This GC blew me away. I cannot fathom the selflessness of Rev Herbert Pugh, who went down with the ship HMT Anselm. An interesting aside, Anselm was sunk by U96, made famous by Lothar-Günther Buchheim, author of Das Boot. Buchheim joined the boat a few months after Anselm. linktr.ee/NewsOfTheWar

Hello. Some of you may have been on the WHW livestream last night and heard Al talking about our podcast @newsofthewar.bsky.social We try not to hang off others coattails but, well they brought it up! (we’re overwhelmed by the kindness) Interested? here’s the link linktr.ee/NewsOfTheWar

Apropos the recent @WeHaveWaysPod series, the film of Sink the Bismarck is a constant, smashing reminder of men and map rooms. Affinity with the situation at a distance, decision-making in context, correlation on a small scale and horrendous decisions. Maps, eh.

Who is this chap? Find out who he is and what he’s going on about, tomorrow on News Of The War with @andyaitch.bsky.social and @merrynwalters.uk linktr.ee/NewsOfTheWar

Held this map for real yesterday, and was totally thrown by it. Soviet gulag network, as experienced by two Polish officers: Sylvester Mora and Pierre Zwierniak. Included in a book of first-hand accounts ~ SprawiedliwośćSowiecka ~ published in 1945.

The proverbial lasagna of meanwhiles. A packed pod. @merrynwalters.uk looses it over a map. @andyaitch.bsky.social talks sense over the catastrophe of the Bengal Famine. And of course the closing headlines, bonkers of course. @newsofthewar.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/0psL...

If I won the lottery, there would be signs. One of those signs would be a Bellerby Globe, with WW2 campaigns. Just puttin' that out there. In the cosmos, as it were. [Note to self: also buy lottery ticket.]

Agreed - another belter-banger from @nmtdambusters.bsky.social, and more than deserving of a wee map.

Day of days. Below, part of the map approved by SS-Sturmbannführer Max Jesuiter, Chief of Staff, Warsaw SS - the basis on which boundaries for the ghetto were agreed.

Another jam packed pod from @merrynwalters.uk and @andyaitch.bsky.social. Monkeys and school shoes, or the lack thereof. Shoes that is, not monkeys. As an aside I recall @spitfirefilly.bsky.social and @danellin.bsky.social did a presentation on GOMORRAH at WHWFV or F. Grim stuff.

I am genuinely intrigued, and keen to monitor the way in which future historians handle this travesty of recollection and tragedy of public, cognitive decline. This chapter’s going to be called “When America Played Its Worst Trump Card.”

🚨 Latest instalment of MONKEY AIR RAID NEWS 🚨 Coming this Friday on @newsofthewar.bsky.social @merrynwalters.uk linktr.ee/NewsOfTheWar

Still fizzing. FIZZING. Been looking for this for years, let alone at an affordable price. My unsolicited advice to anyone, everyone really, is to never eschew the opportunity for getting down on your hands and knees in the far, back room of a rarely visited bookshop.

Got lost and was getting irritated in Essex, and then spotted a Merlin Way, a Lancaster Close, a Wellington Road, a Blenheim Way - and then I thought …. hmmm. 🤔 Turns out, it was North Weald airfield, once home to the Historic Flight, predecessors to @RAFBBMF - et al.

Stiffkey rush hour.

Hey bud, which way to the latest episode of @newsofthewar.bsky.social ? ….. È da quella parte! linktr.ee/NewsOfTheWar

It's still January! There's more #NewsoftheWar! We're in 1943. Acutally, it's July 20th - and guess what's happening in the headlines? Yep, that's right. Siiiiiicily. @andyaitch.bsky.social @merrynwalters.uk linktr.ee/NewsOfTheWar

Good morning from Glen Feshie, where the 52nd Lowland Division had their mountain training school from 1942 to 1944. True to form it’s pissing it doon.

#MappingHistory Fwiw, part of 2026 involves chipping in with a bit more context on epic maps. Such as a bit of background about the Gallery of Maps, in the Vatican. It’s stunning, and it’s based on work done by Egnatio (Ignazio) Danti: 🧵

It's fine. It's still 10 days until 21st Jan - the anniversary of 4 US nukes going down on Greenland in 1968 and only 3 getting fully recovered - so that's plenty of time for *everyone* at @foxnews-mun-1.bsky.social to get a pep-talk on pronouncing 'Narssarssuk'. AMS: Greenland 1:500,000, 1944.

Mapmakers will change the word ‘Iran’ for free, but should get triple time if updates need doing to ‘Greenland ’ or ‘Venezuela’.

One of the best little parking spots in London, that. £16, for eight hours. @RGS_IBG, 100m away. Always got two coppers on duty, and usually has 412 hard nuts on the balcony too.

Been waiting for this one to pop up. 😊 Greenland. Coloured in, as part of the ‘Technate of America map’. As shown in July 1940 issue of ‘official magazine of Technocracy Inc.’ And here’s the twist: Elon Musk’s maternal grandfather - Joshua Haldeman - was a prominent member of Technocracy Inc.

