0:00:02 > 0:00:03September 3rd, 1939,
0:00:03 > 0:00:06and families all over the country flock to their radios...
0:00:06 > 0:00:10'I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received
0:00:10 > 0:00:15'and that, consequently, this country is at war with Germany.'
0:00:17 > 0:00:20In that brief moment, life in our country changed for ever.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22World War Two had begun,
0:00:22 > 0:00:26but victory wouldn't be assured by military might alone.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31The Blitz, evacuation, rationing, the loss of loved ones -
0:00:31 > 0:00:36the war on the home front meant that everyone had to do their bit.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39From the country's women who took on everything -
0:00:39 > 0:00:42farming, factory work, even flying spitfires -
0:00:42 > 0:00:46to the nation's auxiliary firemen, who worked through the terror of countless air raids.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51This is the story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53This is How We Won The War.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06All across the UK, ordinary citizens played a vital role
0:01:06 > 0:01:09in our country's war effort here at home.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12I'm on a journey to discover their stories,
0:01:12 > 0:01:16hearing about their lives and the incredible sacrifices they made
0:01:16 > 0:01:17throughout the Second World War.
0:01:21 > 0:01:22From the Midlands,
0:01:22 > 0:01:26I'm continuing my journey south into the Home Counties.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31I'll start in Buckinghamshire before heading on through Bedfordshire.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33On today's programme,
0:01:33 > 0:01:37I'll be uncovering the dark side of Britain's propaganda war.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40By being all for Hitler, and really pro him,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43they're managing to insert stories
0:01:43 > 0:01:46which would undermine the German morale.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50Trying my hand at using a weapon dreamt up by armchair scientists
0:01:50 > 0:01:52under the control of Winston Churchill.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54How's your throwing arm?
0:01:54 > 0:01:56- Cricket was never my strong point, but you never know!- We'll see.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58THEY CHUCKLE
0:01:58 > 0:02:00And recreating valuable work
0:02:00 > 0:02:04carried out by some of the youngest troopers on the home front.
0:02:04 > 0:02:05Everybody ready to get their hands dirty?
0:02:05 > 0:02:07ALL: Yesss!
0:02:07 > 0:02:08HE CHUCKLES
0:02:15 > 0:02:17The countryside just to the North West of London
0:02:17 > 0:02:20is, on the face of it, green, lush and peaceful,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22but don't be fooled.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25During the war, this whole region was a hive
0:02:25 > 0:02:28of top-secret cloak and dagger activity.
0:02:28 > 0:02:33Code breakers were at work cracking Nazi messages at Bletchley Park.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Secret communications were being broadcast
0:02:36 > 0:02:38from tunnels in South Heighton.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42And, in Cranleigh, potential saboteurs were being selected
0:02:42 > 0:02:44for dangerous missions in occupied Europe.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51The Firs Estate, in the tiny village of Whitchurch, may look ordinary,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54but, in 1940, this became Churchill's Toyshop...
0:02:57 > 0:03:01..a secret home to some of Britain's top technicians and scientists,
0:03:01 > 0:03:05all gathered to create cutting-edge weapons.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07Few in the village could have imagined
0:03:07 > 0:03:09what was really going on here,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13but a local schoolboy nearly blew the lid off the whole operation.
0:03:13 > 0:03:14- Gordon!- Hello, Jules!
0:03:14 > 0:03:16- Nice to see you, sir! - Nice to see you.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19'Gordon Rogers was just a lad when, in 1945,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23'he and three friends stumbled across its explosive secrets.'
0:03:23 > 0:03:25Well, there was a buzz at school
0:03:25 > 0:03:28that something was going on at Whitchurch,
0:03:28 > 0:03:30and a young chap called Culverhouse,
0:03:30 > 0:03:34same class as me, said, "Let's cycle over there and have a look."
