WWII Lost Films UK Screening

Do you blog, tweet or post on an active forum and are interested in World War II?

We’re keen to hear from some social media users who would like to attend our exclusive screening of WWII: Lost Films at The Imperial War Museum on April 8th at 6:30pm. Here’s a little information about the show: WWII: Lost Films transforms our knowledge of World War II by illuminating it, close up and in original colour.

After a two year search across the globe and selected from thousands of hours of rare and unseen footage, HISTORY™ brings you an unforgettable 10 night television event. More than just another war documentary, WWII Lost Films allows you to view the conflict through the eyes of the soldiers who fought in it and charts the personal journeys of twelve servicemen across Africa, Europe and the Pacific as they deal with terrible day-to-day conditions and the chaos of war.

The event takes place on April 8th at 6:30pm at the Imperial War Museum in London and we would love people to get involved and post their thoughts on the show on their Twitter/Forum/Blog -wherever...

If you are interested in attending this screening, please sent an email to James(at)Fundamentalamp(dot)com. Invites will be given on a first come first serve basis.

Thanks all for your time,

 

Is this the same thing as the 10 part series starting on the Military History Channel on the 12th April?

Regards
Andy

 

Is this the same thing as the 10 part series starting on the Military History Channel on the 12th April?

Regards
Andy

Hey Andy,

This is the same series yes, it will be starting at 10pm on April 12th and running for 12 consecutive weeknights.

Are you interested in attending the screening?

 

Just in case any other forum members are attending tomorrow evening, be warned that I and a couple of other vets will be there.

Please make yourself known to me so we can chat.

I am dead easy to spot, short, stocky and with a white beard

Cheers !

Ron

 

Unfortunately I cannot make the screening - short notice, travel from Portsmouth, day job and all that - but James has very kindly arranged for me to be sent a review copy of the first episode

 

Hi James,

Good luck with the screening but I'll be watching it in Yorkshire from the 12th.

Can I ask...The Clips I've seen so far advertising this series all appear to be American Pacific based. Is that the case with all the footage or is there some British and Commonwealth footage to be screened too?

Regards
Andy

 

Andy

Hi James,
Good luck with the screening but I'll be watching it in Yorkshire from the 12th.
Can I ask...The Clips I've seen so far advertising this series all appear to be American Pacific based. Is that the case with all the footage or is there some British and Commonwealth footage to be screened too?
Regards
Andy

In answer to your question re "is there some British & Commonwealth footage" the short answer is very little and you have just heard that from the proverbial horses mouth

Last night, on behalf of the forum, I hied myself to the Imperial War Museum and in the company of two other British vets saw the screening of one of the episodes.

We, that is (Cyril Sherbourne, Ex Signals, Normandy, Larry Fox, Ex 49th LAA & yours truly) arrived at the Museum at 4pm and after a brief snack spent the next 90 mtes in the harrowing Holocaust Exhibition that, incidentally, none of us had seen before.

The Museum closed to the General Public at 6pm and then we had to wait until 6:30pm for a reception of drinks & nibbles.

Before the event I had been corresponding by e-mail with one of the organisers but it was not until the 7th of April, the day before the event, that I received the following blurb: In avisually astonishing landmark series WWII LOST FILMS on HISTORY™presents the story of the war ― viewed through the eyes of 12 Americans who fought in or contributed to the war effort. Featuring extraordinary rare colour footage that was transferred to HD, this original landmark 10-hour series is one of the channel’s most aspiring and ambitious projects to date.’

So... I knew that the film was very much American in its viewpoint but I hope that I went with an open mind and my report on the evening now follows.

As a prelude to the film, which lasted approx 45 mtes, we were addressed by one of those responsible for making the film and were told that we would be seeing "Never been seen before" footage and that 12 American vets out of 300 were finally chosen to take part although voice-overs would be used to, in some cases, tell their story.

We were also told that the series woud start on 12th April at 8pm and could be seen on the History Channel every Monday at 8pm.

We were then shown, as a "taster" a Pathe News film of the period followed by Episode No.2 which featured Guadacanal.in 1942.

My comment ?

I saw lots of footage that I hadn't seen before, some of it quite gory & graphic including shots of newly wounded being treated at American Field Hospitals.
Chonologically, this particular episode started around 1940 and took in Guadacanal, Algeria, Tunisia and ended in Sicily and the toe of Italy in September 1943.

We saw shots of FDR that I hadn't seen before and were shown a "re-constructed" episode that concerned an American Jewish GI shooting German prisoners in a revenge attack.

I watched the entire film, right down to the closing credits, which featured the American flag blowing proudly in the wind. As we left the cinema someone, in front of me turned and said "it would have been nice to have seen a Union Jack !" and I nodded in agreement.

By all means, if you can, watch the film but don't expect to see overmuch of the British war effort, remember, this was made for an American audience and as such I think it does the job it set out to do.

