Following the tremendous success of the first and second series, Remembrance Week will return to BBC1 in the week leading up to Remembrance Sunday 2012 with more incredible stories of courage, emotion and sacrifice made by thousands of people from all walks of life and from all over the UK. The BBC will bring together the reality of modern day conflicts with those of the past and show the different way war touches all of our lives. As well as stories from the Army, Navy and RAF, they will also speak to wartime civilians, including nurses, teachers, and even former entertainers of the troops. Remembrance Week is a hugely popular series but perhaps more importantly it is extraordinarily well thought of by its millions of viewers. Remembrance Week 2011 set a new record for the highest ever AI (appreciation index) score in daytime on any UK channel and the shoulder peak pull together on Saturday recorded one of the highest BBC One scores ever...in fact BBC One had only one higher scoring programme in the whole of 2011. Liam Keelan (Controller of BBC Daytime) is rightly proud of the series and has said: "Remembrance Week falls into the category of one of those series that Daytime will always do now...It’s an amazing programme full of great stories and heart." In addition to the series being aired on BBC1, in previous years selected footage has also been used for educational packs provided by the Royal British Legions for schools around the UK and has been recognised as a history learning resource to teach the younger generations about the importance of Remembrance. This year they are hoping to film the journey of a veteran who is travelling back to the battlefields where they fought in World War 2. We are looking for someone: · With an emotional and strong personal story · With archive: Pictures of themselves · Who is travelling between August and the middle of September · Who is travelling within Europe Anyway the BBC would love to hear from you and if you have any thoughts or suggestions you can get in touch with Rosie on 0207 428 4635
White 1 Are you saying that the BBC has forgotten it's own War series of some ten years ago when in the Archive are 47,000 Army articles on WW2 by some who are still active on this forum ....? Cheers
Not wishing to tread on anyones toes and I obviously appreciate the WW2 content of any programme but isn't Remembrance (11th November) about remembering all of those that died in all wars? Maybe its just me but shouldn't TV channels be remembering those who fell in all conflicts including those after WW2? There is a fair few to chosse from like India, Palestine, Malaya, Korea, Suez Canal Zone, Kenya, Cyprus, Suez 1956, Borneo, Vietnam, Aden, Radfan, Oman, Dhofar, Northern Ireland, the Falklands War, the Gulf War, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Iraq Afghanistan to name a few. I know the only chap I ever think of on Remembrance Sunday was killed in 2003. Just my thoughts
White 1 Look no further than Gerry Chester, if he has time & if he is willing. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/veteran-accounts/36441-gerry-chester-tv-star.html And don't miss his own brilliant website: Index Ron
Drew You are perfectly correct in your thought that November 11th is representative of the dead of ALL wars etc ..but even you must appreciate that putting all your list - and including Korea - they don't come anywhere near the dead of WW2.....of which there are STILL some veterans capable of undertaking a journey into Europe to expound their memories - and of which they are listed in the BBc Archives... Cheers
Tom is absolutely right. All the ex servicemen remember the Vets from all the actions.But WW2 was of such magnitude that nothing else comes near it. Why?Well it was world war and this little nation fought that war on all the worlds oceans, the far East,middle East, scandinavia,and Europe. The scale of what took place was out of all proportion to anything that took place later. But that does not mean that the sacrifices of our nations later wars are any the less important. Proof of the pudding is the Cenotaph parade last year. There was hardly a WW2 Vet to be seen.... yet the parade was huge. We will remember them.
Drew as in all things - perspective has to be acknowledged - for example our dead from Afghanistan is around 400 or so - in TEN years - now I know that you are not too familiar with the Italian Campaign as I am - and putting Cassino to one side - our losses in dead at the Gothic Line was 14,000 KIA - in 25 DAYS.....0r 560 PER DAY..... We remember them all....from all conflicts Cheers
White 1 Have you previously done any research on this topic? I take it you are a volunteer rather than a paid researcher? Often the BBC will pay professional researchers for the background of this sort of programme. There are many veterans of WW2, and as already mentioned in this thread of other conflicts, whose stories are out there just waiting to be told! The BBC has researchers who should be able to go out into the real world, find the veterans and their stories, and make the planned series of programmes that you have mentioned. It is a little late in the year to accompany many WW2 veterans returning to former battlefield sites because many of them who will be doing that this year have already done so. For example, the main period for the WW2 veterans who took part in the Normandy campaign was either side of 6 June. However, all is not lost. Could the BBC send someone to accompany a group of Arnhem veterans attending the commemorations in the Netherlands in September? That should provide a lot of material to make the desired programmes. The BBC could also interview some of the WW2 veterans who contribute to this site - and have already made an input to your request!
I thought...OK I will give them a ring. I am not sure they know what they are looking for????? They dont seem to know
Hopefully 'white 1' will be able to enlighten everyone further, Sapper. I read the following post by 'white 1' on a different thread on this forum: "I now have landed a job with a military genealogy web site due to my interest and passion for military history. So I will be asking a few of you for advice and help from time to time." Possibly I am being somewhat cynical as I get older but I wonder if there is going to be a free and open exchange with any WW2 veteran who volunteers him or herself through the intercession of 'white 1'. Is the 'research' being done directly by the BBC or by an individual on behalf of a production company who will receive a large fee for having been given everything 'gratis' from a WW2 veteran (story, photographs, diaries, interviews etc)? I did a lot of voluntary research (i.e. unpaid) for the BBC "People's War" project, and for a few other projects as well. Nothing I have ever seen previously that has come directly from the BBC has seemed to be like this 'request'. I would not like to think the goodwill and good nature of any WW2 veterans (or anyone else for that matter) being exploited, particularly where it concerns Remembrance Sunday and Remembrance Week.
Thanks for that friend..... I have given my time freely in the past, with no other intention other than to keep the memory of our long lost mates alive. To that end, I did a live bit for the BBC on the 6th anniversary of D day from the lost Village of Tyneham in the fold of the Purbeck hills. I also did a film for Southern BBC from Lake House, my war time convalescent home. The Elizabethan Manor House, the home of the Cunard shipping family. Then bought by the Pop star "Sting" we have had tea with Trudi his wife at the old Manor. Recently I Contributed to the "Yesterday" channel in a documentary entitled "After the war was won" All of this time I gave for free, for the reason that I stated ...To keep their memory alive..... For we are the lucky ones and in reality. With the injuries, are living on borrowed time... I hope to go on for a very long time yet!
The appeal seems to be posted on every forum with a military interest.The contact Telephone number has been used to contact a company called FEVER MEDIA For those curious to know more Fever Media: About Kyle
Thought that some of the above sounded familiar so I did a bit of forum searching and found this: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/veteran-accounts/24991-associated-press-television-request-ww2-veterans.html Ron
Thanks for the additional information, friends. Before myself and other volunteers were allowed to become volunteers for the BBC "People's War" project I had to attend a training course where the procedures etc were explained. So it is not just me who has doubts about the way this 'request' has been made. Sapper's recent and freely-given contributions for the BBC and "Yesterday" have been done in an appropriate manner. One has to have respect for those who are freely contributing their memories and of their friends who never made it. All the best to all WW2 veteran contributors to this site. Do keep telling of your pals who never made it through the war as you see fit.
