The Wipers Times
World War I drama based on a true story. An army captain discovers a printing press in the ruins of Ypres, Belgium, in 1916, and decides to publish a satirical magazine.
When Captain Fred Roberts discovered a printing press in the ruins of Ypres, Belgium in 1916, he decided to publish a satirical magazine called The Wipers Times - "Wipers" being army slang for Ypres. Full of gallows humour, The Wipers Times was poignant, subversive and very funny. Produced literally under enemy fire and defying both authority and gas attacks, the magazine proved a huge success with the troops on the western front. It was, above all, a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming adversity. In his spare time, Roberts also managed to win the Military Cross for gallantry.
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Clips
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The Wipers Times Trail
Duration: 00:30
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Banning it!
Duration: 02:36
Captain Roberts & Lieutenant Pearson
Find out how Captain Roberts & Lieutenant Pearson created The Wipers Times.
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Fred Roberts | Ben Chaplin |
| Jack Pearson | Julian Rhind-Tutt |
| General Mitford | Michael Palin |
| Lieutnant Colonel Howfield | Ben Daniels |
| Kate Roberts | Emilia Fox |
| Director | Andy De Emmony |
| Harris | Steve Oram |
| Barnes | Hugh Skinner |
| Dodd | Josh O'Connor |
| Henderson | Jarrod Cooke |
| Smith | Colin Ash |
| ADC Bobby | Richard Doubleday |
| Winston Churchill | Paul Kennedy |
| Field Nurse | Emma Little |
| Chaplain | Faolan Morgan |
| Writer | Ian Hislop |
| Writer | Nick Newman |
| Producer | David Parfitt |
The funny side of World War I
BBC History takes a look at the humour used in the Wipers Times.
A true story is a tribute
Find out more about this one-off history drama set during World War I
