0:00:05 > 0:00:07Welcome to Remembrance Week.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10I'm honoured to be here in Afghanistan with
0:00:10 > 0:00:14some of the brave men and women serving in our armed forces.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17To mark Remembrance Sunday, we'll also meet some amazing
0:00:17 > 0:00:20people from past conflicts around the world.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23They'll share their most precious memories of war, their pain
0:00:23 > 0:00:26and loss, friendship and survival.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Coming up on today's programme...
0:00:30 > 0:00:35A German refugee describes how he almost died fighting for Britain.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36I was, of course,
0:00:36 > 0:00:42well aware that I was volunteering to fight against my country.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45I didn't think of it as my country.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48It was fighting against the Nazi barbarity.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50That's why we wanted to be in fighting units.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55The miraculous survival story of a young British vehicle
0:00:55 > 0:00:57commander in Afghanistan.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03I sort of rolled over and I was like, "What's happened, Nick?"
0:01:03 > 0:01:06And he was like, "You've been blown up, mate, and it was a bloody big one."
0:01:08 > 0:01:10And a 19-year-old officer from the Korean War
0:01:10 > 0:01:14tells of the extraordinary sacrifices his men made.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16They would fight to the death for each other.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19They would give their lives for each other.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23And there's no greater thing that a man can do.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38In the 1930s, the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany led to the
0:01:38 > 0:01:42ever increasing persecution of the Jewish population.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46Rather than stay, around 70,000 German
0:01:46 > 0:01:50and Austrian citizens fled to the relative safety of Britain.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54They were called the friendly enemy aliens and many were
0:01:54 > 0:01:57so passionate about overthrowing Hitler's regime,
0:01:57 > 0:02:00they volunteered to fight alongside the British.
0:02:02 > 0:02:08Now aged 91, Colin Anson began life as Claus Ascher.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10Growing up in 1930s Germany, he witnessed
0:02:10 > 0:02:12the rise of the Nazi Party.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17When the Nazis came to power, there was a sort of wave of enthusiasm.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22And one could get swept up with it.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28My father pulled me up short and said, "Look at what's happening,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31"look under the surface, look behind the stage set.
0:02:31 > 0:02:32"See where this is going."
0:02:34 > 0:02:38Although born Jewish, above all else Colin's father Kurt
0:02:38 > 0:02:40considered himself a patriotic German.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44As the Nazis' campaign of hatred against the Jews gained
0:02:44 > 0:02:48momentum, Kurt became disillusioned with his country.
0:02:50 > 0:02:56What particularly upset him was what he called the lack of civil courage.
0:02:56 > 0:02:57Where people toed the line
0:02:57 > 0:03:01and kept their nose clean in order not to get into trouble.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06And allowed them...to be culled by this gangster regime.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Colin's father became increasingly outspoken about his feelings
0:03:11 > 0:03:13towards the Nazi regime.
0:03:13 > 0:03:19It was tragic to see him...becoming disgusted with being a German.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25In power, the Nazis clamped down on all opposition.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29Ordinary Germans were soon fearing for their lives.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32With informants everywhere, people were never sure about
0:03:32 > 0:03:34who was a spy hiding amongst them.
0:03:35 > 0:03:41I used to tug his sleeve and say, "Daddy, careful. Mind what you say."
0:03:42 > 0:03:45And he would look me full in the face and say,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47"Do you want me to act like a coward?"
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Colin, then only 15 years old, was about to experience
0:03:53 > 0:03:56first-hand the brutality on the Nazi regime.
0:03:57 > 0:04:04Father and I went out for a supper of beer and sausages and sauerkraut.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07My father made some anti-Nazi remarks.
0:04:07 > 0:04:12A young man got up off the table and came back with a policeman,
0:04:13 > 0:04:18who pointed at my father, crooked his finger and took him away.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22And there I was sitting with...my glass of beer
0:04:22 > 0:04:25and his walking stick and our good dog, Lorna...
0:04:26 > 0:04:27..for quite a long time.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33After an anxious wait, a police officer arrived to take
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Colin to see his father at the police station.
0:04:37 > 0:04:42On the way the officer indulged in that typical German gesture of
0:04:42 > 0:04:48the time, to look over both shoulders to make sure you weren't overheard.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52And then said, "How can he say such things?
0:04:52 > 0:04:56"Doesn't he know how dangerous it is to talk like that nowadays?"
