Browse Titles - 12 results
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Gladiators of World War II, 1, The Waffen SS
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 1 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 48 mins
The Waffen SS began as Hitler's elite bodyguard and grew into one of the most formidable fighting forces of Nazi Germany. Although part of the infamous SS - and indelibly linked with the excesses of the feared Gestapo, the concentration camps, and the extermination squads, the men of the SS saw themselves as comba...
Sample
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 1 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 48 mins
Description
The Waffen SS began as Hitler's elite bodyguard and grew into one of the most formidable fighting forces of Nazi Germany. Although part of the infamous SS - and indelibly linked with the excesses of the feared Gestapo, the concentration camps, and the extermination squads, the men of the SS saw themselves as combat soldiers, respected for their courage, feared for their ruthlessness and fanaticism. For these were political soldiers; mature men, r...
The Waffen SS began as Hitler's elite bodyguard and grew into one of the most formidable fighting forces of Nazi Germany. Although part of the infamous SS - and indelibly linked with the excesses of the feared Gestapo, the concentration camps, and the extermination squads, the men of the SS saw themselves as combat soldiers, respected for their courage, feared for their ruthlessness and fanaticism. For these were political soldiers; mature men, recruited for their physical perfection and pure Aryan ancestry. They were drilled in Nazi ideology, indoctrinated to believe in themselves as the master race and their enemies as subhuman. They became the cornerstone of the German defences, who carried on fighting, even when all hope was gone. But they are remembered for their brutality. They killed captured British, Canadian and American soldiers in cold blood, and massacred unarmed French, Belgian and Russian civilians. They were Gladiators on the battlefield, who fought on against impossible odds, but the Waffen SS will forever be tarnished by the atrocities they committed as the willing servants of an evil regime.
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Field of Study
World History
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, Robert Powell, 1944-
Author / Creator
Charles Messenger
Date Published / Released
2001
Publisher
BBC Worldwide
Series
Gladiators of World War II
Speaker / Narrator
Robert Powell, 1944-
Person Discussed
Adolf Hitler, 1889-1945, Sepp Dietrich, 1892-1966, Heinrich Himmler, 1900-1945
Topic / Theme
Battles, Invasions, Nazism, Soldiers, War, War crimes, German Invasion of Soviet Union, June 1941-1945, German Invasion of Yugoslavia, April 6-17, 1941, World War II, 1939-1945, Battle of Berlin, 1945, Political and Social Movements, War and Violence, World History, 20th Century in World History (1914--2000)
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Copyright © 2001 BBC Worldwide
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Gladiators of World War II, 2, Special Operations Executive
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 2 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 49 mins
In July 1940, when Axis forces occupied Western Europe, the Special Operations Executive was set up by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to Sset Europe ablaze. SOE deployed secret agents to support resistance
movements in Occupied Europe and worked with them to prepare for Liberation. Although they worked f...
Sample
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 2 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 49 mins
Description
In July 1940, when Axis forces occupied Western Europe, the Special Operations Executive was set up by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to Sset Europe ablaze. SOE deployed secret agents to support resistance
movements in Occupied Europe and worked with them to prepare for Liberation. Although they worked far from the battlefields, the men and women of the SOE were among the bravest Gladiators of World War II. From an anonymous building in...
In July 1940, when Axis forces occupied Western Europe, the Special Operations Executive was set up by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to Sset Europe ablaze. SOE deployed secret agents to support resistance
movements in Occupied Europe and worked with them to prepare for Liberation. Although they worked far from the battlefields, the men and women of the SOE were among the bravest Gladiators of World War II. From an anonymous building in London1s Baker Street, agents were provided with cover stories, false identity cards, ration books and clandestine weapons like exploding cigarettes and itching powder for German underwear. Young men and women were sent alone into enemy occupied territory, knowing that they could be shot as spies if captured. This programme examines SOE1s most successful raid - on the Norsk-Hydro plant in Telemark, Norway, and its most disastrous episode - Englandspiel in Holland. Former agents tell remarkable stories of bravery and sacrifice in the face of capture, torture and death as they operated under the very noses of the enemy.