0:03:34 > 0:03:39There were two Nissen huts, we went in and we were amazed to find
0:03:39 > 0:03:43a pile of blacker bombards, anti-tank shells,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and boxes of something we hadn't seen before,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49which turned out to be L-delay fuses.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52I tied a couple of bombs to the cycle,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56put a box of fuses in the pannier bag,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59and cycled back through Aylesbury to Tring.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03After detonating two pounds of explosives in a farmer's field,
0:04:03 > 0:04:07schoolboy Gordon was arrested and bound over to keep the peace,
0:04:07 > 0:04:11but little did he know then what he'd discovered.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13I didn't find out till many years later
0:04:13 > 0:04:17that it was MD1, Churchill's Toyshop.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Now, what did the MD stand for?
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Ministry of Defence One.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26Winston Churchill wanted a regulation-free department
0:04:26 > 0:04:31where weapons could be invented without too much red tape
0:04:31 > 0:04:35to try and accelerate the introduction of new weapons.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39Churchill hired explosives expert Major Millis Jefferies to run MD1.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44Amongst civilian recruits was the editor of Armchair Scientist, Stuart MacRae.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46No expense was spared,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49with a bottomless bank account at their disposal.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Stuart MacRae had unlimited access.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57Any amount of funds he required whatsoever was available to him.
0:04:57 > 0:05:02Soon, MD1 staff were spending every moment inventing ingenious weapons.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05On the way home, they'd stop at the local pub
0:05:05 > 0:05:10and they'd discuss further the ideas for weapons they were producing.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12In fact, one of them is called the JW bomb,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15the Johnny Walker bomb.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18'Inside The Firs, Colonel Norman Bonney
0:05:18 > 0:05:21'has a selection of MD1 weapons to show me.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24'In their day, they were deadly, but, incredibly,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27'their inventors often crafted them from everyday household goods.'
0:05:27 > 0:05:30You've assembled a wonderful collection here, Norman.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32What's in this box?
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Well, this box was probably used
0:05:34 > 0:05:37to advertise the wares among various units
0:05:37 > 0:05:39so either it was used as a training aid
0:05:39 > 0:05:43or, more likely, I think, to actually say what this organisation does.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Well, this looks quite exciting. What's this bizarre thing here?
0:05:46 > 0:05:49- Can I take that out?- Yes, please do.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51It's quite heavy, isn't it? It's very heavy.
0:05:51 > 0:05:52That's a limpet mine.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55It's basically a magnetic charge.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58You can stick that to a ship or a tank.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01And, in fact, this design comes from a Woolworths' bowl.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03HE CHUCKLES
0:06:03 > 0:06:06'Prototypes were tested in Bedford baths,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08'with porridge in place of explosives.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12'But a sweet would prove key to the mine's inner workings.'
0:06:12 > 0:06:16Now, this device used an aniseed ball, would you believe,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20to provide the delay function that was required.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25'The team discovered aniseed balls dissolved at a uniform rate,
0:06:25 > 0:06:26'so would slowly soften
0:06:26 > 0:06:29'and let whoever attached the bomb swim away.'
0:06:29 > 0:06:32- It's proper Bond stuff, isn't it? - Oh, absolutely.
0:06:32 > 0:06:37McRae claims that 26 of their products actually got into service.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41In fact, looking through their designs, their drawings,
0:06:41 > 0:06:46you're probably looking at 250 different designs of viable munitions
0:06:46 > 0:06:50that could have come out of this place.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53'I'm going to put one of MD1's inventions to the test.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57'Trevor Lawrence, an explosives expert, has offered to help.'
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Now then, if anybody knows about sticky bombs, it's you.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02- Well, allegedly! - With a career in bomb disposal,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05this must be a bit strange. You're used to taking bombs apart,
0:07:05 > 0:07:07but here you are putting them back together!
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Indeed, it's not something I'd normally do, but we'll have a go, certainly!
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Over 2.5 million sticky bombs would be produced
0:07:13 > 0:07:16for troops to use as anti-tank weapons.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18They'd stick to whatever they were thrown at,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22before detonating five seconds later.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Now, we've got a chance to see how effective these were.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26I notice you've got a target set up overlooking the view.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28I have indeed, how is your throwing arm?