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Speaking against the Nazis often led to the same
0:05:01 > 0:05:03outcome in Hitler's Germany.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06A visit by his ruthless secret police.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09He was handed over to the Gestapo.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Who probably didn't treat him awfully kindly
0:05:13 > 0:05:16but he was then sent to the concentration camp at Dachau.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Originally intended to hold only political prisoners,
0:05:29 > 0:05:33Dachau was the first concentration camp built by the Nazis.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37It would be the model for the many other concentration camps
0:05:37 > 0:05:38that were to follow.
0:05:40 > 0:05:46We received a postcard to tell us that he had arrived
0:05:46 > 0:05:48and that he was healthy and not to worry.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53And a letter which had been mutilated by the censor.
0:05:56 > 0:06:01Altogether he lasted about two weeks, three weeks
0:06:01 > 0:06:05before we were informed by a Gestapo officer that he had died.
0:06:10 > 0:06:15I seem to remember something about circulation failure.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Which doesn't really...mean anything.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24In its 12 year history, it's estimated that more
0:06:24 > 0:06:26than 30,000 prisoners perished at Dachau.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30To avoid risking the same fate,
0:06:30 > 0:06:34it became clear to Colin that he should leave Germany.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36As a half-Jewish boy,
0:06:36 > 0:06:42my mother was worried about the possibility of my future in Germany.
0:06:42 > 0:06:47It was deemed essential, if possible, to get me out of the country.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51His mother, not being Jewish, was thought to be in less danger
0:06:51 > 0:06:52and had to stay.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55I very much hoped that we would meet again.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Just five days before his 17th birthday,
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Colin left his mother behind to start his new life.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07He was one of 70,000 German
0:07:07 > 0:07:09and Austrian citizens who fled to Britain.
0:07:10 > 0:07:16People were incredibly generous and never adopted a suspicious or
0:07:16 > 0:07:19hostile attitude because we were German.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23They understood that any refugees from Nazi oppression
0:07:23 > 0:07:26were at least as much opposed to Nazism.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30And that we were on their side.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35'This morning, the British Ambassador in Berlin
0:07:35 > 0:07:39'handed the German government a final note.'
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Everybody who was alive then in Britain will
0:07:44 > 0:07:49remember for as long as they live, the voice of Mr Chamberlain.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54'This country is at war with Germany.'
0:07:57 > 0:07:59EXPLOSION
0:08:08 > 0:08:13As soon as war broke out I made enquiries about joining the Forces.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18Because I felt that this was my quarrel and I couldn't very well sit
0:08:18 > 0:08:23back and let others deal with the problem for me.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26When the war began, Germans like Colin living in Britain,
0:08:26 > 0:08:30were not allowed to join fighting units.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35He was a friendly enemy alien, but keen to fight the Nazi regime in
0:08:35 > 0:08:39any way he could, he volunteered for the only option left open to him.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Colin was amongst thousands of Germans
0:08:41 > 0:08:45and Austrians who joined what was known as the Pioneer Corp.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54Now 5,000 Pioneers have taken on the biggest job even they've attempted.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57The clearing of pitiable mounds of rubble that were once
0:08:57 > 0:08:59the homes of unarmed civilians...
0:08:59 > 0:09:03I was posted to London to help clear up bomb damage.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05It was during the Blitz now.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08And there was a good deal of clearing up to be done.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14Having proven his loyalty to Britain in the Pioneers, Colin,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17like many other refugees, was finally allowed to join
0:09:17 > 0:09:18a fighting unit.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23He was chosen for the elite Royal Marine Commandos,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27formed that very year under special instruction from Churchill himself.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33I was, of course, well aware that I was volunteering to
0:09:33 > 0:09:36fight against my country as they would have called it.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38I didn't think of it as my country.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41And I didn't think of it as fighting Germany.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44It was fighting against the Nazi barbarity.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46That's why we wanted to be in fighting units.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53In July 1943, after just three weeks of training,
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Colin set off on a top secret mission.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01We were on our way to the biggest invasion operation ever yet
0:10:01 > 0:10:03attempted, which was the invasion of Sicily.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Codenamed Operation Husky, it marked
0:10:07 > 0:10:10the beginning of the Allies' Italian campaign.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17Miraculously, actually put ashore at exactly the point
0:10:17 > 0:10:18we should have been.