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Field of Study
World History
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, Robert Powell, 1944-
Author / Creator
Charles Messenger
Date Published / Released
2001
Publisher
BBC Worldwide
Series
Gladiators of World War II
Speaker / Narrator
Robert Powell, 1944-
Person Discussed
Sir Winston Churchill, 1874-1965
Topic / Theme
Espionage, Military personnel, Military strategy, Sabotage, Secrets, War, World War II, 1939-1945, War and Violence, World History, 20th Century in World History (1914--2000)
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Copyright © 2001 BBC Worldwide
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Gladiators of World War II, 3, Special Air Service
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 3 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 48 mins
Captured on camera, on the 5th of May 1980, the British Army's elite Special Air Service stormed the Iranian Embassy in London, where hostages were being held by Iraqi terrorists. Within ten minutes, the terrorists were
killed, and the remaining hostages rescued.Who were these black-clad men in balaclavas, who res...
Sample
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 3 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 48 mins
Description
Captured on camera, on the 5th of May 1980, the British Army's elite Special Air Service stormed the Iranian Embassy in London, where hostages were being held by Iraqi terrorists. Within ten minutes, the terrorists were
killed, and the remaining hostages rescued.Who were these black-clad men in balaclavas, who resolved the conflict with such ruthless efficiency?
This programme examines the SAS, from its conception as a small, deep- penetration ra...
Captured on camera, on the 5th of May 1980, the British Army's elite Special Air Service stormed the Iranian Embassy in London, where hostages were being held by Iraqi terrorists. Within ten minutes, the terrorists were
killed, and the remaining hostages rescued.Who were these black-clad men in balaclavas, who resolved the conflict with such ruthless efficiency?
This programme examines the SAS, from its conception as a small, deep- penetration raiding force led by Commando Officer David Stirling in the deserts of Libya and Egypt in World War II, to its work on the modern
day battlefields in the Falklands and Gulf wars. Today the SAS is among the best special services in the world. Its men are the toughest of the tough, and those who have served in it over the 60 years since its inception have lived and fought unswervingly under the motto on their cap badges: ‘Who Dares Wins’.
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Field of Study
World History
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, Robert Powell, 1944-
Author / Creator
Charles Messenger
Date Published / Released
2001
Publisher
BBC Worldwide
Series
Gladiators of World War II
Speaker / Narrator
Robert Powell, 1944-
Person Discussed
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel, 1891-1944, Bernard Law Montgomery, 1887-1976, David Stirling, 1915-1990, Robert Blair Mayne, 1915-1955
Topic / Theme
Battles, Military raids, Military units, Weapons and ordnance, War, World War II, 1939-1945, Battle of El Alamein, October 23-November 3, 1942, German-Soviet Nonagression Pact Signed, August 23, 1939, Operation Torch, North Africa, November 8-16, 1942, Siege of Tobruk, January-December 1941, War and Violence, World History, 20th Century in World History (1914--2000)
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Gladiators of World War II, 4, The Desert Rats
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 4 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 48 mins
21st July 1945, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed the 7th Armoured Division: 'Dear Desert Rats! May your glory never fade! May your laurels never fade! May the memory of this glorious pilgrimage of war which you have made from Alamein, via the Baltic, to Berlin never die! It is a march unsurpassed...
Sample
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 4 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 48 mins
Description
21st July 1945, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed the 7th Armoured Division: 'Dear Desert Rats! May your glory never fade! May your laurels never fade! May the memory of this glorious pilgrimage of war which you have made from Alamein, via the Baltic, to Berlin never die! It is a march unsurpassed in the history of war.' The legend of the Desert Rats began with the destruction of the Italian 10th Army, in 1940. When Nazi General...