0:07:28 > 0:07:31- Cricket was never my strong point, but you never know!- We'll see.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33THEY CHUCKLE
0:07:33 > 0:07:34'Today, Trevor's brought a flask
0:07:34 > 0:07:38'the same size and volume as MD1 would have used,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41'and filled it with petroleum jelly, roughly the same consistency
0:07:41 > 0:07:44'as the explosives used in the original bomb.'
0:07:44 > 0:07:45It won't go bang.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- But hopefully it'll stick! - I, well... We'll see!
0:07:48 > 0:07:52'Instead of the birdlime used in the original,
0:07:52 > 0:07:53'we're using a strong adhesive.'
0:07:53 > 0:07:55The gooey bit, look at that.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58We really want to get as much on there as we can.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02Winston Churchill was a big, big fan, he liked these a lot,
0:08:02 > 0:08:03he thought this was a great idea.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06The Army High Command not so much,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08because if it sticks to a heavy battledress uniform,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11once it sticks to you, it's not coming off.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13OK, right, what do you think, enough?
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Well, I think that's the best we're going to get it, so...
0:08:16 > 0:08:18that's pretty sticky, let's have a go!
0:08:18 > 0:08:21OK, so that's your panzer rolling over the hill.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24So what you want is a nice good over arm throw,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27hard as you can and try and get it on the outline of the tank there.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30One, two, argh! Missed!
0:08:30 > 0:08:33HE LAUGHS
0:08:33 > 0:08:36I missed! The invasion would have been all over!
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Right, I'm going to try one more.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Right, five seconds, here we go, one, two!
0:08:43 > 0:08:44HE LAUGHS
0:08:44 > 0:08:45- Do you know what?- Look at that!
0:08:45 > 0:08:47- That's fabulous, isn't it? - I'm impressed.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50It would have gone off, I know it'll fall off the target,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52but it's done its job, hasn't it?
0:08:52 > 0:08:54By now, it's detonated hard against the tank,
0:08:54 > 0:08:56and it's either blown a hole in the side of the tank
0:08:56 > 0:08:59or it's put enough stress wave into the tank
0:08:59 > 0:09:01to put a scab off on the inside,
0:09:01 > 0:09:03which is a bit of metal which would fly around inside,
0:09:03 > 0:09:07which is going to be highly injurious to whoever's inside the tank, so that was good.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Now, Churchill's Toyshop is a place
0:09:09 > 0:09:11that you clearly would have loved to work in.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12Oh, yes, very much so.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15I mean, they had sort of carte blanche
0:09:15 > 0:09:17to let their imaginations run riot
0:09:17 > 0:09:20and really develop some really, really interesting things.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22It's been very interesting to see.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Do you think we'd have won the war without them?
0:09:24 > 0:09:25Would have been a lot harder.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Certainly, without that sort of inventiveness,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29it would have been a much, much harder job.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33From Whitchurch, I'm heading on to Luton
0:09:33 > 0:09:36to uncover another of the war's secret organisations.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42Wars are fought on many fronts and by many means.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46But some of the most important battles don't happen on land,
0:09:46 > 0:09:47at sea or in the air.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49They happen in here.
0:09:52 > 0:09:53The Ministry of Information
0:09:53 > 0:09:56was formed the day after the war broke out.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58They'd create visually striking posters
0:09:58 > 0:10:02to keep British spirits running high and the workforce unbroken.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05But just as the Germans used Lord Haw-Haw's broadcasts
0:10:05 > 0:10:08to try and lower British morale,
0:10:08 > 0:10:10our Ministry also had a darker side.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14Specialising in what came to be known as "black propaganda",
0:10:14 > 0:10:18the Political Warfare Executive at Woburn Abbey, in Bedfordshire,
0:10:18 > 0:10:23dreamt up demoralising disinformation to unsettle the Germans.
0:10:23 > 0:10:24Sefton Delmer would become
0:10:24 > 0:10:27one of the organisation's top propagandists.
