Joe English learned to fly a Lancaster bomber before he could drive a car. During World War Two, RAF Bomber Command called upon young men barely out of their teens to fly some of the most dangerous missions of the entire war. In 1943, the life expectancy of an air gunner was just three minutes in combat. For every 100 Bomber Command aircrew, only 24 would survive their tour... Now, Joe English is reunited with the five other surviving aircrew from RAF 625 Squadron Lancaster 'The Lucky H' to tell their stories for the very first time. Joined by other surviving Bomber Command veterans, they provide a powerful and moving insight into life - and death - as one of the 'Bomber Boys'.
A Cold War relic returns amid fears of terrorism but turns out to be a forgotten Soviet space mission. What it brings back will have implications for the entire world.
June 1944. 1.5 million Allied soldiers stand poised to embark on the largest amphibious assault in military history. For tens of thousands of young American soldiers in particular, this war against the Nazis seems like an adventure. Most are overseas for the first time, and few have any experience of combat. For those bound for Omaha Beach, the baptism of fire will come at 0630 on 6th June – H-Hour, D-Day. It will prove a horrifying and unforgettable experience. D-Day: The Soldiers’ Story features the intimate personal testimony of the men who formed the spearhead of the Allied liberation of Western Europe on that fateful day. They include survivors of the US 29th Infantry Division’s first assault wave at Omaha Beach, the German machine-gunners who resisted them, and members of the French Resistance in Normandy. Expert analysis is provided by Antony Beevor (D-Day, Stalingrad, Berlin) and German military historian Peter Lieb.
HISTORY is proud to present the definitive collection of documentary programs on World War One. Experience the world-changing events from the birth of what became known as The Great War to the tragic, final day where over 13,000 men died. From the first dogfighters and the Red Baron, to the battle of The Somme, John J. Pershing, The Iron General and the Last Day of WWI. In the four year period from 1914 - 1918, the war was responsible for over 40 million casualties and over 20 million deaths. Join the brave servicemen of land, sea, and air as they valiantly fought alongside their Allied brothers in this "war to end all wars."
WWII in HD is a 10-part American documentary television miniseries that originally aired from November 15 to November 19, 2009 on the History Channel. The program focuses on the firsthand experiences of twelve American service members during World War II, including an Army nurse, a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, a second generation Japanese American and prisoner of war, and an Austrian Jewish immigrant. The twelve members recorded their time in both theaters and some had later interviews; found footage from the battlefield was paired with the stories of the twelve service members.
The episodes premiered on five consecutive days, with two episodes per day. The series is narrated by Gary Sinise and was produced by Lou Reda Productions in Easton, Pennsylvania, United States.
The year 1540 was a crucial turning point in American history. The Great Indian Wars were incited by Francisco Vazquez de Coronado when his expedition to the Great Plains launched the inevitable 350-year struggle between the white man and the American Indians. From that point forward, the series of battles between the military and civilian forces of the United States and the native American Indians began when blood was shed and ultimately tens of thousands of lives were lost on both sides. The Battle of Tippicanoe, the Battle of Horseshoe Band, all three Seminole Wars and the Battle of Little Big Horn were some of the most important conflicts that led up to the last massacre, the Battle of Wounded Knee, where America's landscape would be forever changed!
WWI: The War To End All Wars is a unique, 10-part, comprehensive look at the war that shaped the 20th Century. Through rare, actual battle footage and rare veteran interviews, The War To End All Wars takes you from the assassination of the Austrian Arch Duke in 1914, to the final desperate battles of 1918. Unique and stunning, you will go-over-the-top on the Western Front and witness the carnage in Russia. You'll take to the skies in the world's first air war and ride with the legendary Lawrence of Arabia.
This is more than a historical or military account of WWI, it is a riveting and personal account of a defining moment in world history. Never before in the history of the world had so many countries fought on so many far-flung battlefields. Never had so many soldiers lost their lives. Never had there been such an unending hell-on-earth. Never has there b such a remarkable look at 'The War to End All Wars'.
The Germanic, Britannic and other barbarian tribal wars with Rome ultimately led to the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. This series is centered on the campaigns and battles with the barbarian tribes and extensive examinations of the reigns of little known Roman emperors and generals.
The story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four American towns. The war touched the lives of every family on every street in every town in America and demonstrated that in extraordinary times, there are no ordinary lives.
The Great War is a CBC television film documenting Canadian participation in the First World War. The film stars Justin Trudeau and was shown on Canadian television during the 90th Anniversary of the Vimy Ridge battle, airing in two parts on April 8 and April 9, 2007.
The Fox website included the following notice seeking people to participate in the making of the film:
Did your great-grandfather take Vimy Ridge? Did he play a part in the three-month battle at Passchendaele? Did he break through the German line at Amiens? For a landmark film to mark the 90th anniversary of the First World War, the CBC is recruiting 300 descendants of those who went to war between 1914 and 1918. The descendants will walk in the footsteps of their ancestors and take part in massive battle recreations.
This superb program provides a clear and factual account of the causes, course and consequences of World War II, while also assessing the contribution of particular key leaders, such as Hitler, Churchill, Roosevelt, Mussolini and Stalin.
When American troops started their final invasion of Nazi Germany in February 1945, cameramen were at their side and complied over a thousand reels covering 12 weeks in Germany until the ultimate collapse of the Third Reich including stories on the road from the Bulge over the Remagen Bridge to the Eagle’s Nest. Michael Kloft has selected the most striking scenes for his two-part documentary.
A reassessment of the role Albert Speer played in the Third Reich. Speer, who was ultimately convicted at the Nuremburg trials and served a 20-year prison sentence, was known for designing many of the Third Reich's buildings and for being Hitler's minister for war production.
The Vietnam War was one of the worst horrors of the second half of the 20th century and the causes behind it continue to baffle people to this day. How did it start? What were the justifications for America's involvement in Nam? Could it have been avoided altogether?
Though it is long over, the Vietnam War will always remain fresh in the minds of the men who fought and the millions who lived through a decades-long conflict right in their backyard. Battleground Vietnam: War in the Jungle covers it all from beginning to end with more than six hours of original footage that brings the battle closer to home than ever.
Go inside the intense training to become a USAF Pararescue Jumper. Meet the trainees and be there as they endure one of the longest and toughest special operations training courses in the world! Find out who will make it through so "That Others May Live."
Island at War is a British television series that tells the story of the German Occupation of the Channel Islands. It primarily focuses on three local families: the upper class Dorrs, the middle class Mahys and the working class Jonases, and four German officers. The fictional island of St. Gregory serves as a stand-in for the real-life islands Jersey and Guernsey, and the story is compiled from the events on both islands.
Produced by Granada Television in Manchester, Island at War had an estimated budget of £9,000,000 and was filmed on location in the Isle of Man from August 2003 to October 2003. When the series was shown in the UK, it appeared in six 70-minute episodes.
This richly detailed, visually stunning documentary series covers the entire dramatic saga of World War II in the Pacific. From Manchuria to Hiroshima, the people, armaments, locations and battles of the epic conflict are covered in 20 unforgettable episodes. The Allies' crusade to defeat imperial Japan's bloody expansion featured difficult, heroic fighting at sea, in the air, and on innumerable jungle islands.
Based on real events, this dramatic mini-series follows the experiences of the fictional Alvaro family who are a part of a Canadian community during World War Two that attempts to come to terms with events over which they have no control.