21st July 1945, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed the 7th Armoured Division: 'Dear Desert Rats! May your glory never fade! May your laurels never fade! May the memory of this glorious pilgrimage of war which you have made from Alamein, via the Baltic, to Berlin never die! It is a march unsurpassed in the history of war.' The legend of the Desert Rats began with the destruction of the Italian 10th Army, in 1940. When Nazi General Erwin Rommel arrived in Libya with his Afrika Korps, the ebb and flow of desert warfare pitted the two great forces against each other. As part of the 8th Army under General Bernard Montgomery, the Desert Rats played a key role in the crucial battle at El Alamein which forced the Afrika Korps into retreat. On the 11th May 1943, the Axis forces in North Africa finally surrendered, and the desert war was over. After four years of fighting the veterans were still not finished.They fought their way across Europe from D-Day to the surrender of Berlin, with the spirit and determination that made them some of the most famous Gladiators in the British army.
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Field of Study
World History
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, Robert Powell, 1944-
Author / Creator
Charles Messenger
Date Published / Released
2001
Publisher
BBC Worldwide
Series
Gladiators of World War II
Speaker / Narrator
Robert Powell, 1944-
Person Discussed
Sir Winston Churchill, 1874-1965, Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel, 1891-1944, Bernard Law Montgomery, 1887-1976
Topic / Theme
Battles, Desert travel, Military maneuvers, Military personnel, Military units, World War II, 1939-1945, War and Violence, World History, 20th Century in World History (1914--2000)
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Copyright © 2001 BBC Worldwide
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Gladiators of World War II, 5, The Free Polish Forces
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 5 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 48 mins
In September 1939 Poland was overrun by the Germans and Russians, yet the Polish fighting spirit remained unbroken. Under the leadership of General Wladyslaw Sikorski, the Free Polish Army was formed. They were a
displaced fighting force, which would exact revenge for the occupation of Poland, fighting first in Fr...
Sample
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 5 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 48 mins
Description
In September 1939 Poland was overrun by the Germans and Russians, yet the Polish fighting spirit remained unbroken. Under the leadership of General Wladyslaw Sikorski, the Free Polish Army was formed. They were a
displaced fighting force, which would exact revenge for the occupation of Poland, fighting first in France, and then alongside British forces in almost every campaign in the desert and Western Europe When Hitler invaded Russia, Poland fo...
In September 1939 Poland was overrun by the Germans and Russians, yet the Polish fighting spirit remained unbroken. Under the leadership of General Wladyslaw Sikorski, the Free Polish Army was formed. They were a
displaced fighting force, which would exact revenge for the occupation of Poland, fighting first in France, and then alongside British forces in almost every campaign in the desert and Western Europe When Hitler invaded Russia, Poland found itself in a new alliance with its former aggressor, but the historical antagonism between the two countries was always lurking.
Tragically, the loyalty and courage of its armies on the battlefield, did not win Poland the independence its people hoped for. After 8 years of fighting, many of those Free Poles who returned home from the war were arrested, murdered, or deported by the Soviet troops who now occupied their country. Many never saw their home country again. The Free Polish Forces will be remembered as the Gladiators who were willing to sacrifice everything to rescue their country. Poland's democracy and true independence, finally won in 1989, stands as a testimonial to those
who gave so much for what seemed like so little.
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Field of Study
World History
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, Robert Powell, 1944-
Author / Creator
Charles Messenger
Date Published / Released
2001
Publisher
BBC Worldwide
Series
Gladiators of World War II
Speaker / Narrator
Robert Powell, 1944-
Person Discussed
Wladyslaw Eugeniusz Sikorski, 1881-1943, Wladyslaw Anders, 1892-1970
Topic / Theme
Battles, Military maneuvers, Military personnel, Military units, German Invasion of Poland, September 1, 1939, Soviet Union Invades Poland, September 17, 1939, Warsaw Uprising, August-October 1944, Katyn Forest Massacre, Soviet Union, April-May 1940, Battle of Monte Cassino, January 17-May 18, 1944, War and Violence, World History, 20th Century in World History (1914--2000)
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Copyright © 2001 BBC Worldwide
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Gladiators of World War II, 6, RAF Fighter Command
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 6 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 49 mins
‘Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few’.
