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Britain's Home Guard

Episode 6 of 20

Melvyn Bragg reveals archive footage telling the history of modern Britain. At Osterley Park, Melvyn visits the site of the first Home Guard training school.

Melvyn Bragg, accompanied by a vintage mobile cinema, travels across the country, to show incredible footage preserved by the British Film Institute and other national and regional film archives, to tell the history of modern Britain.

This episode comes from Osterley Park in Middlesex, the site of the first Home Guard training school, and looks back to the Second World War and a time when millions of ordinary men were prepared to die for their country.

Home Guard recruit Robert Brown comes face to face with his father as a Home Guard company commander, Dad's Army creator Jimmy Perry explains why he signed up to the Home Guard, and Ken Chambers shares his own extraordinary stories from his time in the Home Guard, some of which could have been taken straight from Dad's Army.

14 minutes

Last on

Tue 8 Oct 202422:00
BBC Four

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The Roaring Twenties

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Britain's National Disgrace

See all episodes from Reel History of Britain

Clip

Music Played

  • Ralph Butler

    We Must All Stick Together

    Composer: Raymond Wallace. Performer: Billy Cotton. Performer: Alan Breeze.

Credits

PresenterMelvyn Bragg
ParticipantJimmy Perry
Series ProducerDympna Jackson
Executive ProducerRuth Pitt

Broadcasts

  • Mon 12 Sep 201118:30
    BBC Two
  • Mon 17 Oct 201103:35
    BBC One
  • Mon 4 Feb 201314:45
    BBC Two
  • Sat 17 Aug 201310:25
    BBC Two
  • Wed 26 Feb 201419:30
    BBC Four
  • Tue 11 Dec 201813:45
    BBC Two except Wales
  • Tue 11 Dec 201814:50
    BBC Two Wales & Wales HD only
  • Sat 5 Jun 202115:45
    BBC Two Northern Ireland & Northern Ireland HD only
  • Sat 5 Jun 202116:15
    BBC Two except Northern Ireland & Scotland
  • Tue 8 Oct 202422:00
    BBC Four