Military History | The Runway

Military history is a field that studies warfare and its societal impacts, including battle strategies, weaponry progression, and military technology evolution. It's crucial for understanding societal evolution and informing military strategies. Strategists can learn from victories and defeats by analysing past wars to inform future decisions. Military history also reveals societal responses to conflict, guiding efforts to prevent future wars and promote peace. Additionally, it fosters national identity by allowing societies to remember and honour their past. In essence, military history provides valuable insights into the past, present, and human nature.

Military History

The Importance of the Invasion of Sicily

Operation Husky captured Sicily, toppled Mussolini, and enabled the invasion of Italy; but Allied command failures allowed more than 100,000 Axis troops to escape. The campaign highlights enduring lessons about coalition coordination and joint planning.

Curtiss P-40N Kittyhawk Temora.

Military History

Restored WWII fighter plane tests out .50 caliber machine guns

An iconic World War II P-40 Warhawk has been restored to flying condition with functional replica guns, preserving aviation heritage through accurate restoration, with its revival documented in a forthcoming YouTube documentary.

Royal Australian Air Force members from Number 21 Squadron stand proudly in front of a B-24 Liberator bomber, an airframe operated by the squadron in the closing years of World War Two, during a tour of the B-24 Liberator Restoration Museum in Werribee, Victoria

Military History

The Davis Wing, the B-24 Liberator, and the Self-Made Bet That Paid Off

The B-24 Liberator, World War II’s most-produced American aircraft, owed its success to David Davis’s unconventional wing design, which improved speed, range, fuel capacity, and payload, demonstrating how practical innovation can outperform established scientific orthodoxy.

Military History

Mystery of Hannibal’s infamous Alps crossing gets a major clue

New modelling suggests Hannibal’s Alpine crossing most likely followed the Col de la Traversette, identifying it as the most energy-efficient route for moving troops, horses and war elephants during the Second Punic War.

Military History

WWII assault tank found buried in sand near the North Sea

German archaeologists excavated a remarkably preserved World War II StuG III assault vehicle, providing valuable insights into German armoured warfare, battlefield history and long-term preservation before its restoration and museum display.

Liaison Officer - Leading Aircraftman Andrew Hunter

Military History

First Nations Australians serving during World War II

Despite enlistment barriers, 6,500–7,000 Aboriginal Australians served in World War II in military and civilian roles. Their contributions were vital, yet most returned to ongoing inequality, delayed recognition, and denied rights and benefits.

Military History

The Importance of the Battle of the Little Bighorn

Custer’s 1876 defeat at Little Bighorn, though small, became legendary. It highlights leadership, flawed assumptions, and institutional failures, showing that victory depends on cultural understanding—not just tactics, technology, or individual heroism.

Military History

Bravery in Burma: Despite being rendered blind by the Japanese, this soldier fought on

Operations in Burma during 1945 demonstrated that multinational Allied units operating in extreme jungle conditions achieved strategic disruption against Japanese forces, highlighted by 1st Lt. Jack L. Knight’s Medal of Honor during the Burma Campaign.

Military History

Okinawa memorial day speakers reflect on sacrifice, peace and ‘heavy burden’ of US bases

Okinawa’s 81st Battle of Okinawa memorial highlighted the enduring human cost of war, remembrance of over 240,000 victims, and ongoing debate over Japan’s security policies, constitutional reform, and the long-term presence of US forces.

Military History

Long-lost World War II ‘Hellship’ may have finally been found

Maritime archaeologists identified the WWII Japanese Hellship Hōfuku Maru wreck off the Philippines using sonar and dive evidence, clarifying its sinking location and providing historical closure for families of prisoners who died aboard in 1944.