This Is the Army, Mr Jones

Irving Berlin's groundbreaking army show, 'This Is The Army' came to bomb-ravaged London in 1943 before setting out on a world tour that raised military morale from Glasgow to Guam.

Actor and entertainer John Barrowman tells the show's story.

Choreographer, Robert Sydney, and Irving Berlin's daughter, Mary Ellin Barrett, recall how it was put together and the effect it had in places as far afield as Washington DC and Tehran, via Bristol, Birmingham, Glasgow, London.

It was also performed in the fiercest area of fighting in the south of Italy shortly after the British and American landings there.

Also remembering the show are members of the audience in Birmingham, Glasgow and London, where a young airman by the name of Denis Norden was spellbound by the show at The Palladium.

The programme also features archive recordings made especially for the BBC in the winter of 1943, including a performance from Irving Berlin himself.

Producer: Tom Alban

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2009.