#Alan Malcher Military Historian

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler: Attempting to escape British forces.

In this second episode, we follow Himmler as he goes on the run, heading south through the British occupation zone until his capture and identification by British forces. Dr. Mark Felton is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers ‘Zero Night’ and ‘Castle of the Eagles’, both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to…

[claudiodangelo59]

Alan Malcher MAAlan Malcher MA• 1°• 1°Researching Narrative Warfare through OSINT and also a Military Historian. Currently writing a book about SOEResearching Narrative Warfare through OSINT and also a Military Historian. Currently writing a book about SOE

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French Resistance during WW2. A rare image of an underground press printing 'Defence of France'. (Musée de la Résistance) Vedi traduzioneAttiva per visualizzare un’immagine più grande,

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Corporal Sefanaia Sukanaivalu VC.

On 23 June 1944 in the Solomon Islands, Corporal Sukanaivalu crawled forward under fire to rescue wounded men. After dragging two men to safety, under heavy Japanese machine gun and mortar fire he returned to rescue another man, but whilst assisting the seriously injured soldier was hit by machine gun fire and fell to the ground. Knowing any attempt to rescue him and the other soldier would…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Operation Banner: A day of infamy.

Operation Banner (Northern Ireland). On 19 March 1988 Corporal Derek Wood, aged 24, and Corporal David Howes, aged 23, both serving with the Royal Signals, were wearing civilian clothes and driving a silver Volkswagen Passat with civilian number plates after completing repairs of signal equipment at a military base and were returning to their barracks. After taking a wrong turning they came…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Kate her Horst the 'Angel of Arnhem'.

During the ill-fated Operation Market Garden (17-26 September 1944) the British 1st Airborne Division suffered heavy casualties fighting in the Dutch city of Arnhem, the town of Oossterbeek, the villages of Wolfheze and Driel. Kate her Horst, described as a housewife and mother, turned her house into a makeshift hospital for the wounded and dying. She personally helped 250 wounded soldiers and…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Rupert: the dummy parachutists of D-day.

(Image Musée Militaire Paris) Parachute dummies were an important aspect of the Allies’ deception plan for the Normandy Landings. They were nicknamed ‘Rupert’s’ by British troops. It is sometimes suggested they were named after the cartoon character Rupert the Bear.Approximately 500 Paratrooper dummies were dropped as decoys to divert and distract German forces, in what was codenamed Operation…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Founder's Day the Royal Hospital Chelsea (Chelsea Pensioners)

Founder’s Day 2024. It was a great pleasure to be invited to attend Founder’s Day at the Royal Hospital Chelsea where the reviewing officer was Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, after being inviting by Tony Millard noted for his many years of continued charitable work supporting veterans. Chelsea Pensioners and guests were given an oak leaf to wear symbolising the oak tree where Prince…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Alexandre Schwatschko, field name Alexander Shaw: Air Landing Officer SOE French Section.

24 year old Alexandre Schwatschko aka Alexander Shaw Alexandre Schwatschko was born in Russia on 19 July 1919 to a wealthy family with property in the Ukraine and during the Bolshevik Revolution (8 March 1917 to 6 June 1923) the family moved to France. When war was declared in 1939 he enlisted into the French Air Force and served as a pilot until the fall of France in 1940. After being…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Irene Arckles: Air Transport Auxiliary Pilot during WW2.

(DB colour from original unknown B&W image) Irene Arckless was described as an ordinary working class girl determined to obtain her pilots licence who passed her flying test just before the start of the Second World War. During the war she was a pilot with the Air Transport Auxiliary delivering all types of aircraft from factories to operational RAF airfields throughout England.On Sunday 3 June…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

RSM 'NOBBY' Arnold Parachute Regiment.

RSM ‘Nobby’ Arnald. A legend in the Paras whose sense of humour helped install discipline. I recall a story of him putting his bicycle against the Guardhouse wall and after it fell over in the wind had his bicycle arrested and locked in a cell for not obtaining permission for falling over. Typical RSM banter. He saw active service in Palestine, Canal Zone and Suez, Cyprus and the Radfan. Many…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Forgotten Women of the French Resistance during WW2.

For eighty years thousands of women who were members of the resistance during the Second World War were rarely mentioned in history books. According to history professor Laurent Douzou only 6 women were recognised for their work with the resistance by being awarded the Companion of Liberation compared with 1,038 men. Though civilian resistance was mainly the work of women they were not counted…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Eugéne Gréau: French Resistance during WW2.

Tour de France cyclist Eugéne Gréau was married with four children and shortly following the occupation of France joined the resistance. After being arrested for sabotage at the Niort railway yard where he worked he was transported to Sonnenburg concentration camp under the Nacht und Nebel decree (Night and Fog). This decree targeted political activists and members of the resistance and…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

John Young: SOE Wireless Operator F (French Section)

John Young. John Cuthbert Young was born to British parents in Newcastle, England on 25 September 1907, he was married to a French woman and employed as a fire insurance surveyor before enlisting into the British army. Young was recruited by SOE on 27 April 1942 and is said to have struggled with the physical part of the training and his suitability as an agent was called into question after SOE…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Adolphe Deniset: Weapons instructor SOE F (French Section)

Adolphe François was a French Canadian whose parent unit was the Royal Canadian Artillery who began his SOE selection and training in October 1943. His training assessment describes him as very intelligent, mature minded, serious and of good motivation and stated he could do good work in the field. A later report added, whilst he has certain powers of leadership and has a pleasant and…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

JU87 'Stuka'. Under New Management (RAF). The full clip and other film archives can be found at: https://www.iwm.org.uk/

December 1943, Benghazi North Africa

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Northern Burma, troops of 2nd Battalion The Buffs cross the Shweli River before the assault on Myitson, with machine gun, mortar and artillery fire in support, as the divisional commander watches.

The full clip and other film archives can be found at: https://www.iwm.org.uk/ 2nd Battalion the Buffs