0:10:18 > 0:10:19That is a very rare happening.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27After the initial landing, Colin went back to his assault ship.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32But the ships were exposed to attacks from the skies.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34BOMB EXPLODES
0:10:39 > 0:10:45The German dive-bombers, the Stukas, rather concentrated on us
0:10:45 > 0:10:48and the night became extremely noisy.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Inevitably, their ship was hit.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54I wasn't aware of being wounded at all.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57But I was a bit woozy, I suppose.
0:10:57 > 0:11:02I came across a chap I knew who had shrapnel in his abdomen
0:11:02 > 0:11:05so one had to be a bit careful with him.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09Pulled him into a little gangway for protection from the shrapnel.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16And then another of these Stukas started coming down.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19You can hear them coming down with that queer siren noise they make when
0:11:19 > 0:11:20they dive.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25And I felt something drip onto my arm.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29And I realised then that it was blood
0:11:29 > 0:11:32so I must have scratched my head or something.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Colin didn't realise he'd sustained a life threatening injury.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40My skull had been shot off. My brain was visible.
0:11:40 > 0:11:45A bomb splinter had penetrated the helmet, penetrated my skull
0:11:45 > 0:11:47and smashed some of it.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51And skittered around on the inside where at the back of my head
0:11:51 > 0:11:53it's still imbedded in the bone.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58It took Colin five months to recover from his injuries.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01But once back on his feet,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04he continued serving alongside the British until the end of the war.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Victory over Hitler and his Nazi party paved the way for many
0:12:12 > 0:12:15refugees to go in search of their families.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20I asked to be posted to the Frankfurt area
0:12:20 > 0:12:22so that I might look for my mother.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29Psychologically, it was a bit schizophrenic sometimes to...
0:12:31 > 0:12:34..walk the streets with which I had been so familiar.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41And with the ghost of a German schoolboy walking ahead with
0:12:41 > 0:12:43whom I had nothing in common any more.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Despite six years of being apart,
0:12:48 > 0:12:52Colin had never lost hope of being reunited with his mother.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55When I managed to find the house which she lived...
0:12:56 > 0:12:58..and started up the stairs,
0:12:58 > 0:13:04I heard her unmistakable footfall from the top end of the stairs.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06She was just going out.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09And so I rushed up and embraced her in order
0:13:09 > 0:13:12to prevent any fainting on stairs.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18And she said, "Nanu?" which means, "What on earth's going on?"
0:13:18 > 0:13:21And I said, "Madame, I have the honour of being your son."
0:13:29 > 0:13:33And from then on it was all joy and happiness.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Colin has earned his place in history as one of the King's
0:13:37 > 0:13:39most loyal enemy aliens.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Along with others who sacrificed so much.
0:13:45 > 0:13:52On Remembrance Day, it is when suddenly everybody stops still,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54when the two-minute silence starts.
0:14:01 > 0:14:09And that million of poppy petals start raining quietly down onto
0:14:09 > 0:14:11this silent scene.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14That's when it really starts to get me.
0:14:16 > 0:14:17That is when I start to remember.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25That's when these poppy petals suddenly all have faces.
0:14:28 > 0:14:29And they're all there.
0:14:38 > 0:14:44And there is Ken and there is Robbie and there's Mack.
0:14:46 > 0:14:47And they're all there.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52And that really gets me. Sorry about that.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Bravery, camaraderie and determination.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19Words that can describe the experiences of all our veterans.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23They're also words that sum up this next story particularly well.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Murray Hambro joined the British Army when he was 22 years old
0:15:29 > 0:15:32and signed up to be a specialist tank driver.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36In 2010, he was deployed to Afghanistan.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39But before he went he had an important question to ask
0:15:39 > 0:15:41the love of his life.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46I'd already decided that Hannah was the one for me.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49So I went out and got an engagement ring and decided that
0:15:49 > 0:15:52I was going to propose to her on holiday and make a big deal of it.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59It was a real surprise and we'd only been together eight months
0:15:59 > 0:16:01so it was quite soon.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05But it just felt like the right thing
0:16:05 > 0:16:08and I was very excited about it.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13It was quite an emotional time.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16She started welling up with a tear in her eye and I said,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19"Is it a yes or a no?" And she said, "Course it's a yes."
0:16:22 > 0:16:25The couple set a date for the big day.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29But before long it was time for Murray to head off to Afghanistan.
