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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.

36Articles
9Historical Eras
1,578Related Items
426+Years Covered
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Discover 36 articles across 426+ years of military history — zoom, filter by era, and browse related items on a fully interactive visual timeline.
1July

Today in Military History

  • 1916First day of the Battle of the Somme: 57,470 British casualties — the worst day in British Army history
Related articles:
The Battle of the Somme 1916: History & CollectablesThe SAS: A History of Britain’s Special Air Service

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
D-Day: 6 June 1944 — The Normandy Landings
4 Mar 2026 · 16 min read

Browse by Era

World War I (1914–1918)
1914 – 1918

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

15 articles297 items
Inter-War Period (1918–1939)
1918 – 1939

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

2 articles56 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.

16 articles855 items
Cold War (1945–1990)
1945 – 1990

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

7 articles145 items
Modern Era (1990–Present)
1990 – 2026

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

6 articles29 items
Pre-1800
1600 – 1799

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

3 articles84 items
Napoleonic Wars (1799–1815)
1799 – 1815

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

6 articles15 items
Victorian Era (1837–1901)
1837 – 1901

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

17 articles61 items
Boer Wars (1880–1902)
1880 – 1902

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

2 articles36 items

Browse by Branch & Service

Infantry
1,192 items
Cavalry & Armour
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508 items
British Army
315 items
Territorial & Volunteer
297 items
South African Forces
263 items
Colonial & Overseas Territory Forces
242 items
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165 items
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138 items
Guards
114 items
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106 items
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102 items
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99 items
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89 items
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74 items
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63 items
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49 items
Civilian & Home Front
38 items

Latest Articles

All ErasWorld War I (1914–1918)Inter-War Period (1918–1939)World War II (1939–1945)Cold War (1945–1990)Modern Era (1990–Present)Pre-1800Napoleonic Wars (1799–1815)Victorian Era (1837–1901)Boer Wars (1880–1902)
Item of the Month: A Named Mons Star Trio
Item of the Month
Item of the Month: A Named Mons Star Trio
The Item This month’s featured item is a 1914 Star trio — the group of three medals awarded to a […]
19 Mar 202611 min read
Book Review: “The Boer War” by Thomas Pakenham
Book ReviewBoer Wars (1880–1902)
Book Review: “The Boer War” by Thomas Pakenham
About This Book Title: The Boer War Author: Thomas Pakenham Publisher: Weidenfeld and Nicolson (1979); Abacus paperback (1991) Pages: 659 […]
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
Identifying World War II German Daggers: A Collector’s Primer
Collector's GuideWorld War II (1939–1945)
Identifying World War II German Daggers: A Collector’s Primer
Guide to identifying and authenticating the major types of German Third Reich daggers, from Army to Luftwaffe to SS patterns.
6 Mar 202611 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
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