0:00:02 > 0:00:06Hello. In this week of remembrance, we're at a former RAF base which is
0:00:06 > 0:00:08now an impressive museum.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11We're here to honour bravery, both on the battlefield
0:00:11 > 0:00:13and on the home front.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16We're paying tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18This is how the people remember.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Over the next five days, I'll be exploring
0:00:28 > 0:00:32some of the treasures here, with former Army officer Andy Torbet.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39And celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and broadcasting
0:00:39 > 0:00:42tell us the role their families played during the war.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49On today's programme, the war at sea.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Si King from the Hairy Bikers
0:00:51 > 0:00:54shares his father's wartime stories with us.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01There's a big thank you for the military search and rescue teams,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04who've saved countless lives in the UK.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06I don't think you realise how much you
0:01:06 > 0:01:08really are appreciated by everybody.
0:01:10 > 0:01:15And two old shipmates are reunited after surviving
0:01:15 > 0:01:17the horrors of the Arctic convoys.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Hello there! How are you? Oh, how lovely to see you!
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Hello and welcome to the Imperial War Museum Duxford.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Now, it takes a special kind of bravery to head out to sea
0:01:44 > 0:01:48in times of war, but naval battles have long played
0:01:48 > 0:01:51a crucial role in safeguarding our nation.
0:01:51 > 0:01:56Britain's naval superiority has been tested many times over the years
0:01:56 > 0:01:59but never more so than in the Second World War.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Our special guest today knows all about that.
0:02:01 > 0:02:02His father was in the Royal Navy.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05He is Si King from the Hairy Bikers.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Thank you very much for joining us. Lovely to see you.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Now, your father, he died when you were, what, just eight years old?
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Yes. But what he did during World War II has really had quite
0:02:15 > 0:02:17an influence on you and how you've turned out.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19Oddly, it has!
0:02:19 > 0:02:25Yes, Dad was on the Russian convoys, among other sorties of war at sea,
0:02:25 > 0:02:29but he was incredibly well travelled, obviously,
0:02:29 > 0:02:33and he used to bring really odd ingredients back from whichever
0:02:33 > 0:02:37port he was in and write them down about how he'd eaten them, you know.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39And he'd bring them home to Mam. And bear in mind, Mam was
0:02:39 > 0:02:45a fantastic cook but she was a cook that facilitated miners' shifts,
0:02:45 > 0:02:49you know, in a pit village on the top of a County Durham hill.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54So he'd bring stuff like star anise and that's in the '40s - nuts!
0:02:54 > 0:02:57So by the time I popped out, cos I was quite...I was the youngest
0:02:57 > 0:03:01of three, we had this amazing cuisine and all our neighbours
0:03:01 > 0:03:06complaining that what was coming out of me Mam's kitchen stunk!
0:03:06 > 0:03:08So there was all this kind of...
0:03:08 > 0:03:11So, yeah, no, Dad had an enormous influence.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13And he was a biker of sorts, wasn't he?
0:03:13 > 0:03:16He was, yeah, because he was injured sadly during the Russian
0:03:16 > 0:03:20convoys and he was put on dispatch to run between these land-based
0:03:20 > 0:03:23areas for the Royal Navy.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27So motorcyclist, loved food, by default.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30So that's the legacy that he's left me. I'm pretty fond of him.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33I didn't know him that well, but, you know, every now and then
0:03:33 > 0:03:36I'll go, "Thanks very much, Dad. You did us well there."
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Si, your dad was part of the Russian convoys, the Arctic convoys.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43That was an incredibly gruelling and dangerous operation
0:03:43 > 0:03:44to be part of.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46It was beyond comprehension.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49You're under extreme pressure because you had the wolf packs,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52the German wolf packs, submarines, that you couldn't see
0:03:52 > 0:03:56so there was just this atmosphere of anxiety constantly.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01Plus the cold. Plus not particularly that warm clothing.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06And, you know, that takes a pretty special type of person, I think.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09And it was... You know, and thank you very much for giving me
0:04:09 > 0:04:11the opportunity to honour all of those men, really,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13cos I think about them a lot.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15We'll be hearing plenty more about your father later on,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18but first, let's hear more about those Arctic convoys.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22The convoys were a vital lifeline for our allies in Russia.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25But the seamen involved had to contend with weather conditions
0:04:25 > 0:04:27beyond our imagination,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29and the ever-present risk of attack.
0:04:32 > 0:04:37Facing powerful waves and freezing temperatures, the Arctic convoys to
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Russia were described by Churchill as the worst journey in the world.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48The men who braved the deadly crossing experienced
0:04:48 > 0:04:51some of the war's most horrific conditions.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56This treacherous Arctic route claimed the lives of 3,000 men.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59It were cold, hard and frightening
0:04:59 > 0:05:02but it had to be done and we did it,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05and I still pray each day for those who didn't make it.
