Soldier may have turned 80 years old this month, but that’s not the only cause for celebration.
The magazine has launched a new online archive, which means searching for an article in a past issue – perhaps about a relative who once fought in the Army or you and your comrades serving on ops in a far-flung destination – has never been easier.
The collection contains every Soldier published since the first edition was distributed to troops in March 1945 (see below) – that’s nearly 1,300 issues in total due to two spells the magazine spent as a more regular fortnightly title, as well as the monthly publication it’s been for most of its life.
Soldier writers and photographers have recorded the bravery, fortitude and struggles of troops during every major conflict the British Army has been involved in since the mag began in the final months of the Second World War.
The reports include first-hand accounts of the surrender of Nazi Germany and the liberation of the concentration camps, the fall of the British Empire, the rise of the nuclear age, National Service, Northern Ireland and the conflicts in the Balkans and the Middle East over the last eight decades.
Soldier has also covered topics from food to kit, medals, welfare and housing – all of which means the archive contains a unique record of Service life during conflicts and peacetime.
With such a lot of ground to cover, the site is, thankfully, equipped with a search function, which can locate articles based on the date of the edition or a specific word or name.
Kate Holvey-Williams, The Royal British Legion’s head of Armed Forces engagement, said: “It’s a brilliant resource for veterans, military aficionados, researchers, casual readers and academics as well as serving personnel.
“Our many veterans will love scrolling back through Soldier’s pages, looking for stories about their comrades or unit when they served, or generally just for nostalgic reasons.”
Access to the Soldier archive is free for all, where you can search by keywords and view the most recent digital editions of the magazine that are optimised for mobile phones and tablets.
