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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

The Great War (1964) BBC Documentary


DSw99

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This is a somewhat frivolous enquiry but I have recently be re-watching the 1964 BBC documentary series "The Great War" which I remember watching when I was a kid. In the opening credits an iconic photo is used (attached) which is catalogue number Q1 in the IWM and simply described as "Troops of the Royal Irish Rifles resting in a communication trench during the opening hours of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916". I was wondering if anyone knows if the individual second from the left (sitting and looking at the camera), used in the credits to the documentary was ever identified and what might have happened to him?

 

regards, David

 

Royal_Irish_Rifles_ration_party_Somme_July_1916.jpg

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Doesn't help much, but

 

History Today

 "The BBC extracted the seated soldier, second from left, and made him the end image of The Great War title sequence; he became a celebrity, with many viewers claiming he was their father."Which suggests there's no conclusive answer to your questionMoonraker

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To save discussions in this thread about IDs of TWO soldiers, we've discussed the "chap" more than once, including


here

 

Moonraker

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I have an early paperback of Martin Middlebrooks 'First day on the Somme', from memory as I can't check at the minute, this picture appears and my copy has a hand written annotation - "This man is from Sheffield". I was brought up in Sheffield and would have bought the book second hand locally in the early 1980's. I always assumed a veteran had recognised the man and made the annotation.

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I might have misremembered this, but I though there was a standing order that troops had to be fully equipped within five miles of the front line.  If so, whoever they are they are nowhere near the front, half of the mob in the back don't even have their gas hoods with them.

 

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