Overview
The Ghost Army Legacy Project is pleased to offer support to students considering a National History Day project on the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, the WWII deceivers known as The Ghost Army. The story of this deception unit has many connections to the 2022-2023 theme “Frontiers in History: People, Places and Ideas." Durong WWII, the Ghost Army was breaking new ground in the technology and techniques they applied to deception. And in serving on or near the front lines, they were literally on the tfrontier of the Allied campaign.
Students are free to use any photos from this website, or the website www.ghostarmy.org as long as they credit the Ghost Army Legacy Project.
There are several Ghost Army veterans willing to do interviews by phone, and sometimes in person. We can help you connect to them.
Students are free to use any photos from this website, or the website www.ghostarmy.org as long as they credit the Ghost Army Legacy Project.
There are several Ghost Army veterans willing to do interviews by phone, and sometimes in person. We can help you connect to them.
Additional Sources
Here are a few sources to get you started on your research:
Books
The Ghost Army of World War II: How One Top-Secret Unit Deceived the Enemy with Inflatable Tanks, Sound Effects, and Other Audacious Fakery. By Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles, 2015, Princeton Architectural Press
Ghosts of the ETO: American Tactical Deception
Units in the European Theater, 1944–1945. By Jonathan Gawne. Casemate Publishers, 2002.
Secret Soldiers: The Story of World War II’s Heroic
Army of Deception. By Philip Gerard. Casemate, 2002.
Documentary
The Ghost Army. PBS, 2015
Books
The Ghost Army of World War II: How One Top-Secret Unit Deceived the Enemy with Inflatable Tanks, Sound Effects, and Other Audacious Fakery. By Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles, 2015, Princeton Architectural Press
Ghosts of the ETO: American Tactical Deception
Units in the European Theater, 1944–1945. By Jonathan Gawne. Casemate Publishers, 2002.
Secret Soldiers: The Story of World War II’s Heroic
Army of Deception. By Philip Gerard. Casemate, 2002.
Documentary
The Ghost Army. PBS, 2015
National Archives
The National Archives in College Park Maryland has three boxes of primary source material on The Ghost Army. This includes the Official History of the unit, written by Captain Fred Fox, which was top secret for many years but was declassified in 1996. It also includes photos, maps, original orders and other materials. Anyone can visit the archives, obtain a research card, and look at this material. Here is the info required to access it.
Record Group 407 SPHQ-23
Stack Area 270 Row 61 Compartment 1
Boxes 18481-18483
The National Archives in College Park Maryland has three boxes of primary source material on The Ghost Army. This includes the Official History of the unit, written by Captain Fred Fox, which was top secret for many years but was declassified in 1996. It also includes photos, maps, original orders and other materials. Anyone can visit the archives, obtain a research card, and look at this material. Here is the info required to access it.
Record Group 407 SPHQ-23
Stack Area 270 Row 61 Compartment 1
Boxes 18481-18483
Exhibit: Combat Con-Artists of WWII
The National WWII Museum in New Orleans recently created a Ghost Army exhibit, entitled "Ghost Army: Combat Con-Artists of WWII. It was curated by James Linn. The exhibit is currently on display at the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie Illinois until January 2023.
The National WWII Museum in New Orleans recently created a Ghost Army exhibit, entitled "Ghost Army: Combat Con-Artists of WWII. It was curated by James Linn. The exhibit is currently on display at the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie Illinois until January 2023.
The Ghost Army Archive
The physical Ghost Army archive is now part of the collection at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. Numerous primary source materials are posted on here on the Ghost Army Legacy Project website. We may also be able to provide some limited material via email. Take a look here to find out more on whats in the archive.
The physical Ghost Army archive is now part of the collection at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. Numerous primary source materials are posted on here on the Ghost Army Legacy Project website. We may also be able to provide some limited material via email. Take a look here to find out more on whats in the archive.
Other
There are many other interviews and articles that can be found online. And who knows, maybe you can find something we have nver seen-- it has happened before!
There are many other interviews and articles that can be found online. And who knows, maybe you can find something we have nver seen-- it has happened before!