The Last Tommy

[Essexboy68]

Folks

Just finished watching the second part of this programme, very moving to see Harry Patch make his return to the battlefield.

Incidently, the Wikiepedia entry is being considered for deletion, it would certainly be a great loss, & I have already voted no.

Cheers

Mark

[Max Poilu]

I taped this tonight at part three of 'Finding the Fallen' was on. I have slated the Sunday/Monday episodes but this was in a different league. It followed the recovery and subsequent history of a German Soldier recently excavated from the 1915 Loos battlefield. Just posting here as it was a truly superb programme that many will have missed due to the 'Tommy' film. Do not miss it! It is repeated at 1.00 am tonight on Discovery Civilisation Sky 554.

[ianw]

These blokes are really lovely men and worthy final representatives of their generation. I also suspect that Harry is a real showman underneath his quiet demeanour and he really knows how to tell a tale.

Extraordinary shots of him at Tyne Cot. What an expressive face.

It has to said that the incidental battle scenes were so much better shot - dark , gritty, convincing - than those on Channel 4 last night. Well done the Beeb.

[SOMMESOLDIER]

I reaIly thought it was beautifully filmed. Have to admit I had a lump in my throat.

Have to agree about the battle scenes, not normally my cup of tea but thought they were very well done.

Cheers

Tim.

[welshdoc]

Like most others I shed a tear

for fallen heroes long at rest

to live to die but not to fear

for all had passed that sad test

that we should live with some content

but for them we give our last lament

Gareth

[shaymen]

A magnificient and at times very moving programme.

Well done the beeb.

Glyn

[Ludovica]

Very moving seeing this programme. When I was a kid, it didn't really seem like a VERY long time ago, and WW2 was a part of Mum and Dad's childhood, just "around the corner" so to speak, and we loved playing "house" in the Anderson shelter (despite the spiders!!! ). Now, as the veterans of the Great War pass into history, I get a very strange sense of being much older than others of my own age. Maybe I spent more time in the company of my Grandparents than I realised, but I count myself unbelieveably fortunate to have done so. The remarkable Stoicism of that generation is a true inspiration. In the Modern World, we are always being told of the benefits of progress, to look forward and not behind, yet in doing so we lose so much

[Stephen White]

Wonderful, truely wonderful. Well done BBC.

Stephen

[KIRKY]

I just wished I could have met one of them or better still talked to my Grandfather who served thro whole of WW1, about his experiences but was too young.

A wonderful bit of TV.

Will we ever learn?

Tony

[johnreed]

A brilliant programme well worth the wait of a week.

Words cannot describe those magnifcent gentleman.

John

[john w.]

have yet to see it.. but from what I see here I cant wait

John

[Boreenatra]

With Finding The Fallen and The Last Tommy, a truly moving and evocative evening.My salutations to Martin / Ralph and the NML crew plus the BBC for actually putting this out on BBC 1 at prime time. Regards Steve

[Adrian Roberts]

Were any of the people who appeared in the programme (such as the gentleman escorting Harry Patch to the Front) members of this forum?

(apologies if they would rather not be identified).

Adrian

[healdav]

The first part of this was wonderful, but I only saw the second half of last night's programme, and that by accident, as my Sunday Times said it was on on Wednesday evening.

I only noticed that for some weird reason they had given the listings for Scottish TV when I found Tommy was on.

Hopefully it will come out on video or DVD.

By the way, they didn't mention it, but Charles Kuentz died last year as well. Nor did they mention that Charles was in the French army in WW2 and his son was killed in the German army in WW2. It's a complicated bit of the world.

[Mark]

We watched last week's episode in the hour before last night's. Not a dry eye and complete silence at the end. A very moving programme, particularly the handshake between Harry Patch and Charles Kuentz and then watching Harry as he finally laid his ghosts to rest. Congratulations to the BBC for the best two hours TV I think I have ever watched.

These magnificent gentlemen, and all those who have gone before them, must never be forgotten.

[andy 1]

wow!!!! what a tearjerker.

definately one to keep and show the grandchildren.

as someone said before,

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

ANDY

[belgotim]

This was a very moving piece...especially the shots of Harry at Tyne Cot and when he lays his wreath at the memorial.

A bit numbing to be honest...

[chris basey]

Like everyone else I found the programme very moving and a worthy tribute to the veterans who survive.

Of late I have tended to shy away from much of the television about both wars because of the increasing use of digitised images which, to me, trivialise the subject - however technically brilliant it may be. Thankfully, this programme didn't use them.

As others have remarked, the battle scenes to illustrate Harry's experiences were very well done, and it's a mark of the expertise of the Khaki Chums (under Taff Gillingham) that it came over so well.

[Fred van Woerkom]

QUESTION

A wonderful,programme! As I am something of an 'anorak'with the videorecorder

I missed a bit.

There was Harry Patch meeting Charles Kuentz and suddenly my recorder stopped. The next bit was a group of men being threatened by their officer that anyone not willing to go over the top, would be shot there and then, whereupon the men got their rifles at the ready and the officer had to go away with his tail between his legs.

What did I miss?

Regards,

Fred

[Desmond7]

Demob scene - Patch and pals fed up with going on parade. Basically officer said he would shoot first men not on parade ... squaddies cocked their rifles and said 'go ahead'

[J T Gray]

I'll try to precis:

Harry changes his mind, goes back to Pilkem Ridge and lays a wreath for his comrades at the DCLI memorial (Pilkem village, at a guess).

Armistice comes. Harry is at a shooting course at Freshwater, Isle of Wight at 11am. The Sgt says "Right lads,we won't need all this ammunition any more, just shoot it off!". Harry stops one of his companions shooting at the range hut (with the chaps marking the targets inside!). They shoot all the ammunition off out to sea, then chase the (unpopular) Sgt al the way down Freshwater Pier and off the end into the sea!

It takes an age to demob people. It's soldiers wanting to be demobbed who are threatening to shoot the officer, not soldiers not wanting to go over the top. Given how long it took to demob my grandfather after nine months in a POW camp, I can't say as I blame them either!

I think that's about it...

Adrian

[Fred van Woerkom]

Thanks, Adrian and Desmond

I remember the offcier saying something about being 'on parade' and thought it would be a bit harsh to be shot for not going on parade.

Regards,

Fred

[Gunboat]

I think the summary execution would have been for mutinous behaviour as opposed to the lesser failure to attend a parade

[spike10764]

Finally got to see the programme-absolutely the Beeb at it's best.

Tears, sadness, laughter the lot and most of all humanity, sheer makes you proud humanity from the stars of the show-those interviewed.

This programme should be preseved and shown every Remembrance Day.

Not a dry eye in the house

[Fred van Woerkom]

HARRY PATCH

In one of her charming letters to the FRIENDS OF TALBOT HOUSE Katrien Louagie, secretary,

mentioned that Harry Patch visited TH last year and was indefatigable.

He also officially opened the rebuilt Concert Hall. What a wonderful gentleman!

All the best,

Fred