Stories from the collection

Roger Bushell (1910–1944) was a pilot, prisoner of war (POW), and mastermind of the ‘Great Escape’ from Stalag Luft III in March 1944.

Who lived in the real Albert Square and what can their lives tell us about 19th-century London life?

This deed reveals some of the animals kept to perform on the Tudor stage or in arenas. It includes ‘an old she bear called Nan’, some bulls, a horse and an ape.

Discover how this guerrilla group played a significant role in opposing Japan and aiding Allied prisoners of war around Hong Kong.

Ravenser Odd was a short-lived island in the mouth of the River Humber. It rose from the sea in the early 13th century and had sunk beneath the waves by 1360.

Lady Malcolm’s elaborate Servants’ Balls allowed queer, working-class staff to forge a unique space for themselves. But these events became plagued by scandal.

LGBT+ Switchboard is one of the oldest telephone helplines supporting queer communities in the UK. Its journey to register as a charity was not easy.

Death duty records can reveal a great deal about a person’s true feelings. What can we learn about the loves and friendships of author Virginia Woolf from hers?

Judy's remarkable story is one of capture, survival and courage, and offers a unique tale of internment during the war.

This document sets out the laws its signatory nations agreed to follow around the treatment of prisoners of war, those in medical need, and civilians.

During the Second World War, some British prisoners of war were able to send secret messages and intelligence back home via creative and unusual ways.

War diaries were historical records created by units in the British Army during wartime. This one is unusual: it contains posters and Christmas cards.