Antiques Roadshow Special

[Skipman]

Antiques Roadshow Special from the Somme. BBC iPlayer

I don't think this is a repeat? egbert make another appearance

Also a friend of mine with a fantastic portrait of her great-aunt Catherine Murray Roy

...and a famous football.

Mike

[ianw]

Not as good as the first prog. Rather dull. I suspect that they did a poor job of reviewing the 4000 offerings to the programme and choosing what material they used. The near blubbing presenter at Fricourt was just annoying second time round.

(I exclude Egbert's section from the above)

[depaor01]

Nevertheless Egbert is a perfect representative for German remembrance. I've told him so.

Dave

[Seadog]

Having dozed through a large part of the first edition I was very pleased to see this one. It seemed as though a different producer was responsible and there was not a boring moment. Egbert was excellent and I congratulate him, the only down side for me which applies to both programmes is that I do not think this was the right vehicle for this subject with its overtones of “And this is worth £x” which frankly we could have done without. Mind you those who were lucky to view “WW1 Forgotten Soldiers” on Ch4 will themselves not forget this in an hurry the first programme I think this year that got to the nitty-gritty and told it like it really was for thousands of disabled and maimed soldiers after the war.

Norman

[IanA]

One or two family legends stretching credibility a bit - how about the chap in a truck delivering bread who got lost and found himself in no-man's land. He spied a wounded German, hopped out and gave him a loaf, getting a ring in return. Or the chap who carried a wounded officer across 4 miles of no-man's land.

[Mark Hone]

Wonderful appearance by Egbert. I thought that it was as good as the earlier programme overall although as mentioned above, a couple of the stories were a bit doubtful. Interesting to view it after finishing Reynolds' 'The Long Shadow'. One of Reynolds' themes in the book is his concern (echoed by Strachan) that the modern British view of the Great War is almost entirely restricted to individual, anecdotal family history at the expense of any wider understanding of the conflict. Discuss.

[stevem49]

Great job by Egbert and the only good thing in it.

How does a truck get over, reserve trenches, front line trenches and though barber wire?

My wife's Grandfather carried a man around 400 yards and got a DCM, surely the man mentioned would have got 3 or 4 VC's for carrying an officer 4 miles

F Bruce - Many of the headstones are to 'unknown British soldiers' - At Thiepval - over 70,000 who have no grave at all!

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story. I am sure we have all been contacted by people who tell a wonderful family story that is a load of - erm - Boxxxxx or as they call it family history.

[NigelS]

Oddly for the Beeb which usually manages to get them into programmes obviously recorded many weeks ahead of November broadcasts, other than the occasional discreetly worn lapel pin, no evidence of the usual mass hand out of poppies to those taking part. Common sense prevailed perhaps, or, possibly someone just forgot...

NigelS

[Guest]

Great job by Egbert and the only good thing in it.

Indeed a great job by egbert who always speaks very well. I know the family of the remarkable Catherine Murray Roy and it was great to see the portrait of her. Click

Edit-Can't get that link to work (bug) Go to advanced search and input "catherine murray roy" (including inverted commas) and you can find more on her.

Mike

[keithfazzani]

Apart from Egbert it was generally disappointing. According to Fiona Bruce over 4000 people had contacted them, I am surprised that from that number a more accurate portrayal of events could not have been produced. As to family stories, for nearly all my life I had been told that my grandfather served in the Middlesex Regiment. It wasn't until I developed an interest about fifteen years ago that I discovered that this was totally untrue. Even when I had established that he had in fact served in the 13th KRRC and even obtained his full records which survived, various family members told me that I must have got it wrong. As I say so much for family stories.

[KIRKY]

Also spot the forum members , I saw 3!

Tony

[Stebie9173]

I decided to bite my lip during the programme. I opened my mouth during the part when they said "After Edith Cavell's death enlistment doubled" and then closed it again (which was obviously nothing to do with the Derby Scheme then). Anyone know how to sew a lip back on?

Wasn't the "four-miler" starting at Mametz? You would have thought someone in Albert might have told him he was safe by the two mile point....

Steve.

[Moonraker]

I caught only the end of this programme and was exceptionally impressed by the demeanour and articulateness of the German. From the above posts, I assume this was Egbert? A very fine representative of your country.

Moonraker

[helpjpl]

Having dozed through a large part of the first edition I was very pleased to see this one. It seemed as though a different producer was responsible and there was not a boring moment. Egbert was excellent and I congratulate him, the only down side for me which applies to both programmes is that I do not think this was the right vehicle for this subject with its overtones of “And this is worth £x” which frankly we could have done without. Mind you those who were lucky to view “WW1 Forgotten Soldiers” on Ch4 will themselves not forget this in an hurry the first programme I think this year that got to the nitty-gritty and told it like it really was for thousands of disabled and maimed soldiers after the war.

Norman

The excellent WW1's Forgotten Heroes: Secret History, shown on Ch4 last night, is repeated tonight at 7pm on 4seven.

JP

[welshdoc]

It could not possibly have been "our" Egbert, there was no irritating little bug wandering around the screen.

[eric e]

I had been looking forward to watching the 2nd part of the AR special, especially as my old work colleague Brian was on it. I was pretty disappointed with the general content of the programme, Egbert, the football and the nurses picture excluded, those eyes!. However my biggest disappointment was the coverage for Brian's grandfather Major, christian name not rank. I think more was left out than included in the programme, so I would like to add a few facts that must have ended up on the cutting room floor, as they were mentioned in filming. Major Phillips may not have been a 4 miler, but Barrington Parry always credited him with saving his life, and it was for that action, and not the distance carried that Barrington Parry was grateful, and so were his great grandchildren.

As stated in the programme (filmed in June 2013) Major's brother was killed on the same day and in the same action at Mametz, and Major died the following year at the 3rd battle of Ypres.

Thanks again to this website, Brian now at last has a photograph of his grandfather, sent by a cousin. He also has a photograph of Raymond Barrington Parry, which I know made him (Brian) very happy.

Through this website Barrington Parry's family got in touch with Brian, I have pasted a couple of comments from 2 great grandchildren, I hope they don't mind.

"L/Cpl. Major Phillips allowed our family to carry on. As a new mother myself i am so very thankful for the brave act he did. Thank you!

My great grandad never forgot what he did that day (Major Phillips), and neither will we. We shall tell our children and they shall tell their children and those events will be forever cherished".

"Having seen the posts online regarding the cigarette case, I just thought I'd let you know that following a road trip holiday through Europe I wanted to pass by Ypres

on the last leg home, to where your grandfather is commemorated at the Menin Gate to pay my respects".

So family history may well get distorted over the years, but here the real story didn't, the Beeb just didn't do it justice!

Regards,

Eric.