0:16:31 > 0:16:39It was what I expected. It was, you know, it was full-on firefights.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46At that time the Taliban was really taking us on.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50And it's what I joined up for. The adrenaline just kicked in.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Operating in hostile territory, Murray's regiment was amongst
0:16:56 > 0:16:59the first to use a new vehicle, the Warthog.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03A specially adapted 22-ton armoured personnel carrier.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10And Murray, now a vehicle commander, was taking control.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17But with Murray in the heart of the action, it was a difficult
0:17:17 > 0:17:19time for his new fiancee.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23I tried not to watch the news too often.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27I thought if I could busy myself in doing other things
0:17:27 > 0:17:32and not really look at what was going on in the news then any
0:17:32 > 0:17:37sort of negative thoughts I had in my head would go away.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Two months into his deployment Murray's specialist tank team
0:17:43 > 0:17:46was called in to assist the Parachute Regiment.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51They basically had a forward patrol base.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53But every time they tried to send battle
0:17:53 > 0:17:57supplies down their convoys were taking massive casualties.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03They basically called in the Warthogs.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Our terrain capabilities, we weren't limited to roads.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12We could go through fields, across ditches and stuff like that.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Being able to avoid the dangerous roads,
0:18:17 > 0:18:21the Warthogs could successfully deliver supplies to the front line.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27But as the mission came to an end,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29his life was to take a dramatic turn.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36It was on the return journey back at the end of the day.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39So I was thinking what pie and chips I'm going to have,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41what pudding and everything else.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48As we was driving through the field last thing in the day, one of the
0:18:48 > 0:18:50Taliban crawled along an irrigation ditch
0:18:50 > 0:18:54and connected up a battery pack to a legacy device.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Which basically means it could have been there for days, weeks, months.
0:18:57 > 0:18:58No-one knows.
0:19:00 > 0:19:01And my vehicle triggered it.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11Murray's vehicle had driven over a 65kg bomb.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13He was thrown 40ft up in the air.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17My friend that was in the vehicle behind me,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19he just didn't bat an eyelid.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22He jumped out of his vehicle, got his metal detector.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29I sort of rolled over and I could hear Nick shouting towards me
0:19:29 > 0:19:30telling me to stay still.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35And it was kind of like a scene from Baywatch.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42Where all the dust was still settling and Nick was running through.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46And at that point I was like, "What happened, Nick?" And he's like,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48"You've been blown up, mate.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51"It was a bloody big one." So I was like, "Aw, brilliant."
0:19:58 > 0:19:59We was all getting put onto stretchers
0:19:59 > 0:20:04and at that point the Taliban started using indirect fire.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05GUNSHOTS
0:20:07 > 0:20:09Throwing grenades over the bushes.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17The emergency response team, the helicopter,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20just came in and picked up all the casualties.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23At that point we was flown straight to Camp Bastion.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30The news of the explosion quickly reached home.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Murray's sister Susannah called me and as soon as she said,
0:20:35 > 0:20:37"I've got something to tell you.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41"I need to talk to you." I thought, "No, surely not."
0:20:41 > 0:20:46I don't really know what went through my mind at the time
0:20:46 > 0:20:50but it's a bit of a scary feeling.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54She told me what had happened
0:20:54 > 0:20:57and Murray had been involved in an IED incident.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02She explained a little bit but then had to pass me
0:21:02 > 0:21:08over to one of the officers that had come round to, of course, inform her.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17But, yeah, it is scary having that call. Especially being on my own.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Within 36 hours Murray was back in the UK.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Only then did he learn just how severe his injuries were.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33I'd broken my left pelvis. Ripped my liver and spleen.
0:21:33 > 0:21:38Fractured six vertebrae and the one that everyone sort of laughs at
0:21:38 > 0:21:42and I always say it was the worse was the cut on my nose.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Typical squaddie thing, anything but the face.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52I didn't really know what to expect walking into intensive care.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55He had to keep still.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59He wasn't allowed to move because of the fractures to his spine.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03It was just so nice to see him.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05To actually see him still smiling.
0:22:05 > 0:22:10Throughout everything, his still being able to smile was incredible.
0:22:16 > 0:22:17The consultant came up to me.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20He said, you've got really severe fractures to both feet.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24So, I thought, six to eight weeks with a cast and then, you know,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27going through the recovery process that way
0:22:27 > 0:22:31and I'd be disco dancing in no time but, I mean, his idea of
0:22:31 > 0:22:34severe fractures and mine were obviously two different things.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39With such serious injuries to both feet,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Murray was advised to have a double amputation.
