Steven Broomfield Posted 25 October , 2018 Author Share Posted 25 October , 2018 Covered in woad, wearing a kilt and speaking Canadian-style French. Several boxes ticked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johntanner Posted 25 October , 2018 Share Posted 25 October , 2018 About the only positive was that my wife was out this evening, so we avoided the conversation which concludes with her saying: “zIf you’re just going to point out errors, why don’t you turn it off?” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart150 Posted 25 October , 2018 Share Posted 25 October , 2018 At one point Germans were bombarded by gas and one of them shouted ‘Senf gas’. The subtitle was ‘mustard gas’. Yes, ‘Senf gas’ would be a literal translation of ‘mustard gas’, but German soldiers didn’t say it. They called the stuff ‘Yperit’. Another instance of the old question that arises with programmes like this: If there is a grotesque but trivial blunder, how much does that matter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMeech Posted 25 October , 2018 Share Posted 25 October , 2018 26 minutes ago, Interested said: No-one said it had to be a balanced presentation, but it seems a bit OTT, no mention of the other allies at all. Even the tanks have White/Red/White (Canadian?) markings on them. Can't wait to see the advance on the Hindenberg Line at the Canal du Nord next week, started by the Manchesters and LFs, but the glory will go to the Commonwealth infantry, I expect. Hi The White/Red/White was for recognition purposes from March 1918: It was the winner out of the final 3 suggestions: Other markings had been tried out in experiments previously. I have yet to watch the programme. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 25 October , 2018 Author Share Posted 25 October , 2018 7 minutes ago, MikeMeech said: I have yet to watch the programme. Mike I don't wish to spoilt the ending, but it was the Vicar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interested Posted 25 October , 2018 Share Posted 25 October , 2018 I stand corrected!! Thanks for the clarification, you'll see the colour bands on the side of one tank, as well as on the roof. Something for the pedants; One French General (Foch?) is subtitled saying something along the lines of "..we captured lots of material". Materiel, surely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 25 October , 2018 Author Share Posted 25 October , 2018 (edited) No, 'material' was right. He was looking for new curtains Edited 25 October , 2018 by Steven Broomfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interested Posted 25 October , 2018 Share Posted 25 October , 2018 Of course! I recall reading that the advancing German troops found quantities of everything they'd been deprived of for the last couple of years (French wine, good cheese etc.) which halted their advance, giving them time to pull down curtains to take back home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 25 October , 2018 Share Posted 25 October , 2018 I managed 35 minutes before reaching my $&!+ point, but I was watching through gritted teeth as it were from about 5 minutes in. 5 minutes ago, Steven Broomfield said: I don't wish to spoilt the ending, but it was the Vicar. In the library? length of lead pipe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxi Posted 25 October , 2018 Share Posted 25 October , 2018 I am aware that the back of my blazer will be covered in gob for saying this, but I think young Snow and his Dad covered this period of the War far better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 25 October , 2018 Share Posted 25 October , 2018 Agree entirely with Chris BKer post #14. Except that I watched it to the end but can’t remember why... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 26 October , 2018 Author Share Posted 26 October , 2018 I struggled through to the end and have now slept on the matter so can give a slightly more balanced view. Sh&te. Out of interest, in 1918 would a British General use metric measurements, and if he did, would he pronounce it Killomitter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmorris547 Posted 26 October , 2018 Share Posted 26 October , 2018 Yes it's all a bit tiresome. I am reminded of what Robert Rhodes James wrote in his preface to his book Gallipoli about the heroism of the Anzacs requiring no mythology. The Australians and the Canadians were only one fifth of the British Army and a good percentage of the AIF were born in Britain. The Bolton papers have many pen pictures of Boltonians who had emigrated and who were serving in the AIF and I imagine most provincial papers from working class areas were the same. One man wrote to his mother to say that he would try and get to see her if he got leave but that if he survived he would return to Australia because you did n't have to doff your cap to anyone there. Fair enough, have a go at the class system that prevented talented Divisional Commanders from getting to the top and have a go at Haig. I wonder if the programme will mention the 42nd and 46th Division when it covers the Hindenburg Line. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithfazzani Posted 26 October , 2018 Share Posted 26 October , 2018 Like Chris post #14 I managed 10 minutes and switched off and for similar reasons. I was intending to list all the things that were so wrong but haven't got the time nor inclination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 26 October , 2018 Share Posted 26 October , 2018 Although the Scottish soldiers did keep their kilts amazingly clean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heid the Ba Posted 26 October , 2018 Share Posted 26 October , 2018 We're known for our neatness. Sounds like I'll be deleting this unwatched then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 26 October , 2018 Share Posted 26 October , 2018 I lasted only 10 minutes too. L.M.F. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryG Posted 26 October , 2018 Share Posted 26 October , 2018 15 hours ago, maxi said: I am aware that the back of my blazer will be covered in gob for saying this, but I think young Snow and his Dad covered this period of the War far better. Seconded. Anyway i reckon the second episode is going to be the one when Wonder Woman turns up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil andrade Posted 26 October , 2018 Share Posted 26 October , 2018 Most of us will be pleased to see the review in today’s Torygraph, which endorses our criticisms. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil andrade Posted 26 October , 2018 Share Posted 26 October , 2018 26 minutes ago, GaryG said: Seconded. Anyway i reckon the second episode is going to be the one when Wonder Woman turns up. Beware, that might turn out to be a ME TOO moment, with Haig in drag posing as Wonder Woman, in order to impress his Dominion Corps commanders with his enlightened side....he was, after all, a Scotsman. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMeech Posted 26 October , 2018 Share Posted 26 October , 2018 16 hours ago, Interested said: I stand corrected!! Thanks for the clarification, you'll see the colour bands on the side of one tank, as well as on the roof. Something for the pedants; One French General (Foch?) is subtitled saying something along the lines of "..we captured lots of material". Materiel, surely! Hi I hope the markings were as per instructions: Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart150 Posted 26 October , 2018 Share Posted 26 October , 2018 Near the end of the programme Haig said to Currie and Monash something like ‘We’re doing pretty well so far. Let’s press on with the attack.’ But the shrewd colonial generals said ‘No, we should break off this battle and attack on another part of the front’. Haig says ‘Oh, right. I’ll take your advice.’ Anybody know if anything like that actually happened? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMeech Posted 26 October , 2018 Share Posted 26 October , 2018 Hi I have now managed to watch it. Unless I missed something I think the biggest problem with the programme was the fact that the Fourth Army, Rawlinson and his staff appear not to have any input into the Amiens operation!? Currie and Monash working 'directly' with GHQ and Haig (and his staff), both controlling their 'Armies'. In a national sense of course these were the 'armies' of Canada and Australia, however, in the BEF sense on the Western Front they were 'Corps' and were under the command of an 'Army' HQ. Maybe this would have been too confusing for the presumed 'audience' therefore the production team 'simplified' it all? However, at the very least it has 'distorted' the history of the planning of the battle. Sadly yet again, during these anniversary years, we have another disappointing TV production on the history of WW1 and another opportunity lost to give the public a more accurate image of the war! Mike PS Of course there were other problems with it but what's the point in discussing them, nothing will change! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 26 October , 2018 Author Share Posted 26 October , 2018 2 minutes ago, MikeMeech said: PS Of course there were other problems with it but what's the point in discussing them, nothing will change! And that, I am afraid, sums up the whole sorry saga of the Centenary bandwagon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
17107BM Posted 26 October , 2018 Share Posted 26 October , 2018 Have not watched yet, about to. And will try and see it to the End. Even before seeing and reading comments, this piece of work will be around longer than us. This will be what most will take as what happened. G.T.K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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