World War II is an incredibly significant time in our history, so many facts about the event are widespread. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t fascinating facts you likely don’t know about the WWII era. To further expand your knowledge of this iconic era, let’s break down three surprising facts about World War II.
Queen Elizabeth II Has a Military Record
One woman in the Royal Family has a military service record—Queen Elizabeth II. During WWII, Elizabeth was a Princess. In fact, the war spanned many of her teenage years. When Princess Elizabeth turned 18 years old, she became a Women’s Auxiliary Territory Service member after much debate with her family. On the battlefield, Elizabeth’s role was as a military truck mechanic and driver. Suffice it to say, a list of three surprising facts about World War II isn’t complete without this deep dive into the current Queen’s history.
The First Jeeps Took Two Days to Design
The Jeep is an iconic vehicle that came to fruition when the US military required light reconnaissance vehicles for WWII. The military reached out to more than 100 manufacturers to design and build their specialized vehicles, but only three were up for the challenge—Bantam, Willys, and Ford. Willys ultimately won the contract, but all three manufacturers were invaluable to the designing and manufacturing of WWII Jeeps. In fact, Bantam’s Karl Probst drew up the initial design for the first Jeep, which he was able to accomplish within two days. Although the US military used Bantam’s designs for the Jeep, Ford and Willys were better contenders to manufacture it due to their large production capabilities.
Asbestos Was a Battlefield Tool
Speaking of Jeeps, these vehicles had a reputation for helping soldiers travel through water successfully. However, their waterproof capabilities came down to the soldier behind the wheel. Before taking them into the water during WWII, soldiers had to follow very specific steps for waterproofing Willys Jeeps, many of which required an outdated use of asbestos. Today, we know that asbestos exposure has various health risks, including cancer. During WWII, people weren’t so privy to these facts. As a result, asbestos waterproofing compound (AWC) was a common tool for protecting Jeeps from moisture damage. The soldiers smeared the compound on a bevy of cracks and components to seal them safely for underwater travel.