Fascinating Things You Didn’t Know About World War II

By superadmin | December 3, 2020 |

Suffice it to say, World War II is an unforgettable event in world history. Despite how memorable the event itself is, some stories from this period have unfortunately fallen to the wayside through the years. These three fascinating things you didn’t know about World War II will enlighten you on some truly captivating facts worth remembering.

Queen Elizabeth II Served in the War

To say that Queen Elizabeth II is an iconic figure today is an understatement. However, she wasn’t always a queen. As World War II began, Queen Elizabeth was Princess Elizabeth, a 13-year-old girl. Once Elizabeth turned 18, the war was still going on, and she didn’t want to sit by and watch. It took a lot of debating between Elizabeth and her family, but she was ultimately allowed to join the Women’s Auxiliary Territory Service, where she swiftly learned how to be a mechanic and a driver of military trucks. To this day, Queen Elizabeth is the only woman in the Royal Family with a military service record.

Jeeps Were Initially Invented for Battlefield Purposes

The Jeep Wrangler is an iconic vehicle, but Jeeps went through a long, intriguing history between the original Willys MB and the Wrangler. Jeeps weren’t initially meant to appeal to normal civilians. Instead, they were products of the U.S. Army’s need for a quarter-ton light reconnaissance vehicle. In 1940, as the U.S. was preparing for World War II, the Army reached out to over 130 car manufacturers in an attempt to find the right company for the job. Out of all the manufacturers the Army urgently reached out to, only a handful actually tried to win the contract. Bantam, Ford, and Willys-Overland were ultimately the manufacturers that brought the Jeep to life.

Bantam’s design was a success, but the Army promptly reached out to Willys-Overland and Ford to aid in the production as well as to provide some design alterations of their own. Jeeps wouldn’t actually become civilian vehicles until after the war came to a close in 1945.

One Jeep Was a Purple Heart Recipient

Out of all three of these fascinating things you didn’t know about World War II, an automobile earning a Purple Heart might be the most shocking. “Old Faithful” is a WWII Jeep that originally transported Marine generals and other high-ranking military members through Bougainville and Guadalcanal before retiring from service in December 1943. Due to damages Old Faithful sustained during its time in Guadalcanal, it became the first American vehicle to ever earn the iconic Purple Heart.

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