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 2018 theme “Conflict and Compromise in History.” The Ghost Army represented an effort to use creativity and imagination as weapons in a global conflict. As an alternative to fighting, or compromise, they offered a third approach: bluffing.
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.
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
The Ghost Army Legacy Project Archive
Our archive is available on a limited basis to researchers able to visit Salem, MA. We may also be able to provide some limited material via email. Take a look here to find out more on what we've got. A consultation is required before a visit.
Our archive is available on a limited basis to researchers able to visit Salem, MA. We may also be able to provide some limited material via email. Take a look here to find out more on what we've got. A consultation is required before a visit.