0:10:27 > 0:10:28Before the war,
0:10:28 > 0:10:32he'd worked as a Daily Express correspondent in Berlin.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36This had given him access to none other than Hitler himself,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39as this footage filmed by him shows.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Sefton's son Felix remembers an ominous meeting
0:10:42 > 0:10:46his father had with Hitler eight years before the war started.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49The first time he went down
0:10:49 > 0:10:51to the Brown House in Munich to interview Hitler,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55they were walking through the, through the Brown House,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58and they went into one room with a lot of maps,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00and they were all pouring over them, and my father said,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02"What are those people doing?"
0:11:02 > 0:11:05And Hitler turned to him and said, "They're planning the war".
0:11:05 > 0:11:08"Oh? Which war?" "The next war."
0:11:08 > 0:11:12Sefton had been born and brought up in Berlin.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14With his close knowledge of the Nazis,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16the British government realised he'd be the perfect man
0:11:16 > 0:11:19to lead an attack on the German psyche.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22He was in Lisbon at the time, on a job for the Daily Express,
0:11:22 > 0:11:26and he was called up and said, you know, "Come back immediately, important job awaits."
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Britain had already been broadcasting to Germany,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32but were trying to appeal to anti-Nazi elements.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Once Sefton was on board, he realised something else was needed.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39My father said, "Forget all that.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41"What we need is a pro-Nazi station."
0:11:41 > 0:11:45Before long, a station called Gustav Siegfried Eins
0:11:45 > 0:11:48was being beamed by the British into Germany,
0:11:48 > 0:11:52with a pretend Prussian officer called Der Chef at the microphone.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56And by being all for Hitler, and really pro him,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59they're managing then to insert stories
0:11:59 > 0:12:03which will undermine the German morale.
0:12:03 > 0:12:04Der Chef would complain
0:12:04 > 0:12:07about Germans making money off the black market
0:12:07 > 0:12:11whilst explaining to his listeners exactly how to do it.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13And it worked.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16In fact, not only did we fool the Germans,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18we also fooled the Americans.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20The Americans were convinced
0:12:20 > 0:12:23that there were good anti-Nazis in Germany.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Before long, Sefton Delmer was approached by Naval Intelligence
0:12:29 > 0:12:32to set up another radio station,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34this time targeting German U-Boat crews.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37Atlantiksender was soon on air.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42But the format was going to be entirely different.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46It broadcast hot jazz with a German flavour,
0:12:46 > 0:12:49interspersed with fast news items.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53The broadcasts would spread rumours,
0:12:53 > 0:12:55including one that German prisoners of war
0:12:55 > 0:12:58were earning large wages working in America.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02But they'd also use true stories to unsettle the crews.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04When our planes bombed Germany,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08we would get all the photographs back and analyse them really quickly.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11And the next day, we'd let the troops know what streets had been bombed,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14because if your home had been bombed,
0:13:14 > 0:13:16you could get leave, you could get home!
0:13:16 > 0:13:18- Taking men off the front line? - Taking men off the front line!
0:13:18 > 0:13:21News gathered for the radio stations was also used
0:13:21 > 0:13:26for the production of a daily newspaper the British dropped into Germany -
0:13:26 > 0:13:30Nachrichten Fur Die Truppe, or News For The Troops.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Come on in, Heather!
0:13:32 > 0:13:34'When it came to the top-secret printing of the newspaper,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36'the Political Warfare Executive
0:13:36 > 0:13:38'turned to the presses of the Luton News,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41'and had a bit of help from a ten-year-old girl
0:13:41 > 0:13:43'in packing them ready for delivery.'
0:13:43 > 0:13:46- And I gather that your father roped you into help.- Yes.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48- What were you doing? - Me and my sister, we used to,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51sometimes on the way back from school,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54call in at the factory where they were packing these bombs.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58And they would pack them in big round caskets
0:13:58 > 0:14:00made of very hard cardboard.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03But they would explode before it hit the ground,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06and they were all scattered in special places
0:14:06 > 0:14:09where they had designated that they should land.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12But Heather and her sister would add their own touch
0:14:12 > 0:14:14to the newspaper bombs.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17We would fill them up with our old buns as well...
