| Description |
1 online resource (streaming video file) (46 min. 16 sec.) ; 276574469 bytes |
| Summary |
In January 1945, as the Red Army resumed its relentless advance towards Germany, the inmates of prisoner-of-war camps in Poland were marched west towards Germany. Amongst them were thousands of British, Australian and Commonwealth soldiers, many of whom had spent the previous four years working in mines and factories with barely adequate sustenance. They were now ordered at gunpoint to march many hours a day through the snow and ice of a Polish winter, alongside concentration and death camp survivors. It was to be one of the forgotten atrocities of the Second World War.In the first episode, veterans reveal the reasons why they joined the fighting forces. They tell of inadequate training and being ill-prepared in meeting the enemy - while they had handguns, rifles and mortar bombs, the Germans were equipped with an army of tanks. They speak of the shocking reality of combat and, ultimately, capture.Marched for days across Europe, or transported in cattle trucks under terrible conditions, they arrive at the cramped Stalags - prisoner of war camps - where they have to adjust to the inevitability of a life behind wire. Their war is over. They now confront hardship and despair as they face the long years of captivity. (From the UK) (Documentary Series) (Part 1 of 3) *New Series* PG CCFollow the conversation on Twitter # SBSdoco |
| Event |
Broadcast 2012-04-27 at 21:30:00 |
| Notes |
Classification: PG |
| Subject |
Air forces.
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Explosives, Military.
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Prisoners of war.
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World War (1939-1945)
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Military campaigns.
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Prisoner-of-war camps.
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Germany.
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| Form |
Streaming video
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| Author |
Saundres, Stephen, director
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Hill, Bernand, host
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Buckledee, Harry, contributor
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Bull, George, contributor
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Clark, Robert, contributor
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Cleaver, Reg, contributor
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Gibbs, Norman, contributor
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Harris, Edward, contributor
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Hawkins, Doug, contributor
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Hay, Ken, contributor
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Howland, Jim, contributor
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Johnson, Tony, contributor
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Jones, Maurice, contributor
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Jones, Ron, contributor
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Mead, Mark, contributor
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Owens, Henry, contributor
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Pye, Reg, contributor
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Smith, Stancombe, contributor
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Virgo, John, contributor
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Vokes, Jim, contributor
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Wade, Stanley, contributor
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Weeks, John, contributor
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Wenham, Kenneth, contributor
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Wiseman, Andrew, contributor
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