By Liana Jacob
AN INCREDIBLE series of photographs have been exposed in a new book that illustrates history’s forgotten moments.
The images depict the moment a winged version of the German V2 rocket took off before it devastated London in September 1944.
The photographs also show a group of sharply-dressed Cossacks, a group of predominantly East Slavic-speaking people who mainly came from Ukraine, charging forwards on their horses after falling victim to Joseph Stalin’s purges before and after the Second World War.
Other pictures reveal the time a B52 Stratofortress released its bomb load in the 1960s and the portrait of General George Marshall, the economic expert behind the Marshall Plan in Post-War Europe and the Ainu people of Japan.
The incredible photos are part of a book called Forgotten History by Jem Duducu. It is published by Amberley Publishing.
“It was the idea of both saving and expanding posts that inspired a good old-fashioned book – the one you’re reading now – so you could say that not only was this book inspired by social media, but also that Forgotten History has taken more than four years of research to produce,” Jem said.
“I have had great fun finding the weird and wonderful stories that enrich and enhance what we already know and remind us that history is not dull.
“Nothing else in history or prehistory comes close to this level of loss of life on our planet. The estimated numbers are truly terrifying, with up to 96 per cent of all marine species and 70 per cent of terrestrial vertebrate species becoming extinct.
The Ainu are indigenous people of Japan and Russia. The official population is 25,000 but unofficially there is an estimate of 200,000 due to many of them having completely integrated into Japanese society, which has resulted in them having no knowledge of their ancestry.
Another picture shows Sergeant Stubby, a dog who was the official mascot of the 102nd Infantry Regiment of the United States, sitting next to a young girl in a parade.
Stubby has been considered the most celebrated war dog of WW1 and the only dog to be nominated for rank and then promoted to sergeant through combat.
“The First World War is such a big subject, with such a glut of reference material, it is possible to spend years researching even the narrowest of its topics,” Jem said.
“However, in order to simplify some of the complex stories, TV dramas and documentaries often perpetuate inaccuracies and incorrect assumptions.
“Stubby is an unusual name for a soldier… unless the ‘soldier’ is a bull terrier and the most decorated dog in the First World War.
“He is also the only animal the US Army ever promoted to sergeant. Stubby first appeared at Yale University while a group of soldiers were in the midst of training.”
Forgotten History is published by Amberley Publishing and is available here:
