One in ten Brits (9%) admit they are “clueless” when it comes to knowledge of World War Two – with 37% having no idea when the conflict even took place, a study has found.
Nearly four in ten (38%) are not confident about which countries ultimately emerged victorious, while a third, of 2,000 adults polled, had no idea Sir Winston Churchill was Prime Minister during the war.
And their knowledge of wartime battles is also lacking, as 42% were unaware the Battle of Stalingrad was fought in the former Soviet Union.
Similarly, three in ten (29%) were unable to say which country the key French commune of Dunkirk was in.
In fact, when it comes to young adults, aged 18-24, knowledge seems to be especially lacking – as 8% believe the Battle of Stalingrad took place in the UK, while 9% think Dunkirk is found in Ireland.
Four in ten, of all those polled, also don't know what the Blitz was – unaware that it was a German bombing campaign against the UK, which occurred in 1940 and 1941.
And 30% had no idea that an atomic bomb was used on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
In fact, almost half (47%) did not realise that Hitler's invasion of Poland in September 1939 effectively started the Second World War, leading to an estimated 35 to 60 million casualties globally.
However, the study, commissioned to mark the launch of World War II PC game, Company of Heroes 3, found 44% claim to be knowledgeable about the Second World War.
And almost half (48%) believe it is important that “everyone” has a good understanding of this pivotal event.
David Littman, VP of production at Relic Entertainment, Inc., said: “There is a real hunger across the UK to learn how the Second World War has shaped life as we know it.
“As the number of veterans continues to dwindle, the research highlighted the role that entertainment, such as video games, now plays in educating people about this pivotal moment in history.
“In Company of Heroes 3, we felt a responsibility to deliver a truly authentic experience of warfare, with campaigns in Italy and North Africa set to educate gamers of the incredible sacrifices that were made during World War II.”
The study, carried out via OnePoll, also found that those in the 18-24 age group are most keen to learn more about this period (45%) – as one in ten believe the Battle of Britain led to the start of World War II.
And 7% of this age group think that D-day on the beaches of Normandy, in 1944, was the cause of the outbreak.
In fact, those aged 18-24 know as much about the conflict from video games (33%) as they do from museums (34%).
And adults in general feel they have learnt more about World War II from documentaries (64%) and films (59%), than in school (55%).
But 40% of young adults consider entertainment to be the most effective tool for learning about World War II – and 36% think video games will be used to teach kids about this period in schools by 2030.
Despite 45% of young adults admitting they would like to have a better knowledge of this period, only 35% have ever spoken to family and friends about their own experiences.
To mark the launch of Company of Heroes 3, its makers have teamed up with comedian and World War II expert, Al Murray, to arrange for redeemable codes for the game to be delivered to one fan by using a specially trained homing pigeon, called CoHdy.
During both the First and Second World Wars, the feathered creatures, sometimes called war pigeons, were used to send military messages due to their homing ability, speed, and altitude.
And now, with the help of Birds for Film, which has trained animals for film and TV, this method of communication will be used again – ensuring the game franchise’s “biggest fan” gets their copy first.
Al Murray said: “As someone who is passionate about WWII and a huge fan of the franchise so far, I jumped at the opportunity to help SEGA launch Company of Heroes 3.
“As we have less direct contact with those who experienced the war first-hand, it’s important that we seek other ways to improve our knowledge, and prevent the harsh lessons that were learned during WWII from being forgotten.
“It was a unique experience to create a delivery service using homing pigeons.
“And we must remember that 32 of the feathered animals were awarded medals to recognise everything they endured during the war.”
