大象传媒

Ann an C脿irdeas Cogaidh tha D貌mhnall Meek an t貌ir air Iain D貌mhnallach, br脿thair a sheanmhar, saighdear 脿 Tiriodh, a chaidh a mharbhadh, ceud bliadhna air ais, aig Bl脿r Arras san Fhraing sa Chiad Chogadh. Tha st貌iridh Iain air leantainn ri D貌mhnall fad a bheatha agus anns a' phr貌gram seo ch矛 sin mar a tha litrichean agus an leabhar-l脿 a bhuineadh do dh'Iain ga thoirt air turas dr霉idhteach dhan Fhraing airson a' chiad uair.

Ach ch矛 sinn cuideachd mar a tha aon litir sh貌nraichte bho oifigear Iain ga chuir an t貌ir air Iain eile, an Caiptean Iain Livingstone Sti霉bhart. Th脿inig esan tron chogadh agus tha D貌mhnall a' leantainn slighe a bheatha, gu G脿na far an do choisinn e cli霉 maireannach mar l矛ghiche-spr猫idh san t-seirbheis chol貌iniach, agus an uair sin gu Afraga a Deas far an do chuir e seachad na bliadhnaichean mu dheireadh aige a' brosnachadh foghlam na cloinne dubha agus ag iasgach

In C脿irdeas Cogaidh Donald Meek follows in the footsteps of his great-uncle John Macdonald from Tiree, who was killed 100 years ago at the battle of Arras in France during WWI. John's story has haunted Donald all his life and in this programme we see how his letters and diary entries from the Front take Donald on a poignant and personal journey to France, for the first time, to the place where John fell.

Among John's letters was also one from his officer, Capt John 'Jock' Livingstone Stewart. He survived the war and Donald follows in his fascinating footsteps, first to Ghana where he became a pioneering vet in the British colonial service, and then to South Africa where he spent his final years supporting local black schools and pursuing his hobby of fishing.