20th Century
The Desert War – May 1943
With the Axis occupying a smaller and smaller piece of real estate in Tunisia this was the month they would have to surrender, 291,000 of them. There was no way to supply them and no [more…]
British Army
20th Century
The Desert War – April 1943
The Axis forces will surrender in May so April sees the Allies squeezing the Axis into a smaller and smaller area. On the 1st the US 1st and 9th Infantry Divisions attacked Italian positions at [more…]
20th Century
The Desert War – March 1943
With the Axis on the run in Tunisia it was only a matter of time until they had to surrender. Their supply routes to Tunisia were under constant attack and the Axis could do little [more…]
20th Century
The Desert War – February 1943
This month sees the battle of the Kassarine Pass.This was where the Axis forces gave the Americans a run for their money and may have been the start of the “our Italians” handle given to [more…]
20th Century
The Desert War – January 1943
January 1943 saw the Casablanca Conference take place where FDR, Churchill, Charles de Gaulle and Henri Giraud (de Gaulle’s #2) would discuss the future of the war though the French were not really involved in [more…]
20th Century
The Desert War – December 1942
Things are finally looking up for the Allies at the last month of 1942. The Axis are on the run in North Africa, Operation Torch has been a success though not without some busy bits. [more…]
20th Century
The Desert War – November 1942
November would see the assault at El Alamein succeed and the Axis would now be on the back foot as they withdrew towards Tripoli and eventually Tunisia. On the 16th November the Stoneage convoy of [more…]
20th Century
The Desert War – October 1942
This month 44% of military cargo and fuel sent to Libya was sunk, this was better than the 33% sunk last month and Churchill later claimed that petrol was especially targeted and 66% of that [more…]
20th Century
The Central Landing School, RAF Ringway, 1940 – 1942
On June 5, 1947, the eve of the third anniversary of the 6th British Airborne Division’s landing in Normandy, my uncle John Alldridge of the Manchester Evening News reviewed the achievements of the establishment responsible [more…]