1961: WW1 Veterans return to Ypres | Tonight | BBC Archive

Tonight's Alan Whicker travels with British World War One veterans on a pilgrimage to the Flanders Fields battlefields near Ypres. While there, they will meet with German veterans of the conflict.

Over 40 years have passed since they fought on these fields as enemies, how do they feel now?

Originally broadcast 10 November, 1961.

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[BusWill]

It’s mad how these guys were fairly old in the 60’s, yet we only lost the last veteran in 2009. All of them are heroes.

[joco]

Lovely seeing actual WW1 veterans singing pack up your troubles

[christopheradderley]

Fine tribute to the humblest of gentlemen.
Old Tommy talking to his German adversary...
"I shot at you and missed, and I'm jolly glad that I did" 🖤

[garryleeks]

Bless them, true heroes, none left now 😢

[nickrobinson]

My grandfather was wounded by shrapnel in 1915 and shot in the leg by a German three hours before the armistice. He was my hero as a small boy and in fact that generation all stood so tall that we, a much later generation, would have to lean backwards and crane our necks upwards to look them in the face. God Bless Them All. Those of us who remember them will never forget.

[jamesross]

Bloody hell. As a young lad in the 80s I used to ask the last of the ww1 men about there war . Its impossible to do so now. I miss those old lads.

[wilkinson]

I’m so glad the BBC put these out for all to see, it’s archives are truly a treasure and not just of British history but of so many others

[jackthebassman]

When I first visited Ypres I could shake hands with a veteran, this made it living history and I’ve been gripped by it ever since.

[Seminal_Ideas]

It's the dignity of these men that shines through. All passed away now, including Alan Whicker who treats these heroes with such respect.

[choppergeeza]

When I was why does grandad walk with a limp was born like it my dad said. Years later after my grandad had passed he told me the truth. My nan had told him and was also told never to mention it. It's how they were back then. RIP grandad xx

[borderlands]

My late father told me that when he began work, it was not uncommon for WW1 veterans to be lead away from their machines suffering from the after effects of mustard gas. They were relatively young men themselves but their health was broken. In many ways WW1 marked the end of an older era, and the introduction of killing on an industrial scale.

[sarahprice]

My mother was German, Dad English. I love both my families and im crying over their singing. Our countries were friends once and are now again. Long may it last❤

[History]

My great uncle Daniel Martin, Scotland died at the Battle of Mons Oct. 1914. My other great uncle was an artillery man at the Meuse Argonne Offensive in 1918, I have his campaign medal. Both my great grandfathers served in WW1. This war is one of the greatest tragedies in human history and words cannot express how much I love these brave heroes who served in literal hell.

[AnGhaeilge]

My great-grandmother's husband was one of the many who never returned from Ypres. Men of infinite courage.

[zaftra]

2:29, no idea why but when they both turned and pointed in the same direction together, made it real.

[ernestov]

This footage and interview is of tremendous historical value.

[thelastdetail]

Those wonderful men from a bygone world. Both heroic and tragic all at once. What a fantastic piece of respectful journalism.

[abisaijorgevegaperez]

2:32 the fact that the vegetation has grown, the landscape changed and tree regrowth plus 45 years later and they still remember exactly the ridge, the goals and the objectives. The horrors of war are so often forgotten by people in peace

[quakerjohn]

I've just returned from Ypres today. It's an incredibly sobering experience, and just beggers belief how those men coped and carried on. And how many stayed. God bless them all.

[hilaryepstein]

We can't imagine the horrors that those men went through but it's typical of that generation that comradeship was so important to them. And now there's no one left.