The UK is at risk of wiping World War II from memory as new research reveals 37% of Brits have no idea when this pivotal period in history happened and a third (32%) admit they don’t know Sir Winston Churchill was Prime Minister during the conflict. The study, commissioned by SEGA Europe Limited to mark the launch of Company of Heroes 3 found an alarming discrepancy between what Brits think they know about World War II and reality, despite half (48%) believing it is important to have knowledge of the event that shaped the country they live in today. More than two out of five (44%) Brits describe themselves as knowledgeable about the events of World War II, compared to just a tenth (9%) who admit they’re ‘clueless’.
Barely half (53%) of Brits know that it was Hitler’s invasion of Poland in 1939 that started the conflict, which ultimately led to an estimated 35 to 60 million casualties globally. One in 10 (10%) 18-24-year-olds believe it was the Battle of Britain that lit the touchpaper of war across Europe, and 7% of Gen-Z think it was D-day on the beaches of Normandy. Meanwhile, two out of five (38%) Brits aren’t sure which countries went on to emerge victorious from World War II.
The research found that some of the biggest world-defining moments could soon be resigned to the history books. Two out of five (40%) Brits are oblivious to what The Blitz was, unaware it was a German bombing campaign against the UK which occurred in 1940 and 1941, and almost a third (30%) have no idea an atomic bomb led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
What’s more, two fifths of (42%) Brits have no idea the Battle of Stalingrad occurred in the former Soviet Union, and almost a third (29%) don’t know which country Dunkirk is in, despite the French commune being a key location during the Second World War. Indeed, one in 12 (8%) 18-24-year-olds believe the Battle of Stalingrad took place in the UK, and 9% of Gen-Z think Dunkirk can be found in Ireland.
More Brits learned about World War II from documentaries (64%) and films (59%) than they did at school (55%), while 18-24-year-olds are as likely to learn about the conflict from video games (33%) as they are from going to museums (34%).
Clearly, therefore, media has a responsibility to educate as well as entertain the next generation. Indeed, two out of five (40%) from Gen-Z consider entertainment to be the most effective tool for learning about World War II, compared to a quarter (24%) of Brits, and more than a third (36%) of 18-24-year-olds think video games will be used to teach kids in school by 2030.
Despite almost half (45%) of Gen-Z admitting they would like to have a better knowledge of World War II, only a third (35%) have ever spoken to family and friends about what they experienced during the conflict. Indeed, only a quarter (23%) of 18-24-year-olds know what their relatives’ job was during World War II, just a fifth (20%) know where they were stationed, and one in ten (10%) know whether they participated in any notable battles.
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 WWII.”
To mark the launch of Company of Heroes 3, SEGA and Relic Entertainment have teamed up with comedian and Second World War expert Al Murray to arrange for redeemable codes for the World War II strategy game to be delivered to fans 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, the company which has trained animals for productions such as Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes and The Crown, this method of communication will be used once again to ensure the franchise’s biggest fan receives the third instalment before anyone else.
Al Murray said: “As someone who is passionate about the Second World War 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 the Second World War 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. I’m excited for fans to see more!”
