Any buffs on the lookout for new documentaries to watch have come to the right place.
While fictional portrayals based on true events like Band of Brothers or have proved hugely popular over the years, if you’re looking to uncover the real stories of war, look no further than documentaries based on archive photos and video.
Plenty released before the 21st century also include interviews with soldiers who actually served on the front lines.
From harrowing stories of grief, loss and injury to the final cries of victory, it’s all been documented.
Express.co.uk has ranked the top nine WW2 documentaries – and number one is a forgotten gem for many viewers.
9. The Bloody Hundredth
Masters of the Air sparked its own spin-off documentary (Image: Apple TV)
A companion documentary to HBO series Masters of the Air, The Bloody Hundredth explores the real-life exploits of the 100th Bomb Group – portrayed on screen by stars like Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan.
It’s got a rating 7.5 out of 10 on IMDb and a runtime of just over an hour, but if the miniseries sparked your interest in the 100th it’s a good one to add to your watchlist.
8. SAS: Rogue Warriors
Sir David Stirling appears in interviews in SAS Rogue Warriors (Image: Getty)
Fans of series SAS Rogue Heroes will want to tune into the 2017 documentary narrated by author Ben Macintyre, SAS: Rogue Warriors.
Rated 8 out of 10 on IMDb, the three-hour documentary examines the history of the British Army special forces unit using unseen footage, historical documents and interviews.
It features footage of the real SAS members who fought in the war, including David Stirling and Johnny Cooper.
7. World War II: From the Frontlines
A newer release from 2023, World War II: From the Frontlines uses remastered, vividly enhanced original footage and voices from all sides of the war – giving various perspectives on the conflict.
It has a rating of 8.2 out of 10 on IMDb and is narrated by Star Wars icon John Boyega.
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6. Atomic People
BBC Two documentary Atomic People is a harrowing true story (Image: BBC)
Released in 2024 by the , Atomic People charts the voices of some of the last survivors of the nuclear bombs that fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan during the war.
These survivors, known as ‘hibakusha’ in their native country, survived the Manhattan Project – seeing the burned and blistered bodies of their friends and neighbours lining the streets. For years after the war the survivors were stigmatised, with others believing their blood was tainted by radiation.
Though harrowing and heartbreaking, the documentary is a must-watch and is rated 8.5 out of 10 on IMDb.
5. We Stand Alone Together
Released in 2001 as a companion documentary to hit HBO series Band of Brothers, We Stand Alone Together is an oral history of Easy Company told by the veterans themselves in an on-camera oral history project.
With a run-time of 1 hour 18 minutes, the film has a rating of 8.6 out of 10 on IMDb. Fans of the show can also try the behind-the-scenes Making Of Band of Brothers documentary, which interviews the stars and crew members behind the hit show.
4. Spitfire Women
Rated 8.9 out of 10, Spitfire Women – released in 2010 – charts the story of the Air Transport Auxiliary, a band of female pilots who aided the war effort.
It uses interviews, archive footage and visual reconstructions to explore the war from a rare perspective. Narrated by Tracy-Ann Oberman, it’s a must-watch for any war buffs looking for a discussion of gender during the 30s and 40s.
3. The War
Boasting an impressive rating of 9 out of 10, The War is a seven-part series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick.
It documents WW2 from the perspective of the United States, through the lenses of four “quintessentially American” towns in Minnesota, California, Alabama and Connecticut.
Notable stars including Tom Hanks, Samuel L. Jackson and Keith David contributed to the programme, released in 2007, as voice actors reading newspaper articles, telegrams and letters from the front lines.
2. Apocalypse: The Second World War
With an average rating of 9 out of 10 on IMDb, miniseries Apocalypse: The Second World War charts the war in six episodes from the original rise of the Nazis to the surrender of the Japanese.
First aired in 2009, the French language documentary is composed exclusively of real footage of the war as filmed by soldiers, war correspondents, resistance fighters and civilians, and has been fully colourised from its original black and white.
However, any scenes from the Holocaust are presented in their original monochrome out of respect for the victims and survivors.
1. The World at War
The World at War is a forgotten gem of a series (Image: ITV)
Originally released in 1973 and 1974, the number one spot goes to 26-part documentary The World at War.
With a 9.2 average rating on IMDb, the groundbreaking programme – narrated by Laurence Olivier – has been restored in high definition for modern viewers.
The documentary cost the equivalent of £14million in today’s money, focusing on how life and death throughout the deadly conflict affected soldiers, airmen, sailors, concentration camp inmates and civilians.