Britain at War in Colour

Synopsis: Portrays the events of World War 2 through rarely seen footage, much of it shot unofficially by servicemen and civilians as a personal record of events unfolding. Originally shown on television in 3 parts, each dealing with different periods of the war. Includes footage of Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts marching along in London in 1940, the D-day landings and the liberation of British survivors of a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp; Winston Churchill before the 1945 election, British prisoners of war at a liberated prison camp in Burma and footage of the D-Day landings.

The video compilation and DVD contain the entire television series plus 30 minutes of additional footage. These include five letter and diary pieces;a year-by-year breakdown of events; key facts linked to 24 ‘hot points’ within the films; reproductions of 10 original war posters; and William Wyler’s hard-hitting 1943 documentary, the MEMPHIS BELLE, gives an insight into bombing missions from an American perspective.
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Year of release: 2001
Year of production: 2000
Notes: Broadcast on ITV weekly from 13/01/01
Subjects: History; Media studies
Keywords: archive films; social history; World War II

Title: Darkest hour
Synopsis: Covers the period from the government’s failed policy of appeasement, through the months of misfortune and failure, to the turn of the tide in North Africa late in 1942. Focuses on Britain’s preparations for war with Germany, life on the home front, and the difficulties the British civilians and troops faced.
Title: Beginning of the end, The
Synopsis: Traces the successes in Asia and the Atlantic, through the D-Day landings, to victory in Europe in April 1945.
Title: Unknown warriors
Synopsis: Takes a chronological overview of events through the letters and diaries of people caught up in the conflict and recent interviews with them.

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