Another cheap pickup. This one a copy of the May 30th, 1941 edition of ‘The War Illustrated’. This was a magazine published in Britain throughout both world wars, having two print runs from 1914 to 1919, and from 1939 to 1947 respectively. It proved to be very popular, especially during the First World War, with a recorded circulation of around 750,000. Similar to German propaganda magazines of the Third Reich period, it focused on providing a pictorial record of the war’s latest events. Naturally, it had a patriotic spin to it.

The contents of this one are varied and very interesting, covering the damage caused by the Blitz - most notably the destruction of Westminster Abbey - among other things. To include the inexplicable flight of Rudolf Hess and his subsequent capture, the training of British paratroopers, events across occupied Europe, details of German tanks, Polish naval cadets, and pages of eyewitness accounts titled ‘I Was There!’.

I have photographed this magazine cover to cover. Not only to preserve a digital record of it, but to allow all of you here to peruse it to your heart’s content.

Happy reading!

Regards, B.B.