The Plans for 2025
What are the plans for 2025? As we step into 2025, it’s the perfect time to share what lies ahead for this year. Here’s an overview of my upcoming projects and plans:
The 452nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion: Destroyers of the Luftwaffe and Jim Crow will be published!
The book on the 452nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion will be available in March 2025 in the UK and EU, while the book will become available in May 2025 in the US. Pre-orders for both books are available through the websites of the publishers: Pen and Sword and Casemate. The battalion, which fought as part of General Patton’s Third Army, fought valiantly in Europe during the Second World War and their history deserves much more attention than it has received so far.
I’m particularly glad that I got in touch with the family of Stafford Rimes, a soldier of the battalion who was killed in combat, and we have included an image of him in the book. You can also view it here.
The 777th Field Artillery Battalion
Progress continues on my project about the 777th Field Artillery Battalion. While I can’t set a publication date just yet, I’m in the final stages of writing. As always, history can be full of surprises, so I’ll take the time needed to ensure accuracy and depth. Until this project is complete, I’ll focus on just this one. Once that’s completed, I’ll think about the next book.
The World War II Daily Podcast
Together with Pietro Deserti, I co-host the World War II Daily Podcast. You can listen to it on Spotify or YouTube. We release episodes monthly, on the last Friday of each month, offering expert insights into World War II history. Upcoming episodes include an interview with Molly Sampson, the history consultant for the Netflix film about the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, and a discussion on the Brazilian Expeditionary Forces with Cesar Campiani Maximiano. Stay tuned for these fascinating stories!
Other projects: The 651st Motor Ambulance Company and the Clean Wehrmacht myth
I have recently acquired a photo album of Willie M. Jackson, who was the First Sergeant of the 651st Motor Ambulance Company, which was previously known as the 651st Ambulance Company Motor. He also served in the 708th Medical Sanitary Company. The album provides rare glimpses into the daily lives of soldiers, who served in Italy during World War Two. For example, there are photographs of Black American soldiers taking care of their ambulances or just doing their duties. Unfortunately, not a lot is known about these units, and not many records seem to remain of these two units. That makes research difficult, but I’d love to know more about him, his units, and his service! It’s a project that needs to be developed further.
Additionally, I’ve noticed increasing misrepresentation of history on social media, particularly regarding the “Clean Wehrmacht” myth and the "non-political history" fallacy. These narratives deny the Wehrmacht's involvement in war crimes or attempt to separate military actions from political ideology. I plan to address these misconceptions in future articles to ensure historical accuracy prevails.
Which project will I work on after the 777th Field Artillery Battalion?
There are several units I’m considering writing about after the 777th Field Artillery Battalion project. I have not decided yet, but I’m inclined to research the 969th Field Artillery Battalion. This unit, which has a remarkable history, certainly deserves more credit than they have received thus far. It was the first Black American unit that in its entirety received the Presidential Unit Citation, which they earned for their valiant stand at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 and January 1945 alongside the 101st Airborne Division.
So that’s all for now. Be sure to follow me on Instagram and if you have another question, send me a message!