0:22:49 > 0:22:55I think, when you're involved in quite a serious injury anyway,
0:22:55 > 0:23:00especially one that inhibits your mobility and stuff like that,
0:23:00 > 0:23:06you're going to have down days and I certainly have my fair share.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08We'd find him sort of on his hands and knees
0:23:08 > 0:23:12and...trying to make cups of tea hanging off of cupboard doors.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18In the following weeks, he took a tumble out of his wheelchair
0:23:18 > 0:23:21not long after he'd come out of hospital,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25so that meant another hospital visit.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29But we...we made plans, the wedding date hadn't changed.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32We still wanted to go ahead with that date that we'd booked.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36It was an unlikely prospect.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38The wedding was less than a year away
0:23:38 > 0:23:42but Murray was determined to stand beside his bride.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47My first set of prosthetics... it was quite a worry in fact
0:23:47 > 0:23:49because I just didn't know what to expect.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54So, when they first put them on, they were very tight.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59For me, my mindset was that regardless, they're going on.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04And we stood between a set of bars.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09And I just remember thinking, as painful as it was, I didn't care.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11You know, I was out of my wheelchair.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Just three months after his operation,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Murray was able to take his first steps.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21I went from one end of the bars to the other.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28I sent a picture to Hannah of me stood there doing a stupid pose.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33I'm absolutely surprised how quick he started to recover.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37It's just the most amazing thing to see him walk.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40To some, to a lot of us, you know,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44walking is the most simple thing but to see someone who's been
0:24:44 > 0:24:48injured, someone close to you, it's just incredible.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Eight months after he was injured,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Murray had a rather special date to keep.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05On my wedding day...without a doubt you always feel a sense of pride.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07There's some nerves,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10so I was hoping that Hannah was actually going to turn up,
0:25:10 > 0:25:11and, you know, walk down the aisle.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18Seeing him at the end of the aisle was just, was just amazing.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24He always had concerns at the outset.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26He said, will I be able to do it?
0:25:26 > 0:25:30I said, of course you will be able to do it, so, yeah, he smashed it.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37With such life-changing injuries,
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Murray needed to think about his future in the Army.
0:25:44 > 0:25:50To lose my feet and be told that, um, I'm not really employable...
0:25:50 > 0:25:53There is jobs that the Army could have offered me but it would
0:25:53 > 0:25:57have been as an admin role and for me, I was a front-line soldier.
0:25:57 > 0:25:58That's what I wanted to be.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04So, instead, Murray decided to follow his boyhood dream.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07He wanted to race motorbikes.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09So, I got my first set of prosthetics,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13and then I was walking, I basically went skipping down to the local
0:26:13 > 0:26:16dealer and then bought myself a motorbike.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19If you say to Murray, you can't do that, he'll want to do it
0:26:19 > 0:26:21ten times over.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Equipped with a specially adapted bike,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34he was soon racing against the pros.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37I'm the first double amputee that's ever
0:26:37 > 0:26:40ridden in the British Superbike Championship.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44It's just, you know, showing these people that...not to rule us out.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47From my perspective, he is... just incredible.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49He's such a strong character
0:26:49 > 0:26:52and I think he is an amazing inspiration to anyone.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04The Korean War began just five years
0:27:04 > 0:27:06after the end of the Second World War.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09It's often referred to as The Forgotten War
0:27:09 > 0:27:12but over 100,000 British troops made the voyage
0:27:12 > 0:27:14to the other side of the world to fight.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Korean War cease-fire.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32The 60th anniversary of the cease-fire
0:27:32 > 0:27:37is a cause for celebration but as soon as you celebrate it,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41you then remember all those who gave their lives.
0:27:44 > 0:27:49Haunted by the horrors of war, 81-year-old veteran, John Bowler,
0:27:49 > 0:27:52has only recently felt able to talk about his time in the war.
0:27:54 > 0:27:55I found it very difficult,
0:27:55 > 0:28:00almost impossible, to talk about it other than to other soldiers.
