A season of Remembrance
´óÏó´«Ã½ One – My Family At War
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Fronting the campaign is a four-part series in which some of the country's best-loved television personalities embark on a journey in search of their own family war stories.
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Personalities featured include: Rolf Harris, Kate Silverton, Eamonn Holmes, Natalie Cassidy, Phil Tufnell, Matthew Kelly, Kirsty Wark and Dan Snow. The series is narrated by Sue Johnston.
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More information about each episode will be published in ´óÏó´«Ã½ÌýTelevision Programme Information.
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Episode One: Dan Snow and Natalie Cassidy
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Dan Snow retraces the footsteps of his great-grandfather, Sir Thomas D'Oyly Snow, who was a General during the First World War.
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It is an uncomfortable journey for Dan, who is fully aware of how many died due to mistakes and the poor decisions made by Generals – as the old adage goes: the First World War was fought by lions led by donkeys. Dan sets out to discover whether his great-grandpa did contribute to the demise of so many.
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Did you already know quite a bit about your family history?
"It is strange as, although I have studied history and worked and written about history, I had never really looked into my own family history. I think I had always rather avoided it, which is a bit bizarre, really, to have that sort of gap in my knowledge. It has been a total eye-opener learning all about it, and an amazing experience," says Dan.
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What did you know before recording My Family At War?
"I knew my great-grandfather had been a General in the War. We had this big, weird painting of him at home, which looked really Victorian. He had a very stern face and this big moustache. He used to stare down at us from the wall as we ate. So I knew a little about him, he was [on] my father's side of the family whilst [on] my mother's side was a Canadian doctor.
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"While one great-grandfather was sending people into battle, the other great-grandfather was drafted in to help save lives. They almost could have met each other. My mother met my Canadian great-grandfather and I think he'd told her things about the War – the gas attacks and the trenches – but that was as much as I knew."
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Did you find out things that surprised, shocked or upset you?
"Yes, during the filming I did learn things I was shocked about. We followed in his footsteps over to Northern France, where I was shown the battlefields where all the men my grandfather had been in charge of, died or were wounded.
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"It was very harrowing. But then made worse because, after seeing the reality his men had to put up with, we were swept off to this most beautiful château (which is still there today, near the River Somme) and told this is where your great-grandfather spent his days during the War. It was such a contrast."
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Do you know where the researcher and historians found most of the information?
"The Imperial War Museum had most of the memorabilia to do with him. I was amazed to find out they had all his diaries. It was so rewarding reading all his different entries.
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"And throughout the War, he had written lots of lovely letters to his wife and the Imperial War Museum had them, too. Before taking part in the programme, I had no idea all this stuff existed."
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Was it moving making the programme?
"It was very moving making it and I was on the verge of tears when I was standing in the graveyards of Northern France, thinking about what happened and the mistakes he made. He was a really old man trying to do the right thing but making these huge mistakes. It was a very emotional story to learn about, particularly as he was a member of my own family."
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Did you feel unearthing this history has now connected you in some way to him?
"I definitely feel closer and more connected to him. I really feel like I have got to know him in some way. I have got inside his head; I've read his words, his letters and his diaries and heard what he was doing and how he lived. It's really made it all so vivid for me."
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Who will you be thinking about during the two-minute silence on 11 November?
During the two-minute silence, I don't think I will be thinking of General Snow but instead the huge numbers, millions and millions, of men and women who died in that War and who are still dying in wars."
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Natalie Cassidy makes her way to East London to find out what the women in her family were doing on the Home Front, while the men went off to fight.
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It's an enlightening time for Natalie who discovers her great-grandmother's house was bombed during the First World War.
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What did you already know about your family history?
"I didn't know a great deal about my family history before. I knew we had Italian blood on one side of the family, from Naples. But my family are not really big talkers, so I didn't really have much of an idea what had gone on before, so I was really keen to take part in the programme to find out more."
