WWI: The Last Tommies – BBC4

By Mandy Cooper
( What's on TV )
published

WWI: The Last Tommies. The Worcesters going into action marching and waving their helmets in greeting. The Worcestershire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881. In the First World War the Regiment saw action in the retreat from Mons,
(Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)

Veterans of the First World War recall their experiences, with archive footage used to illustrate events, beginning with the first two years of the war in 1914 and 1915

Filmed over 25 years, men and women who lived through the Great War describe their experiences in this three-parter.

Scottish infantryman Robbie Burns, 103, recounts joining up and how his manager told him it would be a ‘nice, six-month holiday’ for him, and then recalls the fear of going over the top as his comrades fell beside him.

Great War. WW1 bread is served to troops in a front line trench

Lunchtime in a front line trench

Meanwhile, 103 years after her father’s death, Daisy Bastin remembers reading about the sinking of his ship with all hands on the village noticeboard and then going home to tell her mother. Daisy was only seven.

DCFE03 Great War. WW1 bread is served to troops in a front line trench

Counting on man's best friend

All their stories come to life alongside newly restored archive film. Continues tomorrow and Wednesday.

TV Times rating: *****

Mandy Cooper
Mandy Cooper
TV Times Highlights Editor

As TV Times Highlights Editor I get to hear about all the latest TV shows coming soon. Here at TVT HQ we are in the privileged position of selecting the best programmes from across all the channels and streaming platforms. Our mission is to make it easier for our readers to decide what to watch - and give them lots of choice of genres - all the latest shows, plus some nostalgic choices we call hidden gems, too. My career began with a postgraduate degree in periodical journalism (ahem, yes old school!) in 1991 and I’ve worked in TV media since 2000.