08/11/2015 Songs of Praise

Hello, and welcome to a special Songs Of Praise

here at the Imperial War Museum in London,

as the nation honours those who have lost their lives

in conflicts past and present.

In today's programme, we'll meet an Afghanistan veteran

who was described by Prince William as an inspiration

and who, nearly a decade after suffering horrific burns

in a rocket attack, is rebuilding his life as a racing driver.

A year after their display at the Tower of London,

Pam discovers how those poppies are still creating special memories.

I like to think that one of these has got my brother's name on it.

HE PLAYS THE LAST POST

And nearly 100 years after it was first played to mark Armistice Day,

we reveal the story of the Last Post.

It's an incredibly haunting piece of music.

Everybody recognises it,

everybody instantly associates that with Remembrance.

Our music today is inspired by Remembrance,

including a special performance from the Exultate Singers.

But our first hymn comes from the Royal Garrison Church in Aldershot.

The Imperial War Museum was founded in 1917

and was originally intended to record

Britain and the Empire's efforts and sacrifice in the Great War.

With galleries and exhibitions set over six floors,

today it charts all conflicts in which British and Commonwealth forces

have been involved since 1914.

One of its current exhibitions focuses on the war in Afghanistan,

a conflict which proved life-changing

for 31-year-old Martyn Compton.

He suffered 75% burns

after his patrol was ambushed by the Taliban.

In 2006, I was serving in the Household Cavalry

and the troop that I was in,

of four wagons, four small armoured tanks...

We got ambushed as we came into a village in Musa Qala.

They basically set an IED -

an improvised explosive device -

which blew the wagon up,

and unfortunately killing the three guys that were in it with me.

Then I was a sitting duck, basically.

They shot rocket grenades at me,

which blew the engine up and engulfed me in flames.

And I was very fortunate to then get out of that.

When they got me back to the Chinook and got me airlifted away,

I died officially three times. Extraordinary.

How amazing that you are standing here at all today. Yeah.

Martyn was in hospital for a full 12 months,

and over the past nine years he has undergone extensive surgery,

which is still ongoing.

How many operations have you had to go through as part of your recovery?

A ridiculous amount. It's probably...

They measure it in hours, and it's probably up to the 500-hour mark.

Martyn's story really struck a chord with Prince William,

who served in the same regiment.

And when, in April 2011,

William was married at Westminster Abbey,

Martyn and his wife Michelle were among the guests.

And he's described you as an inspiration. Yeah, he has.

For him to say that is obviously...

It's brilliant for me but, yeah, it's just surreal.

During his recovery in the past few years,

Martyn 's developed a passion for motor racing

and now it has given him a new focus.

Motorsport's my life and we now have stepped up to car racing,

formed a team called Team BRIT.

Our ambitions are to get to Le Mans,

be the first disabled, injured team to get to Le Mans

and race the world-famous Le Mans 24 Hours.

Which will cost a bob or two.

You had some help from an unexpected quarter, haven't you?

That's right. I was very fortunate that Coldplay...

Chris Martin, he read my story

and got in contact, said that he needed to do something.

Yeah, and he's backing us, so...

At his side throughout the whole experience has been Michelle.

Martyn's ordeal has been horrendous,

obviously, from day one.

It gets better over time, over the years.

Archie and Coral have been, really, a godsend to both of us,

because they keep both of our minds occupied

and, you know, we're really, really happy as a family altogether.

Despite Martyn's successful efforts to rebuild his life,

he will never forget his friends and comrades.

I lost three guys that day, and obviously you get close

when you're out and about and doing the same job

and you become good friends, you know?

And to lose those guys is obviously a personal thing for me

and it's a time to remember

all those that didn't come home, you know?

This is one of the museum's most striking exhibitions,

which focuses on World War I.

Since that war, the poppy has been adopted as a symbol of Remembrance,

taken from the red flowers which sprang up on Flanders Fields.

Well, last year a breathtaking display

of more than 800,000 ceramic poppies

at the Tower of London captured the nation's imagination.

Pam Rhodes has been to meet their creator

and two people for whom those poppies are particularly precious.