Your wwtalk film reviewer

Ron




.

 

Many thanks Ron it is as much as I suspected. It is indeed a shame that in the big scheme of things such attention goes to American efforts and the British and Commonwealths efforts are overlooked.

Ron can I ask, does your friend Cyril Sherbourne or Larry Fox recall any deeds by their colleagues in the Signals that received recognition for their efforts like you're comrads did.

Cheers
Andy

 

Nice post Ron, excellent review of the evening!

 

I'll second Gotthard on that one!

Nice review Ron.

 

This has been shown not long ago in Australia so I did not spoil Ron's review. Rob Lowe was one of the voice overs as I recall.

The series is very good however as already stated it is a made for America type documentary.

The footage is excellent when all is said and done.

Cheers

Geoff

 

Andy
Re:
Ron can I ask, does your friend Cyril Sherbourne or Larry Fox recall any deeds by their colleagues in the Signals that received recognition for their efforts like you're comrads did.




Larry is already a forum member (at one time we even shared the same 15 cwt wireless truck) and Cyril is a bit of a dark horse, who I will work on to get him to also post his story.

Regards

Ron

 

Hey Guys,

Firstly, i'd like to thank Ron for attending the screening and posting such a great review...

Just a quick reminded that WWII Lost Films begins tonight at 10pm on HISTORY and will continue every weeknight for the next 2 weeks.

You can get regular updates on the show over at HISTORY's official Facebook Page - Welcome to Facebook

It would be great to get your feedback on the show.

Thanks all.

 

I only watched the first 15 minutes then recorded the rest as I just realised Andrea had sneeked off to bed without doing the washing up!

Anyway, as soon as I saw the first Now to Then video fade I knew it was going to be a rather special production.

It is excellent from what I have seen but perfection would have been having a Canadian, British, Australian, New Zealander and Indian vet etc in there too rather than just 12 Americans, especially seeing as there was quite a bit of pre 1941 European footage in the first 15 minutes. I do like the touch of having a female veteran in the series too.

I will watch the other 45 mins tomorrow when I get home from work.

Cheers
Andy

 

Andy

As, at the present anyway, I don't have access to the History Channel, I would be interested in reading your reviews of the rest of the series.

Regards

Rob

 

I got my review copy of the first episode yesterday, and watched it a few hours before it was on the box.

Heres my review:

This week sees the premiere of a brand new series on The History Channel. Entitled WWII Lost Films, it promises unseen footage from the Second World War, digitally restored and in colour.

So how does it fare? Having seen the first episode in advance, I found it very interesting viewing. There is indeed a lot of footage that I have never seen before, including some fantastic image of kamikaze strikes on US Carriers in the pacific, and also of the fighting on Guadalcanal. We also get a very interesting insight from a Jewish immigrant from Austria, who escaped to America from the Anschluss in 1938.

The series has been produced for the American market, and it shows. It does have a very patriotic ‘God-bless-America’ feel to it, and you are given a slight impression that everything prior to Pearl Harbour was pre-amble. But that is by no means a problem limited to this one documentary. Also, it does illustrate the issues around isolationism and the American entry into the war.

It is a very interesting series none the less, and unseen footage is never a bad thing. I just wonder how much unseen films there are of the British aspect of the war, waiting to be discovered and shown to the world?

 

I saw the first episode last night and thought it was great. I liked how they picked out a number of veterans experiences as a vehicle for displaying the amazing footage. As others have said, it's as shame that there wasn't more of a 'allied' feel to it, rather than just 'American', but perhaps to be expected.

I dont think I liked the use of the voiceover actors though - I would much prefer to hear a veteran tell his story in his own voice rather than an actor.

 

Andy

As, at the present anyway, I don't have access to the History Channel, I would be interested in reading your reviews of the rest of the series.

Regards

Rob

Hi Ron,

As said I only watched the first 15 minutes and I'm sure you would have been impressed as the first section focused on a US Vet who was a Jewish Austrian living in Austria in the 1930's. He recalled how law after law was passed against the Jews and his father loosing his job. One day he walked out onto the street where he lived and heard two Nazi party members sing some anit-Jew German song to do with Jewish blood running on their knives.

He decided enough was enough and left Austria and ended up in America.

As for the footage, I have seen quite a lot of it before regarding the action/combat footage.

Regards
Andy

 

Watched the second part tonight.


About a third was on the Pacific and two thirds on Tunisia. The North African coverage had some clips of British soldiers and there was some brilliant combat footage I've never seen before. One piece that still sticks in my mind is some troops on a ridge advancing and suddenly being DF'd by Artillery-Shocking !

Anyone who says that all combat cameraman were no where near the frontline are either lying or they were not there themselves-These camera men were with the frontline troops advancing with them.

The second episode was the best so far and I also found the accounts given by the female American military nurse rather moving and emotional.