Reflections from Singapore on the 80th anniversary of when the Imperial Japanese Army formally surrendered to the Allied forces: www.bbc.com/travel/artic...

Move over, Miss Marple.

Delighted to have signed a contract with @edinburghup.bsky.social to produce a scholarly edition of Fred Urquhart’s war-time letters. Urquhart, an accomplished writer, was a lover of men and admirer of flamboyant women. His letters offer a Rabelaisian account of the British #SWW home front.

Slightly belated, but I have a promotion code from @oxfordacademic.bsky.social for my book, Wales in England 1914-1945: fdslive.oup.com/www.oup.com/...

Amazon UK is apparently 'price pulsing' my book. This means some days it is £90, but today it is £31!!! Grab this bargain whilst you can 😁

At the Scottish National War Memorial (Edinburgh Castle) for VJ Day 80th anniversary commemoration service. Is there more of a concerted effort this year to pay attention to VJ Day? Or were previous significant anniversaries the same?

On the recommendation of Richard Lloyd Parry, I have just read 'Summer Flowers' (1947) by Tamiki Hara, a starkly mesmerising survivor's account of Hiroshima, immediately after the atomic bombing: www.fpri.org/wp-content/u...

Hadley is correct.

The film critic Dilys Powell is often mentioned on the @warmovietheatre.bsky.social podcast. A relatively unknown name these days, she is one of the biographical studies in my book, Wales in England 1914-1945.

My book, 'Wales in England 1914-1945. A Social, Cultural, & Military History', is currently available at a more affordable price (✨️58% off✨️). How ideas of Wales and Welshness influenced two generations of English soldiers & writers: www.amazon.co.uk/Wales-Englan...

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As a Council member of the Army Records Society, I'd like to draw your attention to our new round of Fellowships. Deadline for proposals is 11:59pm (GMT) on 2 Nov 2025. More detailed info here: www.smh-hq.org/opps/jobs.html

Nice to see a mention here of Richard Llewellyn, author of How Green Was My Valley (1939). When Dean and Llewellyn attended a wartime meeting betw ENSA & the BBC, the latter appeared in a green suit & violet tie, causing one wag to comment: "How keen was my valet!".

The Lascaris War Rooms, Valletta commemorate Malta's pivotal role in Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily, beginning 9 July 1943:

Your excruciating wait is almost over!! In just 143 days you will be able to read my new book, Encounters in Wartime Italy: A Social History of Invasion, Liberation, and Occupation, which Oxford University Press will publish on 10 November 2025!! Preview it on the OUP website: lnkd.in/e4tMffRX

My book, 'Wales in England 1914-1945. A Social, Cultural, & Military History', is currently available at a more manageable price (47% off). In case you can no longer wait to hear how ideas of Wales and Welshness influenced two generations of English soldiers: www.amazon.co.uk/Wales-Englan...

If it's a departmental poster, it must be happening...

Visited The Robin Chapel today, an exquisite #SWW memorial to Lt. Robin Tudsbery (1919-45). It is situated within a disabled veterans' housing scheme in Craigmillar, set up by his grieving parents.

Inspired by @warmovietheatre.bsky.social I have watched Mosquito Squadron (1969) for the first time on BBC iPlayer. Main conclusion: Nicky Henson and the Second World War don't mix.

Listening to this podcast on train home (post-Second World War conference) and, as ever, it became particularly moving when John Crace reflected on the impact of the war on his own family members.

Welsh Guards officer and artist Rex Whistler was killed near Caen, Normandy in July 1944. His final artwork was a charcoal sketch of Madonna and Child on the wall of a ruined chapel: "a faint minor chord that no audience ever noticed.” thecatholicherald.com/the-catholic...

Mersa - Keith Douglas (1920-1942) Now from the skeletal town the cherry skinned soldiers stroll down to undress to idle on the white beach... I see my feet like stones underwater. The logical little fish converge and nip the flesh imagining I am one of the dead

Thank you @wugolini.bsky.social for your talk on expression of English Welsh identities during the First World War. As you know this is a concept that I understand - although mine isn't an English Welsh identity, it's a Welsh identity living in England. :-)

An oddly-toned film. Noteworthy for its attempt to find commonalities between China, Russia, and England: "the honourable company of tea drinkers!": youtu.be/Cm-iX3JvO7A?...

At City Chambers event today commemorating the #SWW presence of Czech service personnel in Scotland. Thanks to Veronika Macleod for organising.