In the skies over Southern England in the summer of 1940 the Gladiators of RAF Fighter Command duelled with the German Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. Winston Churchill called it ‘Britain’s finest hour’. Heavily outnumbered...
Sample
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 6 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 49 mins
Description
‘Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few’.
In the skies over Southern England in the summer of 1940 the Gladiators of RAF Fighter Command duelled with the German Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. Winston Churchill called it ‘Britain’s finest hour’. Heavily outnumbered, Hawker Hurricanes and Supermarine Spitfires confronted Junkers Ju87 Stuka divebombers, Messerschmitt Me109 single-engine fighters and...
‘Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few’.
In the skies over Southern England in the summer of 1940 the Gladiators of RAF Fighter Command duelled with the German Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. Winston Churchill called it ‘Britain’s finest hour’. Heavily outnumbered, Hawker Hurricanes and Supermarine Spitfires confronted Junkers Ju87 Stuka divebombers, Messerschmitt Me109 single-engine fighters and twin-engine Me110 fighters over the English coast in one of the most crucial battles of World War II. To lose the battle would have meant Nazi invasion of the British Isles, and the end of the war. Led by Air Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding,OE ‘The Few’ successfully defended Britain against the Luftwaffe, who were superior in both numbers and pilot experience. This is the story of RAF Fighter Command. From its birth during World War I; expansion into World War II; its crucial role at Dunkirk; and the fight against Hitler’s V-weapons. Former pilots remember some extraordinary stories from their battles with Goering’s men, while archive footage brings the excitement and the terror of the dogfights back to life.
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Field of Study
World History
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, Robert Powell, 1944-
Author / Creator
Charles Messenger
Date Published / Released
2001
Publisher
BBC Worldwide
Series
Gladiators of World War II
Speaker / Narrator
Robert Powell, 1944-
Person Discussed
Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1882-1970
Topic / Theme
Air raids, Airplanes, Battles, Military maneuvers, Military personnel, Military units, Weapons and ordnance, Blitz, September 1940-May 1941, War and Violence, World History, 20th Century in World History (1914--2000)
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Copyright © 2001 BBC Worldwide
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Gladiators of World War II, 8, Norwegian Resistance Fighters
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 8 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 48 mins
For five years during World War II, the Nazis occupied Norway. They were plagued by organised resistance; relatively small numbers of brave men and women, operating in the bleak and mountainous countryside. Theirs was a war of small actions and narrow escapes ... the threat of capture, torture, and death was const...
Sample
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 8 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 48 mins
Description
For five years during World War II, the Nazis occupied Norway. They were plagued by organised resistance; relatively small numbers of brave men and women, operating in the bleak and mountainous countryside. Theirs was a war of small actions and narrow escapes ... the threat of capture, torture, and death was constant ... any successful actions could result in reprisals on civilians. Fishing boats slipped in and out of the long Norwegian coastline...
For five years during World War II, the Nazis occupied Norway. They were plagued by organised resistance; relatively small numbers of brave men and women, operating in the bleak and mountainous countryside. Theirs was a war of small actions and narrow escapes ... the threat of capture, torture, and death was constant ... any successful actions could result in reprisals on civilians. Fishing boats slipped in and out of the long Norwegian coastline, carrying agents and information. ‘Radio Spies’ monitored the German fleet in the distant and isolated fjords, and provided weather reports for the D-Day
landings, and specially trained commando forces prevented the movement of ‘heavy water’, vital to Hitler’s atomic bomb project. With the end of the war in Europe in May 1945, the 60,000 members of Milorg, the resistance network, took the surrender of the German garrison, now swollen to 365,000 men. One of the greatest achievements of the Norwegian Resistance had been to tie down large numbers of Nazi troops, who would otherwise have been
fighting in mainland Europe.