When the exhibition of Poppies took over the Tower of London,

no-one could have imagined the impact they would make.

More than five million people visited the tower

in the four months that they were on display.

When it finished, the poppies were sold off,

raising millions of pounds for charities.

And now, many of the poppies are on display around the country,

including this, the Wave,

here at Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

The creation of the exhibition was a huge undertaking.

Each of the poppies were individually handmade,

with every one representing a member of the British or Colonial forces

who lost their lives in the Great War.

The idea was the brainchild of this man, artist Paul Cummings.

I'm really happy that people have liked it

and that people can express what they think about things.

Because going to war

is something I've never experienced

and I hope I never will.

But everybody did do it for us.

And that's what we've got to do remember -

that people have done this for a very long time.

And they fought for what they believed in and what we have now.

So, it's the memories of that.

So, it was very costly for you,

your blood, sweat and tears, really?

Yeah, I did trap a finger... Well, I trapped my hand in a machine

and lost my middle finger.

But Derby has a very good hospital, to put them back together.

One of the many people to have lost their lives during World War II

was Flight Lieutenant Harry Chapman

who, at the age of just 22, was killed in action

when his Lancaster Bomber was shot down.

Among those Harry left behind

were his baby daughter Lesley

and his 11-year-old brother Alan.

Both were touched when they saw the exhibition in London last year

and have made their way to Yorkshire to see the Wave.

Alan, what can you tell us about your big brother, Harry?

What sort of man was he?

Well, I was 11 at the time that Harry was in the Air Force.

He was always keen to tell me

what it was like up above the clouds.

Do you think that loss of your brother

made an impact on you for the rest of your life? It did, yes.

I always thought that he was someone that I could go to.

if I was in trouble.

But he was not there.

There was nobody to go to.

I wish I could hear his voice and things like that, and I can't.

So Alan's the nearest I've got to him.

What you two share is having a faith.

How has that helped you, Alan, over the years,

to come to terms with this?

Well, it's helped me because you're not alone,

there's someone there to help you.

And there's someone there to turn to.

Is it important to remember?

You should never forget them, any of them.

Oh, yeah. Never forget them.

'Leslie and Alan wanted to take this opportunity

'to thank the creator of the exhibition

'and express their gratitude.'

Hello. Hello, how are you?

Hello, Paul. Nice to meet you. Hiya.

I've brought mine with me. I was honoured to get one. Thank you.

Thank you very much for coming up with the idea.

I like to think that one of these

has got my brother's name on it.

You know, I know there's hundreds and thousands, but...

They're all different. They're all different, yeah.

It's a flower for a person,

and the poppy in this country represents so much.

# We will remember them

# We will remember them

# At the going down of the sun

# And in the morning

# We will remember them

# They shall grow not old

# As we that are left grow old

# Age shall not weary them

# Nor the years condemn

# We will remember them

# When you go home

# Tell them of us and say

# For your tomorrow

# We gave our today

# We will remember them

# At the going down of the sun

# And in the morning

# We will remember them

# We will remember them. #

A very poignant and moving performance there

from the Exultate Singers.

Later in the programme, we'll reveal the story of the Last Post

and a bugler from the Royal Marines

will be explaining what makes it so special

at this time of Remembrance.

But, first, a hymn to remember those who've lost their lives

in wars at sea.

With more than 11 million photographic and sound items,

the museum's archive charting Britain's involvement

in conflicts over the past century is unrivalled.

Tucked away here, there are personal stories,

not only of those who lost their lives

but also of those they left behind.

And, as our next film shows, for one airman's sister

this Remembrance Sunday has a very special significance.

At least nine British military personnel have died

after a British Hercules transport plane crashed

shortly after leaving Baghdad.

Ten years ago, Sergeant Robert O'Connor lost his life

when his RAF plane was shot down by insurgents in Iraq.

His sister Sarah will never forget the day she heard the news.

We'd come in from celebrating my daughter's birthday.

I put on the news.

And I saw the words

"a British Hercules has crashed."

Quarter to four in the morning...