0:28:00 > 0:28:05It's only now that I am willing to talk to people about it
0:28:05 > 0:28:08and tell them what it was like. BOMB BLAST
0:28:10 > 0:28:15In June 1950, North Korean forces invaded South Korea
0:28:15 > 0:28:17and another bitter conflict began.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23British forces were sent to fight the Communist North who were
0:28:23 > 0:28:26backed by their allies, China and the Soviet Union.
0:28:27 > 0:28:3322 nations got together under the United Nations to stop Russia
0:28:33 > 0:28:35and subsequently China.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43In those days, we didn't have mass air transport
0:28:43 > 0:28:45and so everybody went by troopship.
0:28:47 > 0:28:5217 months after the invasion, John, a 19-year-old officer
0:28:52 > 0:28:54and his men from the Welsh Regiment,
0:28:54 > 0:28:57set sail from Southampton to the Korean Peninsula.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02We went on a lovely German liner that had been
0:29:02 > 0:29:06seized at the end of the war and it took us about 4? weeks to get there.
0:29:08 > 0:29:13Arriving in Korea, as a platoon commander, John was to lead 30 men.
0:29:14 > 0:29:1980% of our Battalion was aged 19.
0:29:19 > 0:29:20We were a very young battalion.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25I was enormously proud of the young soldiers.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28They were conscripts, they weren't volunteers.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32They didn't want to go there and they'd fight to the death
0:29:32 > 0:29:33for each other.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36They'd give their lives for each other.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40And there, there's, there is no greater thing that a man can do.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47Before facing the enemy,
0:29:47 > 0:29:50John and his platoon were met by a harsh Korean winter.
0:29:52 > 0:29:59During the winter, we experienced -25 and -30 degrees centigrade.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01And that temperature was in the valley,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04where battalion headquarters were.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07We, in the platoons, were on top of the hills.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10And on the top of the hill it was far colder.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13The wind came down from Siberia
0:30:13 > 0:30:17because Siberia's only 500 miles away to the north.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19There was no time to rest.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21John and his men were soon called into action.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25We were told when we got there that we'll probably be allowed
0:30:25 > 0:30:27to acclimatise for three weeks or so.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31And after three days we'd suddenly been kitted out with
0:30:31 > 0:30:34the most wonderful British Arctic clothing
0:30:34 > 0:30:37and then the following day they sent us up to the front line.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41So, we were in the front line about four days after we arrived.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46Much of the Korean War saw the UN and Communist forces
0:30:46 > 0:30:50entrenched either side of what was called "no-man's-land."
0:30:50 > 0:30:53John led his platoon on regular patrols of the area.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58Some days passed without incident.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00But others have stayed with him for ever.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06The day was February 9th and it was quite cold.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11When we set out, about eight, nine o'clock in the morning,
0:31:11 > 0:31:12it was snowing.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17What we'd been told to do was to go to a hill in no-man's-land
0:31:17 > 0:31:19where activity had been seen.
0:31:20 > 0:31:25Crossing into no-man's-land, they were ambushed by enemy fire.
0:31:31 > 0:31:36I noticed puffs of smoke apparently along the side of this section
0:31:36 > 0:31:38where I was walking.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44Well, we dived into a very shallow ditch that was by the side,
0:31:44 > 0:31:46just by the minefield.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49And I went forward just a little way to where there was a little bit
0:31:49 > 0:31:51of a shelter.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57And just at that moment, cos I was crouching on the ground,
0:31:57 > 0:32:01a mortar shell landed in our midst.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10A corporal was killed almost instantly. He died in my arms.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12He just said, "My God."
0:32:12 > 0:32:13He took the blast.
0:32:15 > 0:32:20If it hadn't been for my poor corporal, I'd be dead.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26Looking around, John was faced with even more casualties.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30My sergeant, Sergeant White, he had blood coming out of his ears,
0:32:30 > 0:32:34he had his arm smashed, he had his knee broken.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37He had shrapnel all the way up him.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42And so I shouted, "Anybody else wounded?"
0:32:42 > 0:32:46And they said, "Yes, Private Babbage over there."
0:32:46 > 0:32:49I could hear him croaking with his breathing.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52And I could have put my fist into the hole in his chest.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55It was his first patrol with us.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01So that was a very bad day as far as we were concerned
0:33:01 > 0:33:04because we had two dead and one severely wounded.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07And that was a black day.
0:33:09 > 0:33:1360 years on, memories of that day have not faded.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18If you've been involved in an action
0:33:18 > 0:33:23and because of what you decided to do people had been killed,
0:33:23 > 0:33:27then if they were your men, your family, part of you...