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Field of Study
World History
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, Robert Powell, 1944-
Author / Creator
Charles Messenger
Date Published / Released
2001
Publisher
BBC Worldwide
Series
Gladiators of World War II
Speaker / Narrator
Robert Powell, 1944-
Topic / Theme
Bombardment, Rebellions, Sabotage, Spies, Guerrilla warfare, German Invasion of Norway, April 9-June 10, 1940, War and Violence, World History, 20th Century in World History (1914--2000)
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Copyright © 2001 BBC Worldwide
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Gladiators of World War II, 9, The Kamikazes
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 9 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 49 mins
In the Middle Ages a breed of Japanese warrior known as the Samurai followed the Bushido code. Death held no fears for the Bushido warrior, who believed that if he died in battle he would be reincarnated. He was unswervingly loyal and obedient to his Emperor, whom he regarded as a God. In the autumn of 1944, as Am...
Sample
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 9 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 49 mins
Description
In the Middle Ages a breed of Japanese warrior known as the Samurai followed the Bushido code. Death held no fears for the Bushido warrior, who believed that if he died in battle he would be reincarnated. He was unswervingly loyal and obedient to his Emperor, whom he regarded as a God. In the autumn of 1944, as American forces began the reconquest of the Philippine islands, they faced a terrifying weapon born from the Bushido code – the Kamikaz...
In the Middle Ages a breed of Japanese warrior known as the Samurai followed the Bushido code. Death held no fears for the Bushido warrior, who believed that if he died in battle he would be reincarnated. He was unswervingly loyal and obedient to his Emperor, whom he regarded as a God. In the autumn of 1944, as American forces began the reconquest of the Philippine islands, they faced a terrifying weapon born from the Bushido code – the Kamikaze suicide attack. With dwindling resources at his disposal to face the American assault, Admiral Takijino Onishi could see only one way of defeating the American aircraft carriers: the ‘Divine Wind’.Volunteer Kamikaze pilots would fly into the aircraft carriers, wearing white scarves or headbands – the Samurai symbol of revenge. Other suicide weapons included Banzai death charges, Kaiten submarines, and the Okha, or cherry blossom, piloted bomb.Where would this Japanese fanaticism end? Their battle plan was to take as many Allied casualties with them as they could in defeat.There could be no surrender.The USA found a controversial alternative to this problem: the atom bomb.
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Field of Study
World History
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, Robert Powell, 1944-
Author / Creator
Charles Messenger
Date Published / Released
2001
Publisher
BBC Worldwide
Series
Gladiators of World War II
Speaker / Narrator
Robert Powell, 1944-
Person Discussed
Hirohito, Emperor of Japan, 1901-1989
Topic / Theme
Air raids, Airplanes, Battles, Military personnel, Mores, Suicides, Battle for the Ryukyus, March 19-June 21, 1945, Japanese Surrender, August 14, 1945, Battle of Iwo Jima, February 19-March 16, 1945, Battle for Leyte Gulf, October 23-26, 1944, Family and Culture, War and Violence, World History, 20th Century in World History (1914--2000)
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Copyright © 2001 BBC Worldwide
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Gladiators of World War II, 10, The Royal Navy
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 10 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 48 mins
In World War II the Royal Navy saw action in every one of the world’s oceans. At the beginning of the war it was the largest navy in the world, and with Winston Churchill as the first Lord of the Admiralty, it was a fearsome opponent. From the Home Fleet base at Scapa Flow in the Orkneys, and the Mediterranean F...
Sample
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 10 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 48 mins
Description
In World War II the Royal Navy saw action in every one of the world’s oceans. At the beginning of the war it was the largest navy in the world, and with Winston Churchill as the first Lord of the Admiralty, it was a fearsome opponent. From the Home Fleet base at Scapa Flow in the Orkneys, and the Mediterranean Fleet base at Alexandria, the sacrifice made by the Royal Navy during World War II was great: 5 capital ships, 10 carriers, 31 cruisers,...
