Gladiators of World War II

Originally created as Hitler's personal household troops, the Waffen-SS grew into a formidable fighting force during World War 2. It gained a reputation second to none for its tenacity in combat, but also for brutality, which made it the subject of numerous Allied war crimes investigations.

In the dark days of summer 1940 Winston Churchill set up the Special Operations Executive to "set Europe ablaze". Its task was to nurture and support the resistance movements springing up across Occupied Europe. It also operated in the Middle and Far East. The brave men and women of SOE operated under constant threat to their lives, but were responsible for some remarkably successful blows against the Axis enemy.

The brainchild of a junior British officer, the Special Air Service first saw action in North Africa, making daring raids against Axis airfields. Thereafter it continued to specialise in operations behind enemy lines in Italy, the Greek Islands, and North-West Europe. The skills that the SAS acquired during World War 2 enabled it to become one of today's foremost Special Forces throughout the world.

The men of the British Armoured Division gained the nickname Desert Rats during their epic campaign against the Axis forces under Erwin Rommel in the deserts of Egypt and Libya. Thereafter, the Desert Rats fought with great distinction in Sicily, Italy and North-West Europe. Their long road took them from the Suez Canal to the Nazi capital of Berlin.

The German overrunning of their country in 1939 did not crush the Polish spirit. Many escaped to the West to carry on the fight. Polish fighter pilots played a major role in the Battle of Britain, while Polish ground forces helped to liberate Western Europe. Another Polish force, held captive by the Russians in Siberia, made an epic trek to the Middle East to fought in Italy, where their courage brought a victorious end to the bitter battle for Monte Cassino.

It was the Few of RAF Fighter Command who saved Britain from almost certain defeat in summer 1940. The unique spirit generated by its fighter pilots enabled the Command to overcome the might of the Luftwaffe and to continue to wage a relentless campaign which finally ended in ultimate victory in May 1945.