0:05:08 > 0:05:1293-year-old Austin Byrne was one of thousands of sailors who
0:05:12 > 0:05:17endured the icy seas to take vital war supplies to Russia.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21He was just 19 when he joined the Royal Navy to serve as a gunner,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24protecting the merchant ship, the SS Induna.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26You were really chuffed, you know.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28"I'm going to sea, I'm going to see the world," you know.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32They were talking about going down to Africa to the sunshine
0:05:32 > 0:05:35and then we found we were going to the Arctic to the cold.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40The weather was out of this world. Horrendous.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43You did four hours on watch, four hours off watch
0:05:43 > 0:05:47and in that four hours off watch you had to eat and sleep.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51The ice was about 4'6" thick.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55But those harsh conditions were the least of their worries.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59Every convoy was in danger of ambush by German planes
0:05:59 > 0:06:01and packs of U-boats.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03They were sinking merchant ships,
0:06:03 > 0:06:07like, you know, knocking them off like toffees, sort of style.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09You always worried.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Just a few days into Austin's journey to Russia,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15his convoy was struck by a ferocious storm.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20That storm was the worst storm I was in in the five years at sea.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24The fierce weather split up the convoy, making Austin's ship
0:06:24 > 0:06:28an easier target for German planes and U-boats.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31After four days, his ship was hit by a torpedo.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37She shudders, and you know she's been hit,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40and the stern goes on fire.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44So I got out of the gun pit and went down onto the deck
0:06:44 > 0:06:46and the captain said, "Abandon ship."
0:06:46 > 0:06:49He said, "Go to your lifeboat station now, boy,
0:06:49 > 0:06:51"and good luck to you."
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Many of the crew were killed in the strike.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Austin and a few others made it to a lifeboat.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00The sea was all burning where the tanks were busting,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and then all of a sudden we were rowing and BANG!
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Another torpedo hit her and she just went...
0:07:07 > 0:07:09HE WHISTLES
0:07:09 > 0:07:10..boom.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Then the sea were calm,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17and we all said, "Look, see if anybody comes up."
0:07:17 > 0:07:21But nobody came up and then it were a matter of row.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24We were in the lifeboat four days, three nights.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28And you daren't go to sleep, you dozed.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32And if he thought I were going off, "Waken up, Titch,"
0:07:32 > 0:07:34and if I thought he were going off, I used to say,
0:07:34 > 0:07:35"Don't go to sleep, Robbie,"
0:07:35 > 0:07:39cos if you'd have gone to sleep, the cold would've got you.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41They had limited food and water
0:07:41 > 0:07:45and Austin had to resort to desperate measures to stay alive.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49So I peed in a little cup. It tasted bloody horrible.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53It looked like whisky but it didn't taste like whisky.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56After four days adrift in the Arctic waters,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59a ship appeared between the ice.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Oh, that were the thrill of a lifetime.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05And it came alongside and he pointed, "Hm, you, hm, hm."
0:08:05 > 0:08:09I was stood there waving, you know, shouting.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Of the 66 men on the SS Induna,
0:08:12 > 0:08:14just 20 survived.
0:08:14 > 0:08:1616 of them lost limbs to frostbite.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Austin was one of the lucky ones.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23I made it through because I had very, very good clothing on
0:08:23 > 0:08:27and I kept my feet moving and everything moving.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30It was good luck and prayers and determination to live.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Every year on the anniversary of the sinking of his ship,
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Austin heads out to his garden
0:08:37 > 0:08:40to remember those who never made it to shore.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Eternal rest given to their souls, O Lord.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47And let perpetual light shine upon them.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50It brings back all the men that I knew.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53But for some wonderful sailors, I'd be dead
0:08:53 > 0:08:55and it's the least you can do
0:08:55 > 0:08:58is pray for them and remember them each day.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Freedom is an expensive thing.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Well, we'll catch up with Austin again later in the programme
0:09:20 > 0:09:24when he's reunited with an old shipmate.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27But, Si, good luck, prayers and a determination to live -
0:09:27 > 0:09:29that's what he said you needed.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Incredible to think your father went through something like that.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35It's made me quite emotional, that clip.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38No, I'm very proud of my dad, very proud of him.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40I'm very proud of what he did, and all the men.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43They were an incredible breed.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48One of the real issues there was the cold was almost as big a danger,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51if not a bigger danger, than attack from the enemy.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55I think that was an overwhelming thing that Dad used to talk about,
0:09:55 > 0:09:57was the cold, you know.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01Chipping frozen saltwater off the bulwark of the ship because
0:10:01 > 0:10:05if you didn't, it would become too top-heavy and topple over.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08I can't imagine that cold. No.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11We have a bit of a surprise for you, actually.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16In 2012, the Arctic Star was introduced, a medal for those
0:10:16 > 0:10:18who had taken part in the Arctic convoys.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21The first medals were awarded in 2013
0:10:21 > 0:10:26and Air Commodore Chris Bray is here and he will explain why.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Very nice to meet you, sir. Nice to meet you, Si.
0:10:33 > 0:10:38Well, Si, I'm here on behalf of the Ministry of Defence
0:10:38 > 0:10:44and the nation, to present you the Arctic Star for your father's
0:10:44 > 0:10:46service on the Arctic convoys.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Thank you very, very much indeed.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53That means a huge amount to my family. Thank you.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Well, you've succeeded in getting a huge lump in my throat!
0:10:57 > 0:10:59I told you!
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Wow. Thank you very, very much indeed. My pleasure.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04It was a long campaign, wasn't it?
0:11:04 > 0:11:07The Battle of the Barents Sea was a particular part
0:11:07 > 0:11:11of the Arctic convoy war, if you like, the mini war,
0:11:11 > 0:11:15and your father, Graham, was serving on HMS Sheffield...