0:14:17 > 0:14:18HE CHUCKLES
0:14:18 > 0:14:21..because we were given buns to eat, and we'd think,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23"Hitler can eat those stale buns."
0:14:23 > 0:14:28Heather's father was John Gibb, one of the owners of the Luton News.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31By day, the presses would be printing the local paper.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33But, at night, they'd be playing a top-secret role
0:14:33 > 0:14:35in helping defeat Germany.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39So how many of these newspapers were produced during the war?
0:14:39 > 0:14:43Well, from 800,000 up to a million on D-Day.
0:14:43 > 0:14:44And this was per day?
0:14:44 > 0:14:46Yes, per day.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49You can see on this map of the Eastern Front,
0:14:49 > 0:14:51the Front Line moving ever closer
0:14:51 > 0:14:53towards Berlin and the heart of Germany.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55That must have shaken many a German soldier.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59Well, we do know the soldiers were surrendering
0:14:59 > 0:15:00with them in their hands
0:15:00 > 0:15:03- as they came out of the woods, the forests.- Were they?
0:15:03 > 0:15:09I'm just very, very proud of what they all did, especially my dad.
0:15:12 > 0:15:17Propaganda, white or black, was an incredibly powerful weapon,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20with both sides battling for the minds of civilians.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25The Mass Observation Diary project ran throughout the Second World War.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Personal diaries of civilians recorded everyday life,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31including the effects of propaganda
0:15:31 > 0:15:33from our own government and the Nazis.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39Edward Stebbing was a shopkeeper in Great Baddow, in Essex.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42"March 12th, 1940.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46"Was in the barber's today and saw another Fougasse poster there.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48"It showed two men in a railway carriage.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53"One of them is saying, 'Of course, this mustn't go any further.'
0:15:53 > 0:15:56"On the racks above, one sees the lower halves of two bodies,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58"Hitler and Goering.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00"The way in which the identity of the listeners is conveyed
0:16:00 > 0:16:03"without showing their faces is masterly,
0:16:03 > 0:16:05"and, in the case of Goering, especially amusing.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10"August 5th, 1940.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13"This evening, a soldier mentioned that more leaflets
0:16:13 > 0:16:15"had been dropped in South West England,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17"and that most of them had fallen on a sewage farm!
0:16:17 > 0:16:19"I then spoke to a soldier
0:16:19 > 0:16:22"who said he would like to read one of the leaflets,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25"as the Germans' idea of grammar was sometimes very amusing.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28"He asked me if I wanted to get hold of some.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31"'Yes,' I said, 'One would be enough.'
0:16:31 > 0:16:33"'Subversive literature,' he said.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36"'No,' I said, 'I'd just like to see one.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39"'Still, you wouldn't be able to read them in Germany.'
0:16:39 > 0:16:40"'You won't be able to here,' he said.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43"'I expect they'll be collected and burnt.'"
0:16:47 > 0:16:50One of the most important sources of information
0:16:50 > 0:16:53during the war was the BBC.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55With the Blitz making London so dangerous,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59a decision was taken to move the good old Beeb out to the country.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04Entertaining the nation played a vital part in keeping morale high.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08After a short spell in Bristol, the departments for Music and Religion
0:17:08 > 0:17:11were moved to the relative safe haven of Bedford.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Listeners, though, were kept in the dark
0:17:14 > 0:17:17when it came to where the departments were now based.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Any broadcast that was made
0:17:19 > 0:17:23was always announced as "from somewhere in England".
0:17:23 > 0:17:26The religious broadcasts, the concerts, etc,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28you would never say, "Here we are in Bedford,"
0:17:28 > 0:17:31because that would be inviting reprisals.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Seven buildings in the town became makeshift studios.
