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Explore articles, guides, and features spanning centuries of military history. From cap badges to campaign medals, uniforms to unit histories — the stories behind the items we collect and preserve.

20Articles
9Historical Eras
1,791Related Items
426+Years Covered
Explore the Interactive Timeline
Discover 20 articles across 426+ years of military history — zoom, filter by era, and browse related items on a fully interactive visual timeline.
2September

Today in Military History

  • 1945Japan formally surrenders aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay; World War II officially ends

Featured Articles

guide Victorian Era (1837–1901) World War I (1914–1918) World War II (1939–1945)
The British Army Cap Badge: A Collectors Guide to Identification
Key Reform Childers Reforms, 1881 Contents Introduction What Is a Cap Badge? History and Development Materials and Manufacture Design Elements […]
The Victoria Cross: Britain’s Highest Military Honour
11 Mar 2026 · 10 min read
The Guards Division: Britain’s Elite Household Troops
8 Mar 2026 · 9 min read
The Gurkhas: 200 Years of Service to the British Crown
28 Feb 2026 · 9 min read

Browse by Era

Pre-1800
1600 – 1799

Military history before 1800, including the English Civil War, Jacobite risings, and colonial conflicts.

0 articles95 items
Napoleonic Wars (1799–1815)
1799 – 1815

The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, including Trafalgar, Waterloo, and the Peninsular War.

3 articles42 items
Victorian Era (1837–1901)
1837 – 1901

The age of Empire: Crimean War, Indian Mutiny, Zulu War, and colonial campaigns across Africa and Asia.

13 articles77 items
Boer Wars (1880–1902)
1880 – 1902

The First and Second Boer Wars in South Africa, a defining conflict of the late Victorian era.

1 article41 items
World War I (1914–1918)
1914 – 1918

The Great War: trench warfare, Gallipoli, the Somme, Passchendaele, and the birth of modern warfare.

11 articles341 items
Inter-War Period (1918–1939)
1918 – 1939

The years between the World Wars: mechanisation, colonial policing, and the build-up to WW2.

2 articles67 items
World War II (1939–1945)
1939 – 1945

The Second World War: Dunkirk, the Blitz, El Alamein, D-Day, Burma, and the war at sea.

10 articles931 items
Cold War (1945–1990)
1945 – 1990

Korea, Malaya, Suez, Aden, the Falklands, Northern Ireland, and the end of the Cold War.

7 articles161 items
Modern Era (1990–Present)
1990 – 2026

The Gulf Wars, the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, and contemporary British military operations.

5 articles36 items

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Infantry
1,205 items
Cavalry & Armour
582 items
Corps & Departments
510 items
British Army
306 items
Territorial & Volunteer
299 items
South African Forces
278 items
Colonial & Overseas Territory Forces
254 items
Canadian Forces
180 items
Indian Forces
132 items
Guards
116 items
Royal Navy
116 items
Scottish Regiments
112 items
Royal Artillery
98 items
Royal Marines
89 items
American Forces
76 items
Royal Air Force
64 items
Gurkhas
49 items
Civilian & Home Front
37 items

Latest Articles

All ErasNapoleonic Wars (1799–1815)Victorian Era (1837–1901)Boer Wars (1880–1902)World War I (1914–1918)Inter-War Period (1918–1939)World War II (1939–1945)Cold War (1945–1990)Modern Era (1990–Present)
The British Army Between the Wars: 1918-1939
Feature ArticleInter-War Period (1918–1939)
The British Army Between the Wars: 1918-1939
The Forgotten Years The period between the Armistice of November 1918 and the outbreak of the Second World War in […]
19 Mar 202611 min read
The Lee-Enfield SMLE: A Weapon Profile
Weapon ProfileInter-War Period (1918–1939)
The Lee-Enfield SMLE: A Weapon Profile
Introduction to the Lee-Enfield The Lee-Enfield SMLE (Short Magazine Lee-Enfield) is arguably the most important British military firearm of the […]
19 Mar 202611 min read
The British Army Cap Badge: A Collectors Guide to IdentificationFeatured
guideVictorian Era (1837–1901)World War I (1914–1918)World War II (1939–1945)
The British Army Cap Badge: A Collectors Guide to Identification
Key Reform Childers Reforms, 1881 Contents Introduction What Is a Cap Badge? History and Development Materials and Manufacture Design Elements […]
19 Mar 202611 min read
World War I Trench Art: History Crafted in the Trenches
Feature ArticleWorld War I (1914–1918)
World War I Trench Art: History Crafted in the Trenches
From shell case vases to engraved lighters, trench art tells the personal stories of soldiers in the Great War.
12 Mar 202612 min read
The Victoria Cross: Britain’s Highest Military HonourFeatured
Medal GuideVictorian Era (1837–1901)World War I (1914–1918)World War II (1939–1945)Cold War (1945–1990)Modern Era (1990–Present)
The Victoria Cross: Britain’s Highest Military Honour
The history of the Victoria Cross — from its creation during the Crimean War to its place as the most prestigious military decoration in the world.
11 Mar 202610 min read
Understanding British Campaign Medals: A Beginner’s Guide
Collector's GuideNapoleonic Wars (1799–1815)Victorian Era (1837–1901)World War I (1914–1918)World War II (1939–1945)Cold War (1945–1990)
Understanding British Campaign Medals: A Beginner’s Guide
A comprehensive introduction to collecting British campaign medals, from the Waterloo Medal to modern operational service awards.
10 Mar 202611 min read
The Guards Division: Britain’s Elite Household TroopsFeatured
Regiment ProfileVictorian Era (1837–1901)World War I (1914–1918)World War II (1939–1945)Cold War (1945–1990)Modern Era (1990–Present)
The Guards Division: Britain’s Elite Household Troops
A history of the five regiments of Foot Guards — Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish, and Welsh — and their 350-year legacy of service.
8 Mar 20269 min read
The British Army in the Boer Wars: An Overview
Feature ArticleVictorian Era (1837–1901)Boer Wars (1880–1902)
The British Army in the Boer Wars: An Overview
From the disaster at Isandlwana to the fall of Pretoria — how the Boer Wars transformed the British Army.
5 Mar 20269 min read
The Royal Artillery: Ubique — A Regimental History
Regiment ProfileNapoleonic Wars (1799–1815)Victorian Era (1837–1901)World War I (1914–1918)World War II (1939–1945)Cold War (1945–1990)Modern Era (1990–Present)
The Royal Artillery: Ubique — A Regimental History
The story of the Royal Regiment of Artillery — "Everywhere" — from its founding in 1716 to modern operations.
2 Mar 202610 min read
The Gurkhas: 200 Years of Service to the British CrownFeatured
Feature ArticleVictorian Era (1837–1901)World War I (1914–1918)World War II (1939–1945)Cold War (1945–1990)Modern Era (1990–Present)
The Gurkhas: 200 Years of Service to the British Crown
From the Anglo-Nepalese War to Helmand Province — the remarkable history of the Gurkha soldiers who have served Britain since 1815.
28 Feb 20269 min read
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