In WW2, W.E.Fairbairn taught close quarters pistol fighting to the special units of the Allies and recorded his teaching method in the book ‘Shooting to Live’. He developed his pistol lessons by evaluating and honing the instincts of the police officer that is obligated to confront criminals in dark allies. He spent years training police how to survive a gunfight by being faster, using their instincts, and training under fighting conditions as often as possible.

From 1940-1945, units like the OSS and British SOE were using lessons of the early years of WW2 to design training curriculums to prepare for battle against a powerful enemy. The secrets of how these operatives were trained were held secret for decades, with only a slight peak into their clandestine and hardcore training methods. As these training and tradecraft secrets have come to light, we have gained a deeper understanding of how World War II operations were won. You will find that it was the opinion of many that a war is not won on the battlefield, but in the training of it’s forces. Take a look inside how Britain’s Greatest Generation trained to win WW2.