In World War II the Royal Navy saw action in every one of the world’s oceans. At the beginning of the war it was the largest navy in the world, and with Winston Churchill as the first Lord of the Admiralty, it was a fearsome opponent. From the Home Fleet base at Scapa Flow in the Orkneys, and the Mediterranean Fleet base at Alexandria, the sacrifice made by the Royal Navy during World War II was great: 5 capital ships, 10 carriers, 31 cruisers, and 146 destroyers. Over 50,000 of its personnel perished. With archive footage and computer graphic reconstruction, this programme shows a selection of the crucial battles and missions of the Royal Navy in World War II, including the Battle of the Atlantic, the Arctic Convoys, the Battle of the River Plate and the sinking of the Graf Spee. Also featured: the battle between HMS Hood and the Bismarck, and the story of Convoy ONS5, which proved that the Navy-escorted convoys were a match for the U-boat menace.
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Field of Study
World History
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, Robert Powell, 1944-
Author / Creator
Charles Messenger
Date Published / Released
2001
Publisher
BBC Worldwide
Series
Gladiators of World War II
Speaker / Narrator
Robert Powell, 1944-
Topic / Theme
Navy sailors, Navy ships, War, Naval battles, World War II, 1939-1945, Battle of the Atlantic, February-May 1941, War and Violence, World History, 20th Century in World History (1914--2000)
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Copyright © 2001 BBC Worldwide
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Gladiators of World War II, 11, The Chindits
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 11 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 49 mins
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was the start of a formidable campaign in the Pacific. Within a few months, the Allies were driven out of Malaya and Burma. As the British survivors limped across the Chindwin River back into India, they despaired of ever beating the Japanese – the masters of jungle warfare. B...
Sample
directed by Charles Messenger; produced by Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, in Gladiators of World War II, 11 (London, England: BBC Worldwide, 2001, originally published 2001), 49 mins
Description
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was the start of a formidable campaign in the Pacific. Within a few months, the Allies were driven out of Malaya and Burma. As the British survivors limped across the Chindwin River back into India, they despaired of ever beating the Japanese – the masters of jungle warfare. But Lieutenant Colonel Orde Wingate had other ideas. He proposed a special force which would penetrate deep into Burma, maintained entir...
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was the start of a formidable campaign in the Pacific. Within a few months, the Allies were driven out of Malaya and Burma. As the British survivors limped across the Chindwin River back into India, they despaired of ever beating the Japanese – the masters of jungle warfare. But Lieutenant Colonel Orde Wingate had other ideas. He proposed a special force which would penetrate deep into Burma, maintained entirely by air resupply, and disrupt Japanese communications. Wingate named his force after the ‘Chinthe’, the mythical beast that guards every Burmese temple, and the Chindits were born. In their first operation the Chindits cut the vital Mandalay-Mytikyina railway. During the long march back through the jungle. Malaria, dysentery, and typhus struck the men, as they struggled through appalling weather and over rough terrain. Of the 3,000 who set out, nearly a third did not return, and 600 of those who did never returned to active soldiering.Their next operation was to precede the Arakan offensive in Burma.After three months behind enemy lines, they captured the Burmese town of Moguang in a remarkable feat of courage and endurance. This is the story of the Chindits – the Gladiators of the jungle; the first to show that the British could match the Japanese in the Pacific.
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Field of Study
World History
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Jonathan Martin, fl. 1990-2010, Robert Powell, 1944-
Author / Creator
Charles Messenger
Date Published / Released
2001
Publisher
BBC Worldwide
Series
Gladiators of World War II
Speaker / Narrator
Robert Powell, 1944-
Person Discussed
Orde Wingate, 1903-1944
Topic / Theme
Battles, Military personnel, Military units, War, Japanese invasion of Burma, December 11, 1941, World War II, 1939-1945, Operation Longcloth, Burma, February 8-April,1943, Second Chindit Expedition, Burma, March 5-8, 1944, War and Violence, World History, 20th Century in World History (1914--2000)
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2001 BBC Worldwide
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