0:17:35 > 0:17:36Trinity Chapel in St Paul's Church
0:17:36 > 0:17:39would become home to religious broadcasts,
0:17:39 > 0:17:42and provide the people of Bedford with an eye-opening insight
0:17:42 > 0:17:45into the workings of the BBC.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49The engineers treated this as any other studio.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52It was 1941, they were used to smoking,
0:17:52 > 0:17:54so they simply went just outside of the curtains,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57out of the studio, into the church,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00and would have a quick cigarette there.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04The congregation did not view that very well
0:18:04 > 0:18:06and they were most disapproving.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09A more positive effect of the corporation's arrival
0:18:09 > 0:18:11was felt by music lovers.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Bedford School's Great Hall became one of two studios
0:18:13 > 0:18:17used by orchestras, and welcomed world-renowned conductors
0:18:17 > 0:18:21such as Sir Henry Wood, creator of The Proms.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24The local populace were very keen on the BBC in World War Two,
0:18:24 > 0:18:29because charity concerts were being held, rehearsals were being held.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31If you had a member of staff billeted on you,
0:18:31 > 0:18:33then you could get a free ticket,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36and there were all these famous names coming in,
0:18:36 > 0:18:41like Vera Lynn, and others, all came to Bedford during the war.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Possibly bumping into David Niven or Laurence Olivier
0:18:43 > 0:18:46on your way to the shops became a reality
0:18:46 > 0:18:49as celebrities flooded into town.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53And it wasn't just British stars that were arriving -
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Bedford would also become the base
0:18:55 > 0:18:58for one of the biggest American names of the era.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01On the 9th of July 1944,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Glenn Miller gave his first broadcast
0:19:04 > 0:19:07from the Corn Exchange, here in Bedford.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11Miller's music would come to define the sound of the era.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15Escaping London attacks, he'd moved his band to Bedford,
0:19:15 > 0:19:20where he'd not only mingle with other stars, but help make them too.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24The Beverley Sisters, who were in Northampton, came to visit.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Glenn Miller gave them a contact in London,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30and they actually went down and did their first broadcast
0:19:30 > 0:19:33from London a few weeks later
0:19:33 > 0:19:37with one of Glenn Miller's band playing for them.
0:19:37 > 0:19:43# Have you ever been lonely? #
0:19:43 > 0:19:46The Beverley Sisters would go on to become '50s favourites,
0:19:46 > 0:19:50but things wouldn't end so well for their mentor.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53On his way to the European Theatre of Operations,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57Glenn Miller boarded a plane just outside Bedford, bound for Paris.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01He departed from Twinwood Airfield
0:20:01 > 0:20:05at midday on 15th of December 1944,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07never to be seen again.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11And, of course, there's an on-going mystery as to what happened to him.
0:20:11 > 0:20:17Tragically, the plane, the pilot and Glenn simply vanished.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Around 8,000 broadcasts were made from Bedford
0:20:20 > 0:20:23by the BBC throughout the war.
0:20:23 > 0:20:28They left the town in 1945, two months after VE Day.
0:20:28 > 0:20:33The BBC in Bedford was the largest outside of London throughout the war
0:20:33 > 0:20:37and the effort they put in to improve the morale,
0:20:37 > 0:20:41to keep up morale, concerts, the religious broadcasts,
0:20:41 > 0:20:46all maintained the morale for the country throughout the war,
0:20:46 > 0:20:47all from here, in Bedford.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55The threat of invasion, the constant fear of air attacks
0:20:55 > 0:20:57and, of course, the loss of loved ones
0:20:57 > 0:20:59were daily worries during the war
0:20:59 > 0:21:02and had a profound effect on people up and down the country.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04But if you think it was tough for the adults,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07it was even tougher for the children.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13Their world had been transformed completely by the arrival of war.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15Classrooms were swapped for air-raid shelters,
0:21:15 > 0:21:20toys for gas masks and, sometimes, family for complete strangers.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Children across the UK had to grow up quickly.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27They were expected to contribute to the war effort as well,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30and one group of youngsters in particular played an important role,
0:21:30 > 0:21:34even being used to teach adults wartime skills.
