The World at War

Soviet soldiers surrender to German troops during the opening weeks of Operation Barbarossa - July 1941

German Army Group B captures Rouen - France, 9th June 1940. After routing the French 10th Army on the Somme and reaching the river Aisne at Soissons, Army Group B captured Rouen. The remnants of the 10th Army retreated to the Channel coast creating a breach in the French lines which in turn opened the way for the advance on Paris.

A German lookout keeps watch over the Atlantic from La Corbiere, St Brelade, Jersey during the occupation of the Channel Islands 20th June 1940 to 9th May 1945

A jeep and other vehicles from the British 3rd Infantry Division in La Brèche d'Hermanville as they move inland from Sword Beach - Normandy, 6th June 1944. Photo : IWM

The assembly line at the Chrysler factory in Michigan changes over from M3 to M4 model Shermans while the line continues moving - USA, date unknown

German front line ‘spotters’ keep a look out for enemy positions - Poland, Sept 1939

Universal carriers and infantry of the British 10th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment advance 'under fire' during training near Sudbury in Suffolk, 10th June 1942. Creator: Puttnam, Len A. (Captain), War Office official photographer. Source: © IWM (H 20536)

A German Panzer III tank crew waits for their comrades to catch up - Eastern Front during the early stages of Operation Barbarossa - July 1941

Canadian soldiers of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa keep watch as medics treat a comrade - Caen, Normandy, France, 1944

US soldiers, enroute to the beaches of Normandy as D-day gets underway - 6th June 1944

British soldiers from The King's Own Scottish Borderers take a moment to rest as they await further orders - Normandy, France 1944. Colour by DB Color

A German mortar team get ready for action - exact date and location unknown

A British Splatter mask worn by a French tank gunner - 1918. The mask was designed to help protect the crewmember's face from shrapnel when looking through the view ports. The eye covers were metal, the mask was leather and there was a chainmail skirt to cover the mouth.

Vehicles of the US 10th Armoured Division crossing a canal near Kaiserslautern in Germany - March 1945