0:33:29 > 0:33:33You agonise almost for ever and ever.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40You carry a guilt, you carry a burden that you never lose.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43It stays with you till you die, I think.
0:33:45 > 0:33:50John was to serve alongside UN troops for a further seven months.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54But before heading home there was one last patrol.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00On my last patrol I was asked to just go
0:34:00 > 0:34:03and swan around no-man's-land in daylight.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06They wanted to know whether anything had changed.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08Was anybody up to any monkey business?
0:34:08 > 0:34:11So off we set. It was a nice day, sun was shining,
0:34:11 > 0:34:16and I decided to stop and rest up for a while.
0:34:19 > 0:34:24Over another ridge, which was about 50 yards away from us,
0:34:24 > 0:34:29came an identical couple of Chinamen and we came up into the ready
0:34:29 > 0:34:34and there was no doubt that we would never have missed.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40And I couldn't...I couldn't bring myself to shoot him.
0:34:40 > 0:34:46Because he had a mother, he probably had a wife, he had others at home.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50And I wasn't there to kill people like that.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53I wasn't there to kill people in cold blood.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59Lasting three years,
0:34:59 > 0:35:04the Korean War saw more than 1,000 British troops lose their lives,
0:35:04 > 0:35:07with many more wounded or taken prisoner.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09I was having nightmares.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11Three years ago,
0:35:11 > 0:35:16I was out of my bed shouting at my wife to take cover,
0:35:16 > 0:35:18ordering one section up on the left-hand side
0:35:18 > 0:35:20and the other section on the right.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23And telling them what weapon was being used cos
0:35:23 > 0:35:25I could hear the mortars going off.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27And it was Guy Fawkes Night.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42We owe a debt of gratitude to John Bowler,
0:35:42 > 0:35:48the men that served with him, and all of our armed forces.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51They put their lives at risk in our name and for our sake.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56And this weekend we remember their sacrifice.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12I'm in FOB Shawqat,
0:36:12 > 0:36:15a UK-run base in Nad-e Ali in the heart of the Green Zone.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18Now, this used to be a very dangerous place to be,
0:36:18 > 0:36:22but thanks to the incredible work of our armed forces,
0:36:22 > 0:36:24responsibility is now being handed over to the Afghans,
0:36:24 > 0:36:27which means our guys are leaving.
0:36:27 > 0:36:28For good.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33The British have been in Shawqat for eight years
0:36:33 > 0:36:37and there are currently 500 servicemen and women based here.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42With the handover fast approaching,
0:36:42 > 0:36:44that means a lot of kit needs to be moved.
0:36:46 > 0:36:47Including all the accommodation.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52The man in charge is Captain Tony Brooks.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56Tony! Gethin. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00I hear you are the man with the almighty task of getting
0:37:00 > 0:37:02everything out of here.
0:37:02 > 0:37:03Yep, that's right, that's what they say.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06How do you do something like this? It's like a small village.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10The population fluctuates between 400-500 people at any one time,
0:37:10 > 0:37:14so we're basically closing down a small village.
0:37:14 > 0:37:15Where's all the stuff going?
0:37:15 > 0:37:18Back to the UK, up to Kabul, it's going to all different locations.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22It's my job to make sure that kit gets to the right location.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25We're on schedule. Week six out of week ten and we're ahead of schedule.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27You're always on schedule in the Army.
0:37:27 > 0:37:28What are you doing today?
0:37:28 > 0:37:32Today we're just about to remove the last tent standing in our camp.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35So we've dropped 60 so far, this is the last one standing.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38So these guys must have the long straw then
0:37:38 > 0:37:41because this means they've had nice accommodation for a little while.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43Yeah, these guys belong to me so, you know, a little bit of...
0:37:43 > 0:37:45Favouritism! So it's all about teamwork.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47It wouldn't be right for me to come all this way
0:37:47 > 0:37:49and not give you a hand. Crack on.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51If you go and see Sergeant major in there...
0:37:51 > 0:37:53You going to wait here and have a cup of tea?
0:37:53 > 0:37:56I'm going to grab a brew. Yeah, thought you might. Yeah, all right.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58Sergeant major, how can I help?
0:37:58 > 0:38:01Take all the beds outside. All right, straight in.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04Whose bed's this? My bed.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06I better look after this one, eh?
