How often has anyone visiting the site of a battlefield wondered just how things would have actually looked at the time? David Flintham tells us about the work of the Centre for Experimental Military Archaeology, which reconstructs historical sites using cutting-edge technology.

The most distinctive films in UNTV’s collection are the ‘video letters’. As well as the many informational features that this incarnation of the UNPROFOR television unit made between May 1994 and January 1996, and a small number of interviews with UNPROFOR leaders and ‘vox pops’ with the local public also filmed for early UNTV packages, UNTV made at least 90 of these films.

SSN member Andrew Hemmings is researching Second World War casualties buried near to his home in Wales. Find out more in this guest blog post, written by Cardiff University student Ziyan Wang.

IWM’s Sound Archive is a remarkably rich source, comprising over 33,000 recordings relating to conflict since 1914. But oral histories need careful treatment as historical sources. This is exemplified in the IWM interviews that deal with Britain’s late-colonial conflicts: Aden, Malaya and, the subject of my own studies, the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya, which lasted from 1952 to 1960.

In this guest blog Morris Brodie, Digital Intern at Aberystwyth University, reflects on a Residential held at IWM London bringing together Interns across the Partnership.

In a year when the pandemic has limited our contact with others, it’s been stimulating to connect with new partners and think creatively about engaging people with the Second World War. Northern Ireland and conflict make most people think of the Troubles – local stories of the Second World War are often untold or unheard. 

In this guest post, SSN Member Steve Ballinger of British Future tells us about a project in collaboration with The Royal British Legion, that aims to bring people from different backgrounds together in remembrance of our shared history.

The War Illustrated was a British magazine published in the two world wars. In this guest post, University of Sheffield student Jennifer Arnold tells us about her research into First World War editions of the magazine, with a focus on the representation of Red Cross nurses.

The Central Office of Information (COI) was created 75 years ago, producing films and campaigns to share key messages with the British population. In this post, Michelle Kirby (IWM Film Curator, Cold War/late 20th-century conflict), Sarah Castagnetti (TNA, Visual Collections), and Patrick Russell (BFI Senior Curator, Non-fiction) explain how they are teaming up for an ambitious new project showcasing highlights from their COI collections.

Guest blog by Paula Kolar, Second World War and Holocaust Partnership Programme Digital Intern

On 10 May 1941, Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess flew solo to Scotland to try to broker peace with Britain. Following on from Katherine Quinlan-Flatter's post, British historian Linda Parker picks up the extraordinary story of Hess' flight, and the aftermath.

On 10 May 1941, Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess flew solo to Scotland to try to broker peace with Britain. German researcher and journalist Katherine Quinlan-Flatter tells us more about Hess' role in Nazi Germany and the events leading up to his flight 80 years ago.