Letters from the Trenches

Synopsis

Two 20-minute programmes looking at World War 1 from the perspective of the troops and nurses who served on the Western Front. Drawing on private letters and diaries, most of which have never been made public, the stories of ordinary men and women are told in their own words: 1) accounts of how civilians, many of them still in their teens, were recruited, equipped and trained before being shipped to France; 2) some of the horrors the new recruits experienced: gas attacks, bombardment in waterlogged and rat-infested trenches, casualties (both physical and mental) and, for many, an early death.

Series

History in Action, Series

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Video; Videocassette. VHS. col. 40 min.

Year of production

1999

Availability

Sale; 1999 sale: £12.99 (inc. VAT +p&p)

Notes

Broadcast on C4 from 4/11/99.

Documentation

Programme notes at www.channel4.com/schools/netnotes.

Uses

Ages 14 and up.

Subjects

History

Keywords

social history; war; World War 1

Production Company

Name

Channel Four Television

Phone

071-396 4444

Address

LONDON
SW1P 2TX

Distributor

Name

4 Learning

Notes

Channel 4 Learning has now closed. This used to be the educational broadcasting arm of Channel 4. The online shop sold educational DVDs and CD-ROMs for use in primary and secondary schools.