..there was the knock at the door and...

my mum was told those words that,

sadly, lots of other parents have had to hear, which is

"we regret to inform you...

"that your son, Sergeant Robert O'Connor,

"is missing in action, presumed dead."

Amazingly, it was Iraq's first election day,

and I'm very proud of that fact,

because that day was all about peace.

He was flying passengers from one airport to another.

Unfortunately, terrorists shot at the plane

and that, basically,

penetrated the fuel tank.

Sarah has been a Christian since she was young,

but the loss of her brother Bob

proved to be a huge test of her faith.

I've always maintained a conversation with God.

It hasn't been a regular conversation,

but I've always had him near me.

But after losing Bob, I really turned my back on Him.

And even when I refused to feel,

refused to listen,

it's just been there.

And then ...

something will happen and it's the most amazing thing ever.

To have that...moment of...

oh, he hasn't left me...

maybe he has been there all the way along.

And Sarah has received even more support,

but this time from an unexpected source.

Every year, thousands of bikers

converge on the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire

to pay their respects to those who gave their lives

serving their country.

The gathering is called Ride To The Wall,

and the event is now in its 10th year.

Many of the bikers either served in the forces

or are friends or family of those who lost their lives.

We all come together, united, to give thanks

and you arrive and there's 6,000 bikes.

And there's, like, thousands and thousands

and thousands of bikers.

BUGLE PLAYS

Central to the day is a service of Remembrance

next to the arboretum's Armed Forces Memorial.

We give to you, most merciful Father,

thanks that you have put it into the hearts of us, your servants.

Then, when we've had our Remembrance Service,

all the bikers line up with their wreaths,

ready to connect with their fallen friends,

fallen family members,

fallen strangers.

And, you know, forces buddies, as they're queueing up,

they connect with each other in the line.

Something as simple as the freedom to choose to remember

is something that's been given to us

by our heroes who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

That hymn, by Isaac Watts, was actually sung

at the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill

and it's synonymous with Remembrance,

as is our next piece of music,

from Enniskillen in Northern Ireland.

Now, it is perhaps the defining element of every Remembrance Sunday.

And over the past century, it's grown to become

the most emotionally charged piece of music performed at public ceremonies.

The Last Post was originally just a functional signal

performed at army camps to mark the end of the working day.

But on that first Armistice Day, nearly a hundred years ago,

that was all to change.

The 11th of November, 1919,

and crowds gather at the Cenotaph in London.

They've responded to a call from King George V

to mark the first anniversary of the end of the Great War.

As both veterans and the public pay their respects,

the two-minute silence is brought to an end

by the playing of the Last Post.

BUGLES PLAY THE LAST POST

Since then, this iconic piece of music has become a key part

of Remembrance ceremonies across Britain, the Commonwealth

and many other countries.

Here in Belgium, at the Menin Gate,

this bugle call has been played every single evening since 1928.

One person who knows exactly what it means to play the Last Post

is Corporal Bugler Nathan Crossley.

It's an incredibly haunting piece of music,

played in the right environment it sounds fantastic.

But everybody recognises it, everybody instantly associates that

with Remembrance and with that sombre attitude.

As a member of the Royal Marines Band,

Nathan has performed several times at the Cenotaph

in front of Her Majesty the Queen on Remembrance Sunday.

But some of the most poignant occasions

on which he is called upon to play the Last Post

are at repatriation ceremonies.

LAST POST PLAYS

It's an incredibly unique scenario.

Everybody seeing that body, effectively, for the first time,

whether you know the individual or whether you're family.

How important is it to you to play the Last Post, then,

at a ceremony like that?

Incredibly important.

As a member of the Armed Forces, whether it's Army, Navy,

Air Force, it doesn't matter -

we're all part of one family and, as a family,

that's how we say goodbye to each other.

Well, that's all for this programme of Remembrance

from the Imperial War Museum in London.

And what more fitting way to end

than with a special rendition of the Last Post

from Corporal Bugler Nathan Crossley.

Thank you for watching.

HE PLAYS THE LAST POST

'..Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, East Forties,