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Which member of your family does the programme focus on?
"In the programme we mainly looked at the women in my family and what they did whilst the men went off to war. I looked at the lives of my great-grandmothers Rosina Hyde (née Guidotti) and Elizabeth Droy (née Kirby) and found out how my female relatives had been some of the first women in Britain to be granted the vote.
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"Throughout the programme, I found out what women did whilst the men went off to fight. I think it's hard for us nowadays to comprehend what it must have been like for the majority of the male population to just go like that. I feel very proud of them."
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During filming did you discover things that surprised, shocked or upset you?
I was quite surprised to find out London had been bombed from above during the First World War. I hadn't realised that. I thought only the Second World War had the bombings. But the biggest shock I got when filming the programme was when we went to Belgium and I saw that, to this day, they are still clearing up from the First World War. There is still so much debris. I was taken to Tyne Cot cemetery in Belgium and found it very moving to stand there and see all the hundreds of thousands of graves."
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Did you feel unearthing this history has now connected you in some way to your great-grandmothers?
"I feel it really has connected me to my own history. It's not something I had ever really thought about before. I now realise, by finding out more, I've got personal memories and a real bond with them. I think knowing where you have come from is very important."
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Will you be encouraging other people to connect with their history?
"I felt so proud learning about my family history. I hope when people watch the programme they will become more interested in their own history. Now that I've found out so much, the two minutes' silence is going to feel so personal, not only to me, but my whole family, as we can really remember properly our ancestors who did their bit."
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Did you find photographs and, if so, is there a family likeness?
"There is a likeness in some ways. I've always been asked if I'm half-Italian or Greek – I think because I've got the dark eyes. So now, having really looked closely at the photos of Rosina Guidotti, I realise there is a look which they share, too. I think it is the Naples side of the family glimmering through!
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"I would now like to go off and find out more about them. I feel spurred on to go back further before the 1914 war and find out about the Italian side of my family."
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Episode Two: Matthew Kelly and Phil Tufnell
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Phil Tufnell's story means he doesn't leave this country, but it is no less poignant for this.
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Phil is deeply moved by his grandfather's story, learning how planes were involved in The First World War. Initially, they were used to survey the battlefields, then guns went up... But it was the very early days of the aeroplane and many died.
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Phil's grandfather was a plane mechanic and, through My Family At War, Phil finds out his story.
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Prior to recording the show, did you know anything about your family history?
"I didn't know a great deal before the programme, although I did know my grandfather was in the First World War. But my father had never really talked about it. The programme looks into my grandfather William, who was a mechanic."
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Were you surprised or shocked by any of the research?
"I was distressed to hear about the conditions the soldiers were living in at the time, and the danger they were put in. Before I took part in this programme, I hadn't realised there had been planes in the First World War and I was shocked to hear about the terrible flying conditions: the pilots didn't even have parachutes."
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Where did filming take you?
"I didn't leave England but I did get to go up in a First World War plane. It was a little scary as they were very basic – but it was good fun, too."
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How did the team uncover most of the information about your grandfather?
"I think my father actually had quite a lot of pictures and records. But they also went to the RAF, who had records of what he would have been paid and when he joined up."
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Was it moving making this programme?
"Making My Family At War and finding out my grandfather's history was a very moving experience, it really brought to life what they had to go through. I think the most affecting thing was understanding the bravery of it all and imagining the conditions they were exposed to. It really did make me think."
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Do you feel unearthing this history has now connected you in some way to your grandfather?
"I think making My Family At War has brought me closer to my father as, before this, we had never really talked about what my grandfather did in the War."
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"I would definitely encourage everyone to have a look into their First World War history and see what they can find out about their relatives. It really does affect you, what they had to go through. It has certainly been a great experience for me."
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Who will you think about during the two-minute silence on 11 November?
"I normally think of all the heroes. But now I know all about my grandfather and what he did, I will definitely be thinking of him during the two-minute silence."
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