0:21:35 > 0:21:40Formed in 1910, the Guides focused on physical fitness,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43survival skills, thrift and good citizenship -
0:21:43 > 0:21:47all useful lessons that would be called upon when war broke out.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50And when that happened, the Guides' motto of "Be Prepared"
0:21:50 > 0:21:52meant they quickly sprang into action.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55The moment war broke out in September 1939,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59Guides put on their uniforms and they went down to railway stations,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02they went down to billeting offices,
0:22:02 > 0:22:06they went to town halls and they helped with the huge evacuation.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10So there were Guides helping screaming two-year-olds,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13mothers who needed cups of tea, sandwiches being made,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15and there were the Guides in their uniform
0:22:15 > 0:22:17just being calm and efficient.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20It wasn't just about providing refreshments.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23In May 1940, Guides and the older Rangers
0:22:23 > 0:22:26turned their attention to raising money for the war effort.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29Gift Week was traditionally a week
0:22:29 > 0:22:32in which Guides raised money for charities,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35and they managed to raise enough
0:22:35 > 0:22:39to buy two air ambulances and a life boat.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43And almost before it was finished, it was used at Dunkirk
0:22:43 > 0:22:45to rescue British soldiers.
0:22:45 > 0:22:51In today's money, the Guides raised £1.3 million.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Across the country, youngsters were keen to do their bit.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Lucy Pendar was 11 when the war broke out,
0:22:57 > 0:23:01and was one of the 750,000 Guides picking up new skills
0:23:01 > 0:23:03to help on the home front.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07What did you start learning when you became a Guide?
0:23:07 > 0:23:09What were the first things they taught you?
0:23:09 > 0:23:10Oooh, good grief!
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Morse code was one of the early things,
0:23:12 > 0:23:14that was a very useful thing.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Um... I'm trying to think what else they taught us.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20Well, everything, really, you know - first aid, a bit of cooking,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22a bit of stalking and tracking.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Those were the things I liked the best, the outdoor things.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27You mentioned Morse code, we've got a Morse code tapper here.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Does that look familiar to you?
0:23:29 > 0:23:32- Very familiar, yes.- Do you still remember your Morse?- Some of it!
0:23:32 > 0:23:34You'll know this.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39- That's SOS, isn't it?- Yes.
0:23:39 > 0:23:44'In emergencies, communications must be kept open at all times.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46'Rangers are trained to take an active part
0:23:46 > 0:23:48'in the messenger service.'
0:23:48 > 0:23:50Like others, Lucy's proficiency with Morse
0:23:50 > 0:23:52saw her working alongside the Home Guard
0:23:52 > 0:23:55and placed in potentially dangerous situations.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59We were each seconded to a Home Guard man,
0:23:59 > 0:24:01and we'd been there all night, he with his gun,
0:24:01 > 0:24:05and me just standing in case I was going to be sent on a message,
0:24:05 > 0:24:07and, suddenly, through the mist,
0:24:07 > 0:24:11we realised there were figures moving in the field.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15And we were - well, I was absolutely petrified, I don't know if he was.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19I thought, "Oh, God, are they Germans who've landed during the night?"
0:24:19 > 0:24:22And the relief, when the mist cleared,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24and it was Farmer Bates' cows.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26HE LAUGHS
0:24:26 > 0:24:30- So there was a kind of lighter side to these moments.- Oh, yes! Yeah.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34Raising money, sending messages, and supporting the Home Guard
0:24:34 > 0:24:38was all in a day's work for the Guides, but that wasn't all.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43We got our service badges for helping with the salvage
0:24:43 > 0:24:45and filling sandbags, and things like that.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47And our fire-fighter badge,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51they taught us how to move a chain of buckets to put a fire out,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54and then we all had a turn with the stirrup pump,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56so we'd know what to do if there was an incendiary bomb.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59And the Guides' first-aid skills were invaluable
0:24:59 > 0:25:03as bombs rained down on Britain's towns and cities.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07They'd rip off their scarf and they'd staunch the flow of blood,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09they knew exactly what to do.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12They also knew how to keep everybody else calm.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14Even if your heart is beating
0:25:14 > 0:25:19and you're panicking inside, you've got to put on what was called
0:25:19 > 0:25:23"an emergency smile" and just stay very calm
0:25:23 > 0:25:27and then, once everybody settled down, make them nice sweet tea
0:25:27 > 0:25:29and maybe get them singing.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32And it's amazing how singing will cheer people up
0:25:32 > 0:25:35in the worst situations.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37The Guides were a resourceful lot too,
0:25:37 > 0:25:39coming up with an ingenious solution
0:25:39 > 0:25:41when the government was trying to work out
0:25:41 > 0:25:44how to feed people bombed out of their houses.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46These very earnest chaps were saying,
0:25:46 > 0:25:51"Well, the Army could set up a field kitchen in two days,"
0:25:51 > 0:25:55and the Navy said, "Oh, I think we could do it in a day and a half."
