15 August 1918

Two armoured trains meet on a single train track in the desert, in this extraordinary real life battle story, written by Avin Shah.

Why have the 19th Punjabi Infantry Regiment of the British Indian Army been sent to Turkestan, where the British are not at war?

Why are Russian soldiers driving both the train they're on, and the train they're trying to destroy?

What's behind Railway Lieutenant Stepniak's paranoia about the enemy?

And if either side damage the train track - will they ever get out of the desert?

Meticulously based on unit war diaries and eye-witness accounts, each episode of TOMMIES traces one real day at war, exactly 100 years ago, telling untold stories about the war in Gaza, Gallipoli, Serbia, Mesopotamia, Russia, Macedonia, Italy, Turkmenistan and Tanzania, as well as on the Western Front.

And through it all, we've followed the fortunes of Mickey Bliss and his fellow signallers, from the Lahore Division of the British Indian Army. They are the cogs in an immense machine, one which connects situations across the whole theatre of the war, over four long years.

Series created by Jonathan Ruffle
Producers: David Hunter, Jonquil Panting, Jonathan Ruffle
Director: Jonquil Panting.