🫶

The ‘P.A.M’ map gets a lot of air time, but rarely with an explanation. So here goes. “Die Unionisierung Mitteleuropas!” was a 24-page German-language pamphlet, published a year after the Treaty of Versailles was agreed (1920). It included this infamous map. 🧵

🚨It's the #newsofthewar. Might be our best yet: it's 10th April 1943, and it's all happening this week! Check out the headlines behind the frontlines, and controversial hot takes on Slim, Monty, and more. Starting in North Africa... @andyaitch.bsky.social @merrynwalters.uk

A propaganda map showing the US as a colonial outpost of Germany and the Central Powers. The map appeared on the front cover of Life Magazine on February 10, 1916.

I stick to WW2 maps, mostly. This is an exception. Why? First, it has [WW2] written on it. Second, there are plats owned by William Walters. Third, it's just a great plat map. An awesome snapshot of 1880s socio-economics, and a reminder, land was carved into what seem like bizarre regular parcels.

You can see why he's getting uppity. This was made in 1945 by the US Coast and Geodetic Survey, and the USAAF. Mercator, bigging it up for Greenland and aerial routes here, and described as a map 'crucial for military planning and operations. Personally, I prefer details in ...

Bogus and BIGOT. Snappy work from @ww2headquarters.bsky.social youtu.be/FoYnGzKRH_w?...

A signature style in WW2 infographic propaganda mapping: originally an architect, Robert M Chapin Jr. was a pioneer, setting a standard for style that others envied - he led Time magazine’s map dept for 33 years.

Proper-map, this. Smashing bit of WW2 manga. Best aside is in the footnotes: “Japan has decided to resolve the China incident quickly without paying attention to the European war.” 👀

“Something like ‘Chastise’. Husky. Torch. Mincemeat, even. Dynamo. Overlord - ” “ - NOPE. ABSOLUTE RESOLVE.”

“A WW2 map? Of Venezuela? One moment please, caller.” Okay: Harrison’s 1940 ‘oil drop’ projection underpins the Standard Map (that’s Standard Oil, obvs) - a map of oil routes, showing the impact of WW2. See, in 1939, Venezuela was the world's top oil exporter…

An argument exists that an architectural folly cannot exist, as the act of its creation provides a purpose, thus nullifying its definition as a useless building. Forgotten battles. Idem. *peruses map of 12th African Div in Battle of Gondar* *peels seventh mince pie*

Coming this Friday on News Of the War… The annual report from the Scottish Society for Recording Abnormal Happenings 1942. linktr.ee/NewsOfTheWar @merrynwalters.uk @andyaitch.bsky.social

APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE OF COVENTRY…. On NOTW this week, with @merrynwalters.uk and I, we read an article about a character that lived in Coventry during the war. we can’t find anything also about him… anyone from the Cov area know anything? It would be great to find out. linktr.ee/NewsOfTheWar

Commandos? Boulonge? Slipper wearing jock ex policeman - notorious for putting the cosh on east end criminals? We’ve got you covered on @newsofthewar.bsky.social this week linktr.ee/NewsOfTheWar

READ ALL ABOUT IT! It’s News of The War time. Join @andyaitch.bsky.social & @merrynwalters.uk as we discuss the news headlines from the 24th April 1942…. Are the fortunes of war turning? Take a listen and you decide linktr.ee/NewsOfTheWar

Heathrow. Calm before the storm. Coffee so strong, I can see WiFi.

October 7th. Which means that, in among the headlines today, it's this monster's 27th birthday. Half as old as I am, and twice the person, already. #kidshuh #proudmum #properjobandcanbuyherowncakenow

From too-many too-good-to miss talks to The Two Rommels, the tanks, the catch-ups with friends old and new … big thanks to the WHWF team this weekend… and to everyone who came along to hear me squeaking on about maps (again!)

Channeling Ole Gunnar Solskjær in the 99’ CL final… Last minute substitute for the indomitable PCA at WHWF5 this weekend, to chat about the Rhine crossing. Honoured to be on stage with Al and John Mc - chat ranged between Quinctilius Varus to post VE Day civil affairs

We’re stumped at NOTW HQ…. @andyaitch.bsky.social and @merrynwalters.uk can’t make out what type of tank this on the transporter, it’s in our new episode, out tomorrow….. Can you help? Taken in August 1941 in the western desert…. Let us know what you think.

WELL SAID. 😊

Getting the blitz maps together for WHWFest. So much myth busting it actually hurts. 😆

Jolly excited about this weeks episode, in a mid season break of 1941 we have our first guest editor for News Of The War! @prof-tregoning.bsky.social joins @andyaitch.bsky.social and @merrynwalters.uk to talk about infections, immunology, horse serum and much more. 🚨 Friday 5th September 🚨

If I had a penny for every time we've pulled back from a WW2 rabbit hole ... but it's what keeps us all fascinated, isn't it? The fact there's so much more to find out?

Please joins us this Friday for the latest episode of @newsofthewar.bsky.social We’re launching our new recurring feature: Monkey Air Raid News @merrynwalters.uk

@merrynwalters.uk and I talked a little bit about the war in Somaliland on the @newsofthewar.bsky.social pod this week. The Illustrated London News ran this amazing sketch a week later: A pony section of the Somali Camel Corps on a rocky lookout post near the HARGEISA BERBERA. ✏️ By “Snaffles”