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In the event of a Nazi invasion, Britain would have deployed a network of deadly defences to impede the enemy at every turn

To some of us, post-1945 seems like yesterday – but if you are a younger researcher, this era could encompass several generations of your ancestors. More recent research is an important part of everyo

QMargaret Woodhall (née Smithson), born c1827 Liverpool (according to the 1851 census), was the sister of my great grandfather, James Murray Smithson, born c1835 in Edinburgh. Their father was William

Q One of the photos is of my paternal grandmother in what I’m sure is a VAD uniform but I can’t find her listed anywhere. I’m assuming this was c. 1914/16, as my father was born early 1918. She was bo

Simon Fowler The History Press, 276 pages, £20 With this year seeing the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and the prospect of the digitisation of most service records from 1921–196

Since 1940 Japan had been devoid of civilian politicians as the parties had been dissolved by the militaristic Imperial Rule Assistance Association, led by Lt General Hideki Tojo. Over the intervening