0:38:06 > 0:38:09The tent has got to come down, the flooring's got to get taken out.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12So all that's going to be left here is just the sun shade.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15We're going to put some camouflage netting over the front.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18You're basically going from five-star to what, one-star?
0:38:18 > 0:38:20I wouldn't say that. Half a star.
0:38:24 > 0:38:29'This home-made sofa is destined for a special new home back in the UK.'
0:38:29 > 0:38:31There's a weight on that.
0:38:31 > 0:38:32Where's this going?
0:38:32 > 0:38:35This is going to the Imperial War Museum. Is it?
0:38:35 > 0:38:39Yeah, we had a visit a few weeks ago and they liked what they saw.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41Built by the lads themselves.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43And I think it'll look good.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47The lads made the sofa by bending blast walls like these into shape.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52It's a piece of home-made history.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55I'll go one side, you get the other. Forward. Stand there.
0:38:55 > 0:38:56How much do you weigh?
0:38:56 > 0:38:58LAUGHTER
0:38:58 > 0:39:01Very soon, everyone on base will be sleeping under the stars.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04As more and more things leave Shawqat,
0:39:04 > 0:39:08in just a couple of days everyone here will be sleeping like this.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10It's almost 50 degrees
0:39:10 > 0:39:13and all they'll have for protection is this little thing.
0:39:13 > 0:39:14Hardcore.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22But it's not just the household items like beds, furniture
0:39:22 > 0:39:24and flooring that needs to leave,
0:39:24 > 0:39:28it's also the really big stuff like vehicles and generators.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31And these. They're full to the brim with technical equipment
0:39:31 > 0:39:33and anything else they can fit in there
0:39:33 > 0:39:35that they've needed up until now.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40Every day more and more equipment leaves Shawqat.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47This whole process has been described as the biggest
0:39:47 > 0:39:50logistical challenge in a generation.
0:39:53 > 0:39:58After hours of non-stop driving, the convoy reaches its destination -
0:39:58 > 0:40:00Camp Bastion.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14First up, to make sure vehicles haven't been tampered with,
0:40:14 > 0:40:19highly trained military dogs search every vehicle for explosive devices.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Next, every item is systematically checked.
0:40:29 > 0:40:34Anything not needed is repacked and sent home, ready for its next role.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39There are almost 10,000 containers worth of stuff here,
0:40:39 > 0:40:42half of which have already gone back to the UK.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45The key piece of kit that's responsible for moving
0:40:45 > 0:40:50the containers round whilst they're being sorted is called the RTCH -
0:40:50 > 0:40:54Rough Terrain Container Handler.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57The RTCH can carry a massive 30 tonnes.
0:40:57 > 0:41:01It's used to move more than 80 of these containers every day.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04And it's a small dedicated team who get to play around with these
0:41:04 > 0:41:06giant machines.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Pleasure to meet you, Gethin. All right?
0:41:11 > 0:41:14Is the smile on your face anything to do with the fact you get
0:41:14 > 0:41:17to drive this around all day? Yeah, it's a bit of fun.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21How many containers will you move around, say, in a week?
0:41:21 > 0:41:25Cos it's the busiest time, we've got about 600. 600 a week.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28What do your family make of what you do out here?
0:41:28 > 0:41:29They're really proud.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32Very proud. Especially when they had me and brother out here.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35His fiancee was out here as well, so I met her for the first time.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37We'll go meet up Saturdays,
0:41:37 > 0:41:40keep the old home thing going, go to watch the football.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42Apart from you can't have a few beers.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46But I've always wanted to be in the forces since I was a kid
0:41:46 > 0:41:48and do my bit and come out to Afghan.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50And play around with this.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00This is the C-17.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03It's a monster of plane and it's used to carry the biggest
0:42:03 > 0:42:06and heaviest cargo.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10Tonight, it's taking these three huge armoured vehicles.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12It's time for them to leave Camp Bastion
0:42:12 > 0:42:15and make the long journey back to the UK.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32These chains are industrial strength
0:42:32 > 0:42:34and watching these guys is absolutely brilliant.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37They all know what they're doing and they get the job done quickly.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40It's like the best Formula One pit stop I've ever seen.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46This plane's ready to go back with three vehicles loaded.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54And this is the best thing about redeployment -
0:42:54 > 0:42:57our guys and girls are coming home.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17Subtitles By Red Bee Media Ltd