The History of Britain Magazine
Welcome to the History of Britain! The home nations share a varied and shared history unlike anywhere else, so we thought it only right to create a section dedicated to our mutual heritage.
The Anonymous Peter Puget
In a small graveyard in a tiny English village lies the tomb of Rear-Admiral Peter Puget. Virtually unknown in his homeland, this fine sailor rose from midshipman to Rear Admiral and gave his name to Puget Sound, Seattle in the USA…
Gun Law
In the hot summer of 1901 the country mourned the death of Queen Victoria. However once the period of mourning was over, with the hot weather a new craze was born: cycling. Thousands of cyclists eager to escape the city spilled out into the countryside, taking with them the latest fashionable accessory, a product known as ‘The Cyclist’s Friend’; a scaled-down handgun…
Admiral John Byng
“In this country, it is good to kill an admiral from time to time, in order to encourage the others”. This comment is taken from Voltaire’s ‘Candide’ which commented on the execution of the Admiral John Byng on 14th March 1757, with the charge of “failing to do his utmost”…
The Coronation 1953
On 2nd June 1953, the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place, and the whole country joined in celebration. The Queen arrived at Westminster Abbey looking radiant, but there was a problem in the Abbey: the carpet…
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne on the death of her father George VI in 1952, with the promise “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service”. And so it was with great sadness that on 8th September 2022, the death of our sovereign lady Queen Elizabeth II was announced. She had reigned for 70 years, 3 months and 5 days the longest-serving monarch in British history. God bless you Ma’am…
D Day 6th June 1944
The largest amphibious invasion in modern history was the invasion of Normandy in France on 6th June 1944, known as D Day. The aim was to free north-west Europe from German occupation. Over 150,000 troops landed in Normandy on D Day and by June 15th the total was over half a million. However the invasion came at great cost…
Death of the Prince Imperial: Zulus end Napoleonic Dynasty
Four days before Lord Chelmsford’s invading force ended the Anglo-Zulu War by defeating King Cetewayo’s army at the Battle of Ulundi, a Zulu impi killed Louis Napoleon, the heir to the French throne. The Prince Imperial’s death on 1 June 1879 ended the Napoleonic dynasty and dashed French royalists’ hopes of restoring the monarchy to republican France…
Air Clubs of World War Two
It may not be immediately obvious what a caterpillar, a goldfish, a guinea pig and a boot with wings all have in common. However, these are all names of air clubs that were formed before or during World War Two…
The Winged Boot Club
The ‘Late Arrivals Club’ or Winged Boot Club was born during the Western Desert Campaign in 1941. During this conflict many airmen were shot down, bailed out of aircraft, or crash landed deep in the desert. They then had to make their way back to safety, often from behind enemy lines…