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Yes, he was. ..during that battle
0:11:18 > 0:11:22and it was a very important battle because Russia was
0:11:22 > 0:11:25fighting the Germans at Stalingrad. It was very important that
0:11:25 > 0:11:27the particular convoy got through... Yes.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30..and that was the convoy your father was on.
0:11:30 > 0:11:35Sadly, your father hasn't survived to be awarded the medal but I am
0:11:35 > 0:11:39very grateful that we can get you here today to award you the medal.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41Only a few people now have that medal.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46Well, I'm incredibly touched and I know my brother, my sister
0:11:46 > 0:11:50and all of my family will be...
0:11:50 > 0:11:53I can't... I'm lost for words, really.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55I'm incredibly touched. Thank you so much.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57And this is a legacy I leave my sons.
0:11:57 > 0:11:58Absolutely.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01As my father did for me. Thank you.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06The armed forces are well known for their heroics in wartime
0:12:06 > 0:12:09but they also play a crucial role closer to home.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Right now, up and down the country, military helicopter crews
0:12:12 > 0:12:15are standing by to help those in distress.
0:12:15 > 0:12:16For more than 50 years,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19those teams have been run by the RAF and the Royal Navy,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23but the UK's search and rescue services are being privatised.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25To mark the end of the military's involvement,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28we've been looking at the valuable role they play.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34They're on call 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39For over 50 years, they've been patrolling the land and the sea
0:12:39 > 0:12:46from the skies, saving the lives of those lost and in danger.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48It was a frightening situation,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51and thank goodness a helicopter turned up.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53You realise how very, very lucky you were.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01On the far western edge of Britain,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04at the very tip of Cornwall,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07is the largest helicopter base in Europe,
0:13:07 > 0:13:11with 75 aircraft and 3,000 people working here.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16This is Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose,
0:13:16 > 0:13:20home to south-west England's search and rescue operations.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26Andy Watts is today's duty commander of 771 Squadron.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30We have the aircraft prepared. It's pretty much like a car.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32The door is open, the keys are in the ignition,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34first gear is selected.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37So these aircraft are always available at 15 minutes' notice
0:13:37 > 0:13:39during the day and 45 at night.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42There's an engineer behind me at the moment just doing some
0:13:42 > 0:13:45final checks on this duty aircraft, to ensure that we're ready to go
0:13:45 > 0:13:47at that moment's notice.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53And when the call comes, the duty crew spring into action.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Pretty much an immediate, really, cos he's being dragged now.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00He's being dragged out to sea.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Lieutenant Commander Andy Murray is one of the pilots.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09He's known in the Squadron as Tank.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12He's clocked up over 8,000 miles of flying time.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15We don't know what's going to happen till the phone rings.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17You get airborne then you pretty much make it up as you go along,
0:14:17 > 0:14:19as you would in a combat scenario.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22You have to deal with the weather that's there, the conditions there.
0:14:22 > 0:14:23Every single job is new and different.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27You don't know what's happening until you're doing it.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31They carry out around 250 rescue missions a year,
0:14:31 > 0:14:36and can be called out anywhere within 200 miles of the base.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Simon Daw is the navigator.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43He knows how quickly conditions can change.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47The Cornish coast is a particularly rugged coastline.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50We are the first stop for those big North Atlantic swells,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53so the weather can play its part as well.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57We're just about to approach the village of Boscastle.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59There's the harbour, built along a very narrow
0:14:59 > 0:15:03valley leading from the coast up into the Cornish countryside.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09The picturesque Cornish village of Boscastle is peaceful today,
0:15:09 > 0:15:14but in 2004 it hit national headlines.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Heavy rain caused a flash flood which engulfed
0:15:19 > 0:15:22the village at terrifying speed,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26putting hundreds of lives at risk.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30771 Squadron were the first to be called to the scene.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33When we got there, the first aircraft
0:15:33 > 0:15:35were already there, rescuing people off the roofs.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37We were detailed to go out into the bay,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40where all the stuff was getting washed out to sea.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Checking cars that had gone past, guys that were in the river,
0:15:43 > 0:15:45to see if anybody was stuck in them, cos the cars were floating out.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48We also checked to make sure nobody had been washed out,
0:15:48 > 0:15:50nobody clinging to bits of tree trunk that were floating out.
0:15:50 > 0:15:51Later on I picked up a lady
0:15:51 > 0:15:54who'd had a heart attack and took her to hospital.
0:15:54 > 0:15:55It was a very big one, yeah.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57Probably the biggest number of casualties,
0:15:57 > 0:15:59or civilian people in need of rescue that I've done.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05Around 100 people were stranded in the fast rising waters.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09Among them was Rebecca David,
0:16:09 > 0:16:13the manager of the Boscastle Visitor Centre.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16There was an almighty rush of water.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18A huge amount of water suddenly came.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22It was like a big wave coming towards the visitor centre.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24And the doors just buckled
0:16:24 > 0:16:26and the water just flew in.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33A huge crack came and a huge ash tree
0:16:33 > 0:16:35just came and hit the visitor centre
0:16:35 > 0:16:39and took three quarters of it away and just left the little bit that
0:16:39 > 0:16:42we were in still standing.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46And, at that point, panic did start falling in.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50I then thought, "Crikey, there's no way we can get out of here,"
0:16:50 > 0:16:53because we were like an island, cars whizzing past
0:16:53 > 0:16:55and everything else so we were completely isolated.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Rebecca was trapped with two families
0:16:59 > 0:17:03and there was only one place left to go.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06One of the fathers went right up onto the top
0:17:06 > 0:17:07of the visitor centre roof
0:17:07 > 0:17:11and I think he had three or four of the children
0:17:11 > 0:17:16and then eventually the helicopter did actually arrive, thank goodness!
0:17:18 > 0:17:21One by one, they were lifted from the roof of the damaged building.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26I absolutely hate heights.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31Being put in the winch and going up, I was clinging on and trying not to
0:17:31 > 0:17:33think about what was going on.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35And to be pulled actually into the helicopter
0:17:35 > 0:17:38and know everybody was safe was a huge, huge relief.
0:17:43 > 0:17:49Incredibly, despite the devastation, not one life was lost.
0:17:49 > 0:17:50You sort of go through
0:17:50 > 0:17:53and you realise how very, very lucky you were...
0:17:55 > 0:17:56..that everything was OK.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Here's one of the heroes from Boscastle.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Rescue 195 pilot Lieutenant Commander Andy "Tank" Murray.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Hello. Pleased to meet you. Nice to meet you.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19What was so fantastic was you all coming in
0:18:19 > 0:18:20and rescuing us.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24The relief I felt when I was pulled off and taken up
0:18:24 > 0:18:29and I knew I was safe, that was such an amazing feeling.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32And that, to me, is absolutely amazing.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34You're very welcome. It's what we do.
0:18:34 > 0:18:35We train for it every day so...
0:18:35 > 0:18:37It's what we do. You're very welcome.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39I know but I don't think you realise
0:18:39 > 0:18:41how much you really are appreciated by everybody.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Cornwall really appreciates you, I'm sure.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Every year, Duxford attracts nearly half a million visitors
0:18:54 > 0:18:57and they come for lots of different reasons.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00We've been speaking to some of the people here today.
0:19:03 > 0:19:09I was purchased a wing-to-wing flight with the Spitfire
0:19:09 > 0:19:11for my 80th birthday and I managed to get a flight today
0:19:11 > 0:19:14so it all went very well. Excellent.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21Duxford was where I spent, probably, like many others,
0:19:21 > 0:19:25the happiest time of our young lives.
0:19:25 > 0:19:30I came here raw, young, naive
0:19:30 > 0:19:35and I realised that there was much, much more that I could achieve.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38It just changed my whole view on life. It was brilliant.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45It's fascinating to see what was done during the war,
0:19:45 > 0:19:47pay respects to the guys at the memorial
0:19:47 > 0:19:49and the ones who fell in Afghanistan, obviously.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55It's quite impressive how they managed to get all of these
0:19:55 > 0:19:57planes into this one place.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Still to come on today's programme,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Dan Snow sails to Dunkirk
0:20:07 > 0:20:10on the 75th anniversary of the evacuation...
0:20:12 > 0:20:14..I explore one of the more unusual exhibits
0:20:14 > 0:20:16in the museum's collection...
0:20:20 > 0:20:21..and a special performance
0:20:21 > 0:20:25from the choir of the Duke of York's Royal Military School.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36One of the more impressive things on display in the hangar is this.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39But is it a boat or is it a plane?
0:20:39 > 0:20:40Well, in fact, it is both.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43This is a Sunderland flying boat
0:20:43 > 0:20:46and it was nicknamed the porcupine by the Germans
0:20:46 > 0:20:48because of all the guns sticking out of it.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Well, with me here is Carl Warner who's a historian at the museum.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55It's extraordinary in here, and it's also so tinny, isn't it?
0:20:55 > 0:20:58It is. You know, it's got to be built to be light,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01so you don't want huge chunks of metal in here.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03What role did the Sunderland play?
0:21:03 > 0:21:07The Sunderland as a flying boat was part of RAF Coastal Command
0:21:07 > 0:21:09so that's the part of the RAF that's responsible for guarding
0:21:09 > 0:21:11the sea lanes that are coming into the UK
0:21:11 > 0:21:14and, of course, all over the world in the British Empire.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Particularly in the Second World War, of course,
0:21:16 > 0:21:17its most important role
0:21:17 > 0:21:20was during the Battle of the Atlantic, when it was a submarine
0:21:20 > 0:21:24hunter. So Sunderlands would be flying for huge swathes of the ocean
0:21:24 > 0:21:27looking for submarines and when they found them they would attack them
0:21:27 > 0:21:30with depth charges, bombs and of course their machine guns.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33If it was being used to attack submarines from above,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35why did it need to be like a boat as well?
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Why did it need to be able to land on the water?
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Well, the other important role that it had
0:21:40 > 0:21:43was as an air-sea rescue craft.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48Sunderlands rescued crews of ships, they rescued downed airmen,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51so airmen from other aircraft that had parachuted into the sea,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54and, of course, they had to get onto the ocean in order to do that.
0:21:54 > 0:21:55And it really does, when you're in it,
0:21:55 > 0:21:57it does feel like you're in a boat, doesn't it?
0:21:57 > 0:22:00You've got your kitchen here, which was obviously packed away.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Can we have a look down here? Cos you can't really appreciate
0:22:03 > 0:22:06the size from in here. It feels very cramped.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10And the noises when you're
0:22:10 > 0:22:12just walking through here are extraordinary.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14What it must have been like, though, to have been flying here,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17to have been flying up in the air!
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Yeah, cold, deafening.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24The crews, they were a ten-men crew usually.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Could be even more people if they'd rescued
0:22:26 > 0:22:29some downed airmen or sailors.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31And they very much thought of themselves
0:22:31 > 0:22:34almost like the crew of a ship as much as the crew of an aircraft
0:22:34 > 0:22:36cos they were up for so long.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38One Sunderland captain said they had three enemies -
0:22:38 > 0:22:41the weather, the sea and the Germans, and it was in that order.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44So it was quite an environment to fly and fight in,
0:22:44 > 0:22:46let alone be up there for that long.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50It's amazing to have this flying boat on show here at Duxford.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52How did it come to be here?
0:22:52 > 0:22:55It's one of the more interesting acquisition stories in that, after
0:22:55 > 0:23:00it was in RAF service, it was with the French armed forces and then
0:23:00 > 0:23:04it was actually beached in France and used as a bar/nightclub.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07A nightclub! So, yeah, all of this fit was taken out
0:23:07 > 0:23:08to make room for the bar,
0:23:08 > 0:23:10to make room for all the accoutrements of the bar.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Of course after that, when the bar closed,
0:23:12 > 0:23:14it was brought to the Imperial War Museum.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16They must have had some good parties in here.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20Lovely to see it. Thank you very much for showing us around. Thank you.
0:23:25 > 0:23:30This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33when hundreds of ships crossed the channel to save
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Allied forces from being killed by the Germans.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39The One Show's Dan Snow joined one of the boats
0:23:39 > 0:23:41making its way back to Dunkirk.
0:23:42 > 0:23:446am, Ramsgate Harbour.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47A flotilla of little ships is preparing to sail.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52It is painfully early here but there's a great air of expectation.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56We're all about to relive one of the most historic moments
0:23:56 > 0:23:58of the Second World War.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00May 1940.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03French and British troops were surrounded by the Germans.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Trapped on the beach at Dunkirk,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08our 200,000-strong Army faced annihilation
0:24:08 > 0:24:12as shallow waters stopped rescue ships from reaching them.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14A desperate plea had gone out
0:24:14 > 0:24:16for small boats which could get closer in.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20One of them was Elvin, now owned by Hywel Bowen-Perkins.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Elvin. Elvin, yes. How are you doing? A very fine looking vessel.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Have you got room for one more volunteer? No problem at all.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Welcome aboard. OK, thank you.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43Known as the little ships, 700 of them sailed to the rescue.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Today, 48 surviving boats are returning.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49The one I'm on was crewed entirely by volunteers.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Archie Buchanan was ex-Royal Navy,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56they had a Lowestoft longshoreman,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59they had an Aberdeen fisherman, a writer of yachting stories,
0:24:59 > 0:25:01and they got together and headed off to Ramsgate.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03I mean, they were just civilians. They were indeed.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07They just volunteered and decided they would do their bit.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Guys like you and me. I doubt we would... Well, who knows?
0:25:10 > 0:25:13They were told they were too small, they couldn't go,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17but the long and the short of it was they decided to go anyway.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Brilliant. That's amazing. That's the Dunkirk spirit, right there.
0:25:20 > 0:25:21Absolutely that.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23They could see the fires over Dunkirk
0:25:23 > 0:25:26and headed for the fire and went straight into the thick of it.
0:25:26 > 0:25:27Extremely brave men. Yeah.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31There was a lot at stake.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34If our Army was captured, Britain would be vulnerable
0:25:34 > 0:25:36and could lose the war.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39On arrival at Dunkirk, the little ships found chaos,
0:25:39 > 0:25:43and desperate men up to their necks in water.
0:25:43 > 0:25:44Well, that morning on the third
0:25:44 > 0:25:48was one of the heaviest bombing raids by the Luftwaffe.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51The town was on fire, the Germans were in the streets.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56They loaded 25 French troops, picked up eight Brits.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00They sailed across the minefield and back to Ramsgate.
0:26:00 > 0:26:01Wow.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Joining us on the crossing is crewman Archie Buchanan's
0:26:05 > 0:26:08great-grandson Angus, aged 15.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10We're on your great-grandad's boat,
0:26:10 > 0:26:14following in his footsteps on the 75th anniversary. How does it feel?
0:26:14 > 0:26:17It's good cos I've heard the stories about it but it's nice
0:26:17 > 0:26:21to be actually on the boat doing the same journey as he would have done.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23That's him in really late life.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26He looks like a man who's seen a bit of life, doesn't he? Yeah.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Amazing the idea that those guys he was rescuing weren't much
0:26:29 > 0:26:31older than you. Yeah.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34But it's bad for the people that were left on the beaches, though,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37cos there was just not enough room to carry them all back.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39It must have been tough for him, leaving a load of guys behind,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41knowing there were more out there.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43It must have been horrible cos there was people swimming
0:26:43 > 0:26:46out to the boats just as they were leaving and stuff.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48They just had to leave them cos otherwise all
0:26:48 > 0:26:51the people on the boats, they wouldn't have got back either.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Very tough.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55The evacuation lasted for ten days
0:26:55 > 0:26:58until Dunkirk was overrun by the enemy.
0:26:58 > 0:27:0140,000 men had to be left behind.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04But 338,000 were saved.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08The papers called it a disaster turned to triumph.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14This boat clearly means a lot to you. Where did you find her?
0:27:14 > 0:27:15In Portugal.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18She was going to be broken up and they were just selling her engines.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21She was going to be smashed? She was going to be broken up, yeah.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24So you saved her. You brought her back from the brink.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26I saw her on the internet on the Sunday, flew out on the Wednesday,
0:27:26 > 0:27:30and agreed to take it off their hands and bring her back home.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34Well, it's a special thing to own, isn't it? It is, yeah.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36It's a privilege. Really is.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42I feel humbled that we should be celebrating a day like today
0:27:42 > 0:27:45because, to them, it was life and death.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52It's an emotional moment as we approach Dunkirk.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Where once the little ships braved bullets,
0:27:54 > 0:27:54today they are greeted with music.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57today they are greeted with music.
0:27:57 > 0:28:0075 years on, they haven't been forgotten.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Thousands owed their freedom and even their lives to these
0:28:03 > 0:28:08little ships and particularly to the brave men who sailed them.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Men with Dunkirk spirit.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17Si, your father was also part of the evacuation of Dunkirk.
0:28:17 > 0:28:22Yes, he was. He was on HMS Kellett and he did three trips.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25And I'm not sure whether it was one of those trips where Dad was
0:28:25 > 0:28:32actually sunk and he held on to a bit of wood that was floating
0:28:32 > 0:28:33cos he couldn't swim.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36He couldn't swim? He was in the Royal Navy and he couldn't swim?
0:28:36 > 0:28:41No. No, he couldn't, which was apparently really quite like my dad.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44He just thought, "I'll give it a go." That's what he did!
0:28:44 > 0:28:45He died when you were so young
0:28:45 > 0:28:48but how much did he talk to you about what happened to him during the war?
0:28:48 > 0:28:50To be very honest, he didn't talk to me very much.
0:28:50 > 0:28:55And I think as well, Sophie, they were a stoic kind of generation
0:28:55 > 0:28:58and they didn't because they just got on with it.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01And what happened during that time clearly has fascinated you,
0:29:01 > 0:29:04and you went very recently didn't you, just this year,
0:29:04 > 0:29:07you went to one of the Nazi death camps, to Treblinka? I did.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10And that was for Northern Exposure, your Hairy Bikers film.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14Yes, Dave and I went to there as a mark of respect, really.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18Well, let's have a look because we've got a clip from that programme.
0:29:21 > 0:29:26This is the former site of the Nazi extermination camp Treblinka,
0:29:26 > 0:29:31where nearly a million Jews were systematically murdered.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38It is beyond horror.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40It is. It is beyond horror.
0:29:44 > 0:29:45Have you seen where
0:29:45 > 0:29:48the Jewish people put stones on instead of flowers?
0:29:53 > 0:29:57Everybody's equal. Everybody has their own spark of life.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59How dare somebody else dictate
0:29:59 > 0:30:02that they're not even entitled to survive?
0:30:03 > 0:30:07Even that their history wasn't worth anything.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10No, no. Thousands of years of culture.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37Si, it's unthinkable what happened there, isn't it?
0:30:37 > 0:30:41But it clearly had a huge impact on you going there.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44It did, it had a huge impact on us both.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48I think Dave and I haven't spoken about it since.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53We're constantly astounded at man's inhumanity to man.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56We have a responsibility to learn from history.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00As we move forward with our existences and our civilisations,
0:31:00 > 0:31:05we have a responsibility to look back and to remember.
0:31:05 > 0:31:06Not just to remember our dead
0:31:06 > 0:31:12but to remember the society that they were fighting against
0:31:12 > 0:31:13and fighting for.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17And there you are now, today, with your dad's Arctic Star medal,
0:31:17 > 0:31:19newly received.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22I mean, it must reinforce what your father did,
0:31:22 > 0:31:26his part in the war and why he was fighting it.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30There comes a particular time in anybody's life that has lost
0:31:30 > 0:31:30somebody, a parent or where they reflect, and what they did becomes
0:31:30 > 0:31:37incredibly important and this is a...
0:31:41 > 0:31:45..this is an incredible legacy that Dad has left.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48Si, thank you so much for coming to talk to us today.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51Not at all. My greatest pleasure. Thank you, Sophie.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55Now, although Duxford is well known as a former RAF base, in its role
0:31:55 > 0:32:00as a museum, it includes hundreds of exhibits relating to the war at sea.
0:32:00 > 0:32:05I'm in the Air and Sea Hangar, and this is fascinating.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07It's a one-man Nazi submarine.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10They were intended to strike fear into coastal shipping.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14With me now is one man who served on British submarines
0:32:14 > 0:32:17during World War II, Commander John Lorrimore.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19John, thank you very much for joining us.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22Now, the submarines that you served on were much bigger
0:32:22 > 0:32:24than this little chap, weren't they?
0:32:24 > 0:32:27Oh, yes. They were four-man submarines,
0:32:27 > 0:32:3150ft long and a diving depth of about 600ft.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35John, what was the atmosphere like in one of those submarines?
0:32:35 > 0:32:39It was very...humid.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44I don't know how the atmosphere was. One was so busy
0:32:44 > 0:32:50you didn't have much chance to really think about your chums.
0:32:50 > 0:32:51I mean, how dangerous was it?