0:25:55 > 0:25:58They all thought they were very clever.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02And then, one Girl Guide put her hand up and said,
0:26:02 > 0:26:07"We could do it in two hours with 12 bricks and a door scraper,"
0:26:07 > 0:26:09whereupon she was told,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12"Right, get on with it and show us how to do it."
0:26:12 > 0:26:14The solution was the Blitz oven,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17and soon, Guides were being sent round in groups
0:26:17 > 0:26:21to train housewives with no kitchens how to feed their families.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25So we're going to put 3rd Headington Guides and Ranger Unit to the test
0:26:25 > 0:26:28by getting them to build a Blitz oven.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31The girls are roughly the same age Lucy was during the war,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33and today, she's supervising.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Everybody ready to get their hands dirty?
0:26:35 > 0:26:37ALL: Yesss!
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Right, OK. So we've got some bricks, we've got some firewood,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44we've got some cooking pots, and a kettle, so let's get started.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50So just start stacking them up, that's it, in a line.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55OK. Now then, we also need a door grate, not unlike that one!
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Oh, very strong, well done!
0:26:58 > 0:27:00OK. Now, let's lay that over the bricks.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Right, OK, let's put a bit of firewood under there!
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Well done. Now, what do we all think of our Blitz oven?
0:27:09 > 0:27:11- Pretty simple thing, isn't it? - ALL: Yeah.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13What does our expert, Lucy, think?
0:27:13 > 0:27:14Lucy, do you think it's ready?
0:27:14 > 0:27:17Yes, I think that's all right now!
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Ready to light.
0:27:21 > 0:27:22Right, then.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26We'll let that boil, and, hopefully, in a few minutes,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28we can have a cup of tea!
0:27:28 > 0:27:31- What do you think of that, Lucy? - I think that's very good.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34I'm sure they'd be perfectly all right if we have another Blitz ever!
0:27:34 > 0:27:36- Do you think so?- Yeah!
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Would you want to wind the clock back and be a Guide camping?
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Oh, I would love to do that! I would love to stay here all night.
0:27:41 > 0:27:42HE LAUGHS
0:27:42 > 0:27:46- Aaah! Thank you.- Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:27:46 > 0:27:47Ooh, that's nice and warm!
0:27:47 > 0:27:49HE CHUCKLES
0:27:49 > 0:27:51- Cheers, Guides!- Cheers!
0:27:51 > 0:27:52ALL: Cheers!
0:27:55 > 0:27:58The Girl Guides really stepped up to the many challenges
0:27:58 > 0:27:59that the war threw at them.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02And they did so with a gusto and a sprit that, I think,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04says quite a lot about us as a nation.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Whether they were helping to feed the victims of the Blitz
0:28:07 > 0:28:10or keeping up morale in numerous different ways,
0:28:10 > 0:28:12there is no doubt that the Guiding Movement
0:28:12 > 0:28:14certainly played its part in the war effort,
0:28:14 > 0:28:18helping to keep the country going through its darkest days.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24Next time, I'll be meeting the women who defended our skies,
0:28:24 > 0:28:27discovering how London's cabbies took on new roles,
0:28:27 > 0:28:31and hearing how 14-year-olds fought devastating fires.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34You'd find yourself on the end of the hose, holding the branch,
0:28:34 > 0:28:35hoping for the best.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd