T.V Programme "Burma, My Father and The Forgotten Army"

Discussion in 'Books, Films, TV, Radio' started by Shiny 9th, Jul 3, 2013.

  1. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    Sunday 7th July BBC2 at 9pm. Griff Rhys Jones investigates. The advert says "It hastened the defeat of Japan and fractured the British Empire. But was World War 2's most brutal campaign worth the lives lost?".
    Will be watching that one.
     
  2. zeezee

    zeezee Member

    OH! that looks great. I'm very interested - particularly because he was a medical officer as was my grandfather. Do you happen to know BBC 2 airs online. I'm across the pond. Or perhaps there is someone who might be able to record it & put it up somewhere?
     
  3. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    Hello zeezee, I am sure you can get this on the BBC website. Have a look at BBC.co etc and have a look at what their is. It might also be on the playback system in case the time difference is not going to make for a sensible viewing time. By the way where did your father serve in Burma. My father went through various hospitals when suffering from hepatitis and I even have a note signed by one MO giving this diagnosos.
     
  4. zeezee

    zeezee Member

    Hi Shiny - it was my grandfather actually. He was in the Admin Box - (54th Field Ambulance) which is also where he died on February 7th '44. He also spent quite a bit of time in India - lots of places that are now in Pakistan. Abottabad, Kashmir, can't remember them all off the top of my head but I have his letters. Peculiar thing - my husband's grandparents (and his mother as well) were living in Rawalpindi at the same time that my grandfather was in the vicinity but to our knowledge never met. Both our families moved to Canada around the same time.
    Anyway - my grandfather was Captain John Barrett Ashmore R.A.M.C - but was mostly called Jack or Jackie (he didn't like Jackie so much). If you see his name in anything let me know! His service record doesn't acknowledge much about Burma except that he went and then died. But because we have his letters, as well as some letters from others, and some newspaper articles, and then more recently someone (tada) generously scanned in the 66th Field Amb diaries - we know he was in the Admin Box and died the same night as the atrocities but was apparently not part of the atrocities. His units diaries are missing for that time period. And now we (my dad an I) are kind of deadlocked until we have an "aha!" moment again.

    I will look at BBC online. I also have an Apple tv that is "modified" and can access scrapers around the world so that might be a route as well but it is kind of difficult to navigate sometimes.

    p.s. He was also in the North West Expeditionary Force in 1940 and went to Norway but wasn't there for long before they turned around - a month I believe.
     
  5. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Looks good, here is the image for the programme.


    1945.jpeg
     
  6. Oldman

    Oldman Very Senior Member

    Thanks for the heads up

    Looking forward to viewing
     
  7. Hebridean Chindit

    Hebridean Chindit Lost in review... Patron

    Set up the Sky box...

    Myf... if you can access any BBC iPlayer content then you'll be able to view it about an hour after broadcast, which I think will be about 1700 your time...

    If you have any problems email me...
     
  8. burnbank chindit

    burnbank chindit Junior Member

    Can someone post this on youtube for the expats
    Thanks
     
  9. zeezee

    zeezee Member

    Ok! Great! Thanks HC.
     
  10. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    That was bloody brilliant.
    I really really enjoyed that.

    PS Moved thread to the TV section of forum from Burma& India.
     
  11. Mike L

    Mike L Very Senior Member

    Certainly was. Good work Griff. Don't like your style of presenting but content was superb.
     
  12. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Very enjoyable, and good to see the West African veterans are still around. Best moment was when the old soldier recognised Griff's dad from the photo and saluted. Second best moment was when Griff realised exactly what those men went through out there.
     
  13. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

    Great programme and About time there was some coverage on the WA divisions, have to agree with Steve on the moment the veteran recognized Grifs Dad, you could see it written on his face priceless! Got a question the service Record....is it just officers that contain the ID card?
     
  14. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    Yes, I loved the programme and a good eye opener about the multi national nature of the effort to drive the Japanese out of Burma and other places. The pride on the West African soldiers faces at their task was a joy to behold. I was ashamed that we didn't think to tell their relatives when they died though. Like witd45, I wondered about the detail on the Service Record. Perhaps the Medical Officers had a different system?
    Sylvia
     
  15. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Sounds like we all were surprised by the inclusion of his ID card from within the service records.
     
  16. temptage

    temptage I thought it would only take a few weeks......

    I suppose someone has to say it so here goes.

    The programme is available to download on various websites (yes I know about all the ooh-ahh of acquiring things off the Internet)

    I shall not name the websites that it is available from, instead I shall include a 'non-descript' link to the download links.

    http://tinyurl.com/o5bqyev

    http://tinyurl.com/ph6c299

    http://tinyurl.com/p6wg63o

    Three very reliable links for those who would like to see the programme. It's entirely up to you if you do or don't want to watch it.
     
  17. Recce_Mitch

    Recce_Mitch Very Senior Member

    Just finished watching this programme and found it very interesting,

    Cheers
    Paul
     
  18. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Me too. Really enjoyed it
     
  19. Charpoy Chindit

    Charpoy Chindit Junior Member

    I don't think the ID card was with his service records since it was an original document. More likely found amongst the family photos (and watercolours).

    Apart for a few minor errors, and some uneccessary talking heads, it was one of the best of the recent Burma war documentaries. His final realization why his dad was content with a quiet, happy life when he returned home showed some real insight. Unusual for a TV documentary.
     
  20. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    I think you're right about the ID card Charpoy. These sort of things happen a lot on 'Who Do You Think You Are'. Families suddenly discover a crucial document which they never knew about and off they go on their research journey.

    I think I just preferred the offering on Al Jazeera TV last year:

    http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/aljazeeracorrespondent/2011/08/2011828135228487172.html

    But Griff's story was very worthy and enlightening.
     

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