0:32:51 > 0:32:54This was when the technology was in its infancy.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58You were experimenting with new gases, new equipment.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02We were, and it was exciting.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05You didn't know what was going to happen next.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07Some of the things that you discovered,
0:33:07 > 0:33:08like the use of oxygen...
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Oxygen under pressure, yes.
0:33:10 > 0:33:15Exactly. Things that I used myself when I was a diver in the Army
0:33:15 > 0:33:18but we have safety protocols that are based on
0:33:18 > 0:33:21the work you did back in the 1940s.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25Well, we made the safety rules. There weren't any when we started!
0:33:25 > 0:33:30I believe you were involved in the disabling of a very famous ship
0:33:30 > 0:33:33that was en route to attack the Arctic convoys.
0:33:33 > 0:33:38Yeah, we had an attack on the German battleship, Tirpitz.
0:33:38 > 0:33:43It was broad daylight at 2am, and we could see her.
0:33:43 > 0:33:48And we just got through the gates of the anti-submarine net, and
0:33:48 > 0:33:53through the gates of an anti-torpedo net, and laid our charges.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Then managed to get out?
0:33:55 > 0:33:59Well, we reckoned we weren't going to blow ourselves up
0:33:59 > 0:34:00so we surrendered.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05We were lined up to be shot, because they wanted to know how many
0:34:05 > 0:34:07other submarines were there,
0:34:07 > 0:34:08and a German admiral said,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11"You can't shoot these people, they're prisoners of war."
0:34:11 > 0:34:13So I love the Germans!
0:34:14 > 0:34:16And what happened to you then?
0:34:16 > 0:34:20In a POW... Well, 90 days, interrogation,
0:34:20 > 0:34:24then the rest of the time in a German camp.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28John, thank you very much for sharing some of your memories with us. My pleasure.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36Now, earlier in the programme we heard from Austin Byrne
0:34:36 > 0:34:38about his experience on the Arctic convoys.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42Today, there are very few survivors of the treacherous crossings left,
0:34:42 > 0:34:45but we managed to track down one of Austin's old shipmates
0:34:45 > 0:34:47and this is what happened.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Austin Byrne's getting ready for a special reunion.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55He's heading back to the Merseyside docks
0:34:55 > 0:34:58where so many of his voyages began.
0:34:58 > 0:34:59I like Liverpool.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03I ran in and out of Liverpool many times and it's a great city
0:35:03 > 0:35:05and there's some great people.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10The Liverpool docks are almost unrecognisable since the time
0:35:10 > 0:35:14Austin set off from here as a naval gunner on the Arctic convoys.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16But one landmark remains.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20I remember standing on the upper deck and seeing this
0:35:20 > 0:35:26church, and all it really was was four walls and a hut inside.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28It had been bombed.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32Incredibly, the structure survived, and after the war it was rebuilt.
0:35:34 > 0:35:40Now this maritime church is home to the ship's bell from HMS Liverpool.
0:35:40 > 0:35:41It's beautiful.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45It's the ship which brought Austin back from Russia after he survived
0:35:45 > 0:35:50four days adrift in a lifeboat when his ship was sunk by a torpedo.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52My feet were sore, my fingers were numb,
0:35:52 > 0:35:57I were aching all over and you were frightened of getting hit again.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59I was glad to get home.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01It's lovely to see that bell
0:36:01 > 0:36:05and think of the people who I met on that ship.
0:36:05 > 0:36:10Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, amen.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13There are less than 400 veterans still alive
0:36:13 > 0:36:16from the treacherous Arctic convoys.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20But there's one merchant seaman left who sailed alongside Austin.
0:36:20 > 0:36:25Len Dibb-Weston has come to Liverpool to see his old shipmate.
0:36:25 > 0:36:30We knew where we were going, but we didn't realise the dangers, really.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32But we survived it.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36Austin was Royal Navy and he came on as a gunner on the ships.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40I remember him as I think he was the smallest gunner on the ship.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42A little chappie.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44Really looking forward to meeting him again.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47I think he owes me ten shillings but don't remind him about it!
0:36:47 > 0:36:48HE LAUGHS
0:36:56 > 0:36:58Hello there! How are you?
0:36:58 > 0:36:59How lovely to see you!
0:36:59 > 0:37:00Long time, no see.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02Yeah, long time, no see. How are you?
0:37:02 > 0:37:05Very well, thank you. You're looking good.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07And you are.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Here, which is the King's Medal? Is that the Norwegian one?
0:37:10 > 0:37:12No, that one.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16Len and Austin served together on just one voyage.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18But friendships last a lifetime
0:37:18 > 0:37:21when they're made in harsh, Arctic conditions.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24All the merchant ships were always the targets,
0:37:24 > 0:37:26because they had all the cargo and that.
0:37:26 > 0:37:31Sink a merchant ship and you'd save a lot of German lives, really.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36They were dropping the depth charges between the ships
0:37:36 > 0:37:40to keep the U-boats down. Frightening.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44The convoy was sighted by a German plane, but the weather turned bad,
0:37:44 > 0:37:48so we only had to really worry about U-boats and destroyers.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50We were very lucky, really.
0:37:52 > 0:37:5723 of the Arctic convoys left from Liverpool,
0:37:57 > 0:38:00a city which still holds on to its strong maritime history.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04I fancy that's the old dock and that were the warehouse.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06I don't remember that.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08But I don't remember this part of it.
