The Imperial War Museum has released a selection of rarely seen original colour photographs from the archives that will feature in a new book titled The Second World War in Colour.

During the Second World War most images of the war were produced in black and white due to the price of colour printing and the difficulty of acquiring the film.

Click through to see the dramatic images that feature in the book.

The Second World War in Colour by Ian Carter is published by IWM. To order your copy for £10 plus p&p call 0844 871 1514 or visit books.telegraph.co.uk

Here, Lieutenant Vernon R Richards of the United States Air Force 361st Fighter Group flying his P-51D Mustang during a bomber escort mission in 1944