Lost Heroes of World War One

It wasn't just the men on the frontline who suffered bombing raids, as at home terrifying German Zeppelin airships appeared in the skies above Britain, dropping bombs on defenceless towns and cities. The population not only suffered the threat of bombs but also food shortages and the constant worry that their husbands, sons or brothers would not return. Catastrophic losses of 'Pals Battalions' - friends from the same street, factory or football team - meant that for weeks after the initial assault, local newspapers would be filled with lists of dead, wounded and missing. In this episode, we hear from those who experienced such loss, along with the fighting spirit that emerged in Britain and the women who took on the opportunities to work in place of men.

By 1917, all thoughts of a swift victory were long gone and many of the battle-weary troops had lost not only friends and fellow soldiers but also their patriotic spirit and will to fight. The Allies and the Germans were locked in a bitter deadlock. This episode reveals what life was like in the terrible battles fought in appalling conditions on the ground and in the air at Arras and Passchendaele (Ypres). We hear from Harry Patch (the last of the veterans to die) and Henry Allingham, who lived to 113, about their incredible experiences in the battle, and how they dealt with life and death.

In the spring of 1918, the outcome of the war still hung in the balance and in a bid for victory the Germans launched their massive spring offensive. Thousands of 18-year-old British conscripts had their training cut short and were sent out to France to make up numbers. As the Germans advanced, thousands of Allied troops were taken prisoner to suffer months of hardship at the hands of their captors, but the Germans became the victims of their own success. By advancing too fast, they left their troops exposed and exhausted.

Seizing back the initiative, the boys of 1918 helped turn defeat into victory.

We hear from those who took part in the fight back as they reveal what it felt like to take prisoners themselves, how they felt when the heard the news the war was over and their memories of the journey home.