Channel 4. WWII: The Last Heroes

Discussion in 'Veteran Accounts' started by Driver-op, Oct 11, 2011.

  1. SBULL

    SBULL Junior Member

    Hello Stephen and a warm welcome to the forum. I've been enjoying your series very much indeed. I wonder if you had a view on the discussion thats been aired in this thread on the use of archive footage and the costs involved?
    Hello Jonathan: archives, films and costs ? Its a really tricky one because these things - especially where publically funded in the first place - are really there for everybody to use for education and enjoyment. Conversely if archives are not well funded it is difficult for them to keep going, let alone develop, expand, and improve, so most make some sort of charges. Huge debates on this on the archivists on forum ARCHIVES-NRA@JISCMAIL.AC.UK PS Thanks to all for warm welcome.
     
  2. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    I think, it's a good series.
    And to offer it the highest praise I can in our household for WW2 documentaries - the missus is saving 'em on the digibox, and watching with some fascination.
     
  3. m kenny

    m kenny Senior Member

    Maybe one day we will get to hear from the bulk of the German tank/SP force in Normandy rather than the 5% who were in Tigers.
     
  4. mollusc

    mollusc Member

    Maybe one day we will get to hear from the bulk of the German tank/SP force in Normandy rather than the 5% who were in Tigers.
    I agree... watching the last programme you would get the impression that ALL german tanks in Normandy were Tigers. Maybe watching with it muted would give a more accurate idea since most of the actual footage was of Panthers and Pz IV's!
    Even better to forget the tanks and talk about the anti-tank guns....caused the majority of allied tank losses... I think.
     
  5. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Artillery and anti-tank guns were (or should have been - not the British 2-pdr pop gun) the kings of the battlefield in WWII!

    Best,

    Steve.
     
  6. urqh

    urqh Senior Member

    Good at last to see the humble teleprinter figure in the whole story. The enigma was but one chapter. The teleprinter secure networks were still doing their business up until ninetees. The old bid changing at midnight in the frame rooms of major comcens was a sight to behold when it went wrong.
     
  7. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Another excellent programme last night with some great footage.

    I see Mr Delaforce was being controversial again - Great stuff and looking forward to next weeks programme about, dare I say it ..... Arnhem
     
  8. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I wish someone had said earlier one of the forums veterans was in this Saturdays episode - I've bloody deleted it now :(
     
  9. Jakob Kjaersgaard

    Jakob Kjaersgaard Senior Member

    I wish someone had said earlier one of the forums veterans was in this Saturdays episode - I've bloody deleted it now :(

    Do you know if it's possible to watch online?
     
  10. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    I wish someone had said earlier one of the forums veterans was in this Saturdays episode - I've bloody deleted it now :(

    It's repeated on Channel 4 on the 5th November at 6-30pm.
     
  11. idler

    idler GeneralList

    You can get it on 4OD / 4 On Demand, their version of iPlayer.
     
  12. Driver-op

    Driver-op WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Should anybody be interested the church tower you watched being destroyed by a Vickers was a mock-up, we actually used a couple of Bofors rounds. A picture of the actual church was shown; it was at Le Port by Pegasus Bridge.
    Jim
     
    brithm likes this.
  13. Mike L

    Mike L Very Senior Member

    Hi Jim, I thought the church tower footage was a bit dramatic for a Vickers!
    Thanks for the clarification.
     
  14. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    It's repeated on Channel 4 on the 5th November at 6-30pm.

    Thats the Arnhem one according to Sky.
     
  15. Rob Dickers

    Rob Dickers 10th MEDIUM REGT RA

    Hi Jim, I thought the church tower footage was a bit dramatic for a Vickers!
    Thanks for the clarification.

    Ah, church tower enemy OPs.
    All Medium Regts RA took great pride in which troop could pop a church tower with the least rounds.
    During "Plunder" the Rhine Crossing, all the village church towers on the east bank were knocked off one by one by the regts,
    but the one at Rees defied everything thrown at it, so the AGRA called up the 1st Heavy Regt RA, one round, end of!
    Rob
     
  16. Mike L

    Mike L Very Senior Member

    One round? great shot!
     
  17. Wills

    Wills Very Senior Member

    Below a critical report on a Division warts and all, this is how commanders at all levels learn. This one written by an American - before anyone starts jumping up and down he has been less critical than our own people and has offered explanation when British officers have criticized units. A thesis based on British Commanders criticism of the 'Veteran Divisions'. 'The author would suggest that the division fought well' The armour tended to do better than the infantry!

    50th UK Division in Normandy



    Green Howard Battalion CO 'We spent much time learning how to get onto boats and get off boats, having changed roles again and spent valuable time waterproofing vehicles and kit when we should have been training for fighting in close country' Another Green Howard CO removed several officers, they had been fighting too long and were likely to break'


    Major General Pip Roberts .Monty was wrong to use veteran divisions some of us warned that they would become a liability - and they did. Horrocks - units thought they knew it all and they knew nothing, they should have been trained in close country fighting. training in East Anglia was no good - only one division trained in like country the 43rd trained in Kent.

    SEE IDLER below an easier download.
     
    brithm likes this.
  18. idler

    idler GeneralList

    Also available from the source, a much more straightforward download:

    50 Div in Normandy on CARL

    It's well worth having a look at some of their other stuff.
     
  19. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Ah, church tower enemy OPs.
    All Medium Regts RA took great pride in which troop could pop a church tower with the least rounds.
    During "Plunder" the Rhine Crossing, all the village church towers on the east bank were knocked off one by one by the regts,
    but the one at Rees defied everything thrown at it, so the AGRA called up the 1st Heavy Regt RA, one round, end of!
    Rob

    It was the same in 1940 - Only that time it was the BEF who were watching and the Germans who were doing the shooting.

    Whats goes around comes around ;)
     
  20. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Not as good tonight - I thought.

    Bit disappointed that OMG was all about the Para's and no mention of XXX Corps. Sometimes I think it should have been called Op Market.

    That Captain (name escapes me) must have carried some weight on his soldiers all of his life, seeing six of his men executed because he escaped.
     

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