

GATO-CLASS SUBMARINE

An archaic design principle yielded what soon became one of the US Navy’s best and most successful submarine types

MUSEUMS & EVENTS

Discover Northern Ireland’s wartime museum, the recently reopened St Michael’s Mount and an African WWII veteran’s new foundation to improve lives in his home country

Wartime Ulster

The Northern Ireland Memorial Museum commemorates the province’s contribution to WWII and houses several military charities

Cornwall’s Fortified Island

The spectacular St Michael’s Mount has a long military history and is gradually reopening to visitors

JULY 1941

To commemorate 80 years since the Second World War, History of War will be taking a look at some of the key events taking place during each month of the conflict

SAS GREAT ESCAPES

Our pick of the latest military history books and films

HARRY BIRRELL PRESENTS FILMS OF LOVE AND WAR

AN ORDINARY SOLDIER’S DIARIES AND CAMERA FOOTAGE REVEAL HIS ADVENTURES IN WWII AND LIFE BEFORE AND AFTER THE CONFLICT

MURDER THE BIOGRAPHY

A GRUESOME BUT CONSTANTLY FASCINATING HISTORY OF MURDER

HITLER’S SOUTH AFRICAN SPIES

SECRET AGENTS AND THE INTELLIGENCE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA

X TROOP

THE STORY OF HOW JEWISH REFUGEES WHO ESCAPED TO BRITAIN DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR, BECAME SOLDIERS AND TOOK THE FIGHT BACK TO THEIR NAZI PERSECUTORS

CHARLESV’S PISTOL

The Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain owned this unique double-barrelled pistol that was produced at the dawn of firearms technology