George William Chafer, an orphan of a little over five feet in height was not your typical Victoria Cross recipient; indeed, he is the smallest man to ever receive the award. What he lacked in stature though, he more than made up for in courage and determination. Born in Bradford in 1894, George lost hisContinue reading “George William Chafer V.C. – Small in Stature; Big in Heart”
Tag Archives: Army
October 19th – On This Day in…
October 19th, 1940 ONLY 400 NEW CARS LEFT The manufacturing of new cars for civilian use has been suspended in Britain. There are now only around 400 new cars for sale in the country. The following announcement came from the Ministry of Transport: “a recent inquiry into the numbers of new cars in the handsContinue reading “October 19th – On This Day in…”
October 12th – On this Day in…
RAF Strike by Day and Night October 12th 1941 After daylight sweeps over the channel in which RAF fighters shot down seven enemy fighter aircraft for the loss of two aircraft, the RAF carried out another fierce bombing raid on the French side of the channel the same night. Large fires were set on theContinue reading “October 12th – On this Day in…”
Sergeant Louis Massey: The Great Escape
There are many stories of daring escapes from Nazi prisoner of war camps during World War Two, but the story of Sergeant Louis Massey, 35, of the Royal Army Service Corps and is particularly impressive. Captured during the retreat of the British Expeditionary Force at Dunkirk, Sergeant Massey was sent to a German prisoner ofContinue reading “Sergeant Louis Massey: The Great Escape”
The Great Sand Sea Raiders
They came from the great sand sea, wreaked havoc amongst the enemy, and melted away into the shadows as quickly as they arrived. David Stirling’s band of piratical raiders struck fear into the hearts of the enemy. With their dusty mismatched uniforms and straggly beards they looked like a ragged collection of misfits and vagabonds;Continue reading “The Great Sand Sea Raiders”