Fascinating #SWW project by @cgregoriou.bsky.social lahri.leeds.ac.uk/impact/iaa/m...

A poll by Joe Twyman (Deltapoll) for @warmovietheatre.bsky.social on the Top 10 #SWW films reveals that many members of the UK public 'have never seen a war movie.' Sobering thought. What ever happened to the BBC2 Saturday matinee?

Thanks to everyone who attended our colloquium, 1945/2025. Reflections on the Second World War' @hcaatedinburgh.bsky.social. The positive feedback has been overwhelming, and we thank you for your contribution to making it such a success.

A lovely UG student sent me this 'academics in action' shot from our #SWW colloquium @hcaatedinburgh.bsky.social. From our AHRC panel on UK service personnel in colonial spaces.

A fitting end to our #SWW colloquium: St Giles Cathedral Edinburgh lit up for VE Day commemorations. Thanks to everyone who made it such a wonderful day 🫶

Solid quotation in @theipaper.com today on VE Day and memory of the Second World War in the UK, thanks to Cahal Milmo.

Just been 'stood down' from BBC Radio Scotland interview on VE Day because they hadn't anticipated how many listeners would call in with stories. Raphael Samuel famously said that for the 50th anniv of VE Day, there were more events in Hampshire than the whole of Scotland. Was he missing something?

Our SWW Studies colloquium, '1945/2025' @hcaatedinburgh.bsky.social is just three days away. For the first time, we will be speaking about our AHRC project, Beyond Borders. I will be addressing British officers who served in East Africa.

"It was there. It was always there". Actor Ross Kemp on BBC neatly touching on the intergenerational transmission of #SWW memories from the war generation to their grandchildren growing up in the 1970s. #VEDay

Brief respite from exam marking @hcaatedinburgh.bsky.social

This is a great essay by Wendy which I encourage everyone to read. However, because life wouldn’t be interesting without some friendly dissent, I am going to disagree with this bit a little.

A few years ago, I was commissioned by @boapublishing.bsky.social to write this summary piece on the cultural memory of the Second World War in Britain: britishonlinearchives.com/posts/catego...

@warmovietheatre.bsky.social I sensed you weren't keen on 'I Was Monty's Double'. How about a Western Desert trilogy: Sahara (1943), Bitter Victory (1957) and Sea of Sand (1958)? If your listeners sit in front of Talking Pictures TV long enough, they will know them.

As part of Scotland's Festival of Europe 2025, the organisers have included a self-guided tour of locations associated with the presence of Polish military forces in #SWW Scotland: eurowalks.scot/polish-tour-...

'The Day D' (1944) by Danish surrealist Wilhem Freddie at SMK Copenhagen. Depicts his 'nightmarish vision' of the Normandy landings; his 'mirror held up to the world':

Great news! I am recruiting a(nother) PhD student! 'Ulster Americans' is a collaborative PhD with National Museums NI, specifically the Ulster American Folk Park, and is open to home and international students so please spread the word! More details in the link. www.qub.ac.uk/courses/post...

Dipping my toe into First World War Studies for a change: www.history.ac.uk/events/recor...

PhD opportunity co-supervised by me: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DMM400/p...

University of Derby faces mass job cuts as management plans to make half of senior academics redundant. Please spread the word. www.ucu.org.uk/article/1398...

My favourite SWW podcast @warmovietheatre.bsky.social is back, this time discussing Dunkirk (2017, not 1958). Loved the back story of the death of @roberthutton.co.uk 's uncle nr Cassel and his family's search for answers.

Gripped by an interview with former WAAF, Joyce Wylie, held at the Imperial War Museum. Wylie served in these caves near the Mokattam Hills whilst based at Tura-el-Amant, Egypt. Image: IWM (CM 5892).

Delighted to announce an exciting collaborative PhD studentship at @uni-of-warwick.bsky.social and the Imperial War Museum in London. The project is entitled "Lithographs of the First World War: printmaking, propaganda and mobilisation" and funded by the AHRC. 👇👇👇 warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/his... 🗃️

Please use this link to register and find the payment link (£10) www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/19452025-r...

Here is the final programme for our Second World War Network (Scotland) colloquium Univ of Edinburgh 9 May. Only a few audience places left.

Gavin Schaffer will be launching his brilliant new book ‘An Unorthodox History: British Jews Since 1945’ at Birkbeck on Thurs 26th March! He’ll be in conversation with the wonderful Tony Kushner @ihr.bsky.social @ihrjewishhistory.bsky.social You can register here: www.history.ac.uk/events/book-...