0:38:08 > 0:38:09Oh, no, it's all new, isn't it?
0:38:09 > 0:38:13Was it nine miles of docks or seven miles of docks in Liverpool?
0:38:13 > 0:38:16But they've all gone. Full of ships.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18It's great to see him again.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21Mind you, he's aged a bit since I knew him
0:38:21 > 0:38:23but that was quite a few years ago.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25There's nothing like a shipmate,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28because you've been through so much together.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30I mean, let's face it. When you were on that ship
0:38:30 > 0:38:33you could have got killed at any time.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37This memorial was erected in memory of the 3,000 seamen
0:38:37 > 0:38:41who lost their lives on the 78 Arctic convoys.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44For two of those who lived through it all, it's vital
0:38:44 > 0:38:47the sacrifices of those who served are never forgotten.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50It's our generation.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52If we hadn't done what we done,
0:38:52 > 0:38:55this country would never have been like it is now.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59We weren't all heroes but we were survivors,
0:38:59 > 0:39:02and we're British and we're fighters.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07It's important that they remember everyone who died.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10Because freedom is the dearest thing in the world, and if you
0:39:10 > 0:39:14give your life, no matter where you give it, you've given all you can.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21Well, that's almost it from us this morning but we're joined
0:39:21 > 0:39:24now by the choir from the Duke of York's Royal Military School
0:39:24 > 0:39:28in Dover. Rachel, you're 15 years old. Tell us about the school.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31We have students from military backgrounds
0:39:31 > 0:39:34and students from families who aren't from military.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36So lots of your parents, your fathers
0:39:36 > 0:39:38and mothers are in the armed forces. Yes.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40So what are you going to sing for us today?
0:39:40 > 0:39:42We're going to sing Soldier, Soldier.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44It was written by a local Kent woman.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48She sent the words to the school and we composed the music.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50And...yeah.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53Well, good luck, we'll leave you to it.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10# Did you read the letter to you
0:40:10 > 0:40:13# From your girl across the sea?
0:40:13 > 0:40:17# Did she say Come back home safely
0:40:17 > 0:40:20# As you charged across the field?
0:40:20 > 0:40:25# Soldier, soldier, soldier, soldier
0:40:25 > 0:40:28# When you heard the whistle blow
0:40:28 > 0:40:32# On the fields of fallen soldiers
0:40:32 > 0:40:36# Where the scarlet poppies grow
0:40:36 > 0:40:39# Soldier, oh, soldier
0:40:39 > 0:40:44# As the tears filled your eyes
0:40:44 > 0:40:48# Through the dust that drained before you
0:40:48 > 0:40:51# Did you say your last goodbye?
0:40:51 > 0:40:55# Goodbye, soldier, soldier
0:40:55 > 0:40:58# Goodbye to those you know
0:40:58 > 0:41:02# Goodbye, soldier, soldier
0:41:02 > 0:41:06# On the fields where poppies grow
0:41:37 > 0:41:41# Did you hear the bugle calling
0:41:41 > 0:41:44# Did you hear it on the breeze?
0:41:44 > 0:41:48# Did you hear the thunder roaring
0:41:48 > 0:41:52# As you fell onto your knees?
0:41:52 > 0:41:56# Oh, soldier, soldier Soldier, soldier
0:41:56 > 0:41:59# As you lay there on those fields
0:41:59 > 0:42:07# Amid the cries of fallen soldiers There on Flanders Fields
0:42:07 > 0:42:14# Soldier, oh, soldier As the light left your eyes
0:42:14 > 0:42:18# Did you reach out to hold her
0:42:18 > 0:42:22# Did you say your last goodbye?
0:42:22 > 0:42:29# Goodbye, soldier, soldier Goodbye to those you know
0:42:29 > 0:42:33# Goodbye, soldier, soldier
0:42:33 > 0:42:38# On the fields where poppies grow... #
0:42:38 > 0:42:43BAGPIPES TAKE UP REFRAIN
0:42:45 > 0:42:52# Goodbye, soldier, soldier Out there on Flanders Fields. #
0:42:57 > 0:42:59APPLAUSE
0:43:01 > 0:43:03Wonderful. Well, thank you very much
0:43:03 > 0:43:05to the Duke of York's Royal Military School.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07That is it for today's programme.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11Si, it's been wonderful having you with us telling us about your father
0:43:11 > 0:43:13and, of course, your new medal. Yes, thank you.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15Coming up on tomorrow's programme...
0:43:16 > 0:43:19Journalist John Sergeant shares his fascination
0:43:19 > 0:43:21for wartime aircraft with us.
0:43:23 > 0:43:27Wow! I'm actually flying a Spitfire!
0:43:29 > 0:43:31Back in the air after 70 years -
0:43:31 > 0:43:35the pilot who delivered fighter planes to the front-line.
0:43:35 > 0:43:39I hope I shall feel all right. I've got to climb up on there.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41I think I can manage that.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44And we hear from a woman whose father's Lancaster bomber
0:43:44 > 0:43:46went missing in Germany.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50I've been waiting a long time to see this.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53I didn't think I'd ever see it.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59But from all of us here at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford,
0:43:59 > 0:44:01goodbye. Goodbye.
0:44:38 > 0:44:40Antony Gormley is the creator