A powerful collection of interviews and stories filmed in the 1960s - told through the eyes of World War One veterans and civilians.
Themes include:
- Recruiting soldiers in WW1
- Interviews with soldiers describing how they physically and mentally coped during the war
- How soldiers got respite from the war after being on the front line
- Life as an officer
- Fighting in the trenches
- Shell fire and the effects it had
- The tactics used by airmen when bringing down enemy aircraft in the skies
- The Gallipoli campaign
These clips are from the 麻豆社 series, I was there: The Great War Interviews
Suitable for: KS3 and KS4/GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 3rd, 4th Level, National 4, National 5 and Higher in Scotland.
Some clips contain upsetting scenes teacher review is recommended prior to use in class.
Changes on the home front during WW1. video
Relatives left at home describe what it was like coping whilst the men were away at war.
Fighting in the trenches. video
Stefan Westmann presents two contrasting experiences of the war.
Going over the top. video
Infantrymen recall the tense hours in the trenches prior to an attack.
Horace Leslie Birks interview. video
Tank commander Horace Birks describes the impact of the supposed miracle machines.
John Willis Palmer interview. video
John found it difficult to cope with the violence and apparent pointlessness of the war.
Attrition. video
The strains of war drove soldiers to desert their post or inflict a wound on themselves.
Life as a munitionette. video
Mabel was one of many women who put their lives at risk working in munitions factories.
Life as an officer during WW1. video
Charles talks about coping with looming shellshock and aspects of an officer's life.
One woman's loss. video
Katie describes what the war was like from a young woman鈥檚 perspective in Manchester.
Recruiting soldiers in WW1. video
The different pressures which were applied to persuade young men to join up to fight.
Respite. video
How men could relax and forget about life on the front line when behind the lines and get some respite from the war.
How did shell shock affect soldiers? video
Soldiers from both sides describe their experience of shell fire and the physical and psychological effects it had on them and their colleagues.
The Christmas truce, 1914. video
Henry describes his reaction to being called up and his experiences in the trenches.
The Gallipoli campaign. video
Frank talks about fighting in the disastrous Gallipoli campaign in 1915.
War in the air. video
Pilots identify the different experiences of men in the air, recalling the realities of combat and the tactics used to down an enemy aircraft.
Being a pilot in WW1. video
Cecil Lewis鈥 experiences reflect how the role of aircraft changed in the course of WW1.
Death and survival. video
The experiences of a disillusioned soldier and the widow of a soldier killed in action
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Where Next?
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