A Better World

This final episode of Britain's Greatest Generation follows the lives of some of the servicemen and women of the Second World War across 70 years of British history, from 1945 up to the present day. This episode features Arctic convoy survivor Austin Byrne, former Fleet Air Arm pilot and Scotland football manager Bobby Brown, and ex-prisoner of war Jim Purcell - just a few of the extraordinary and inspiring members of Britain's greatest generation who recall their stories and memories.

Also appearing are individuals who played their part in creating a more culturally diverse postwar Britain, such as pioneering actor Earl Cameron, gay rights activist George Montague and Brian Rix, who has campaigned passionately on the issue of disability.

Whilst for some, life was getting better after the Second World War, there were still many people in society who were victims of prejudice. Earl Cameron was determined to change this and recalls how he broke through the colour bar in the British film industry. Novelist Diana Athill also played an important role in the movement towards both sexual and racial openness in the 1960s, and speaks about how she flouted the taboo on mixed-race relationships at that time.

One of the defining features of many of our greatest generation is a commitment to their local community. People such as Gladys Parry, who became a local magistrate in Manchester after the Second World War, and former railwayman Bill Graves, who served as a local councillor in Bristol, are typical.

Others who displayed a strong sense of civic duty are Dorothy Hughes, who has made numerous public appearances as one of the first female Chelsea Pensioners, and Jim Purcell, who is a local legend in his home town of Jarrow. He raised money for charity through running several marathons while in his 60s and still takes part in long-distance races in memory of his partner Betty.