History War Cinema

05/08/2026

Comments like this are one of the most rewarding things about making history videos on Youtube.

Seeing family members of the men I feature tell me that I did their relative’s story justice is incredibly humbling. After more than 100 years, their sacrifice still matters and it means a lot to know that these stories continue to reach the people who carry their family history.

My goal has always been simple, to help keep the memory of these soldiers alive by telling their stories with care and respect. If, in some small way, these videos help ensure they are never forgotten, then every hour of research, filming, and editing is worth it.

Lest We Forget.

31/07/2026

On this day, 31 July 1917, the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as Passchendaele, began.

Following one of the largest artillery bombardments of the First World War, British, French and Belgian forces launched an offensive east of Ypres in an attempt to break through the German lines and capture the vital ridge beyond the city.

The opening attacks achieved several of their objectives, but heavy rain soon transformed the shattered battlefield into the mud for which Passchendaele would become infamous. Over the next 100 days, the campaign developed into one of the most costly and brutal battles of the war.

When the fighting finally ended on 10 November 1917, hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides had been killed, wounded or reported missing. Today, cemeteries and memorials across the Ypres Salient stand as a lasting reminder of the human cost of the battle.

Lest we forget.

24/07/2026

New video up on Youtube and in this video I’m taking you to one of the most remarkable First World War sites in France: Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery, Fromelles.

More than 90 years after the Battle of Fromelles, the remains of 250 Australian and British soldiers were discovered in mass graves. Their recovery led to one of the most extraordinary archaeological and identification projects in modern military history, giving many of these men their names back after nearly a century.

In this video we explore Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery, visit the excellent museum and tell the incredible story of how these soldiers were found, identified, and finally laid to rest with the dignity they deserved.

If you’re interested in the First World War, battlefield history, or the stories behind the men who fought, I hope you’ll enjoy this one.

Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery is unlike any other Commonwealth Wa...

18/07/2026

It’s been a while since I’ve shared an on-location video. I’d love to make more of them, but between work, family, and everyday life, finding the time isn’t always easy.

A new one is up on the Youtube channel right now.

Filmed during Anniversary Week on the Somme, this video takes you to Serre Road No. 2 Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth war cemetery on the Somme and the final resting place of over 7000 First World War soldiers.

It also tells a very personal story. Together, we return several original belongings to the grave of Lance Corporal Arthur Moore of the Accrington Pals, bringing them back to where they truly belong, more than a century after his death.

I hope you enjoy it!

https://youtu.be/uZi5rDRhUco?is=P3c-L5u29-SdNXsO

On the Somme battlefield lies Serre Road No. 2 Cemetery, the final ...

06/06/2026

82 years ago today, on 6 June 1944, thousands of Allied soldiers crossed the English Channel and landed on the beaches of Normandy.

They came from different nations, backgrounds, and walks of life, united by a common purpose: to liberate Europe from tyranny. Many would never leave those beaches. Many more would carry the scars of that day for the rest of their lives.

D-Day was not the end of the war, but it was the beginning of the end for N**i Germany. The courage displayed by the men who charged onto the beaches under enemy fire and by the paratroopers who jumped into the darkness above occupied France, remains one of the most remarkable examples of sacrifice and determination in modern history.

Today, on the 82nd anniversary of D-Day, we remember all those who took part in Operation Overlord; the soldiers, sailors, airmen, resistance fighters and civilians whose actions helped shape the world we live in today.

"We will accept nothing less than full victory."

- General Dwight D. Eisenhower

Lest We Forget.

05/06/2026

Was Upham a Coward?

One of the most emotionally charged scenes in Saving Private Ryan occurs when Technician Fifth Grade Timothy E. Upham is attempting to bring ammunition to his fellow soldiers. As he makes his way through the building, he hears Private Stanley Mellish struggling with a German soldier. Despite knowing what is happening, Upham freezes on the staircase, unable to force himself forward while Mellish is ultimately killed.

Many viewers have condemned Upham for failing to help Mellish, seeing his inaction as an act of cowardice. But is that judgment entirely fair?

Unlike the other men in the squad, Upham was trained as a cartographer and translator, not as a front-line infantryman. Beyond basic military training, he had little preparation for the brutal realities of close-quarters combat. Throughout the film, he is portrayed as intelligent, idealistic, and deeply uncomfortable with violence, qualities that set him apart from the battle-hardened soldiers around him.

Upham was clearly not suited to the role of an infantry soldier. Yet war depends on people serving many different functions, and not every role involves fighting or killing. His value to the military was in his language skills and technical expertise, not his ability to perform under the extreme pressure of hand-to-hand combat.

Does that make his failure to act any less tragic? Not necessarily. The painful reality is that he may have been able to save Mellish. However, the scene raises a more complicated question than whether Upham was simply a coward. It asks how an ordinary person, thrust into circumstances for which they are psychologically unprepared, might respond when confronted with overwhelming fear. In that sense, Upham’s paralysis may be less a reflection of cowardice than a portrayal of the very human limits of courage.

02/06/2026

The Devil’s Brigade is a 1968 American war movie based on the 1966 book of the same name co-written by novelist and historian Robert H. Adleman and Col. George Walton, a member of the real life brigade this movie is based on.

The film recounts the formation, training, and first mission of the 1st Special Service Force, a joint American-Canadian commando unit, known as the Devil’s Brigade. The film dramatizes the Brigade’s first mission in the Italian Campaign, the task of capturing what is considered an impregnable German mountain stronghold, Monte la Difensa.

The 1st Special Service Force was an elite American–Canadian commando unit in World War II, under the command of the United States Fifth Army. The unit was organized in 1942 and served in the Aleutian Islands, and fought in Italy, and southern France before being disbanded in December 1944.
The modern American and Canadian special operations forces trace their heritage to this unit. In 2013, the United States Congress passed a bill to award the 1st Special Service Force the Congressional Gold Medal.

To the veterans of the Force, the film was historically inaccurate. In a TV documentary Su***de Missions: The Black Devils, Force member Bill Story stated: “The Devil’s Brigade was and is a very entertaining war movie. But as a piece of accurate history it’s sheer nonsense.” In the movie the Americans are made up of misfits that lack discipline, this was not the case. In real life this was a well trained unit, which is considered to be a direct ancestor to two modern special operations units; the Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR) and the American Army Special Forces (a.k.a. “the Green Berets”).
Even though the movie is not accurate in several ways, it is still very enjoyable. When it came out it was overshadowed by The Dirty Dozen, which came out four months earlier. Some might even call it a copy, but this is unfair. The Devil’s Brigade is fun, well made and well worth to watch.

31/05/2026

As depicted in Band of Brothers, the Brecourt Manor assault was carried out by soldiers of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, on D-Day.

After landing in Normandy, a small group led by Richard Winters attacked four German 105mm artillery guns positioned near Brecourt Manor. The guns were firing on Allied forces landing at Utah Beach.

Using a series of flanking attacks and fire-and-maneuver tactics, Winters and his men captured or destroyed the artillery position despite being heavily outnumbered. The action eliminated a significant threat to the beachhead and resulted in valuable intelligence being recovered from German maps and documents.

30/05/2026

28/05/2026

Countdown to Normandy, part 5.

French commando’s under the leadership of Philippe Kieffer attack the casino at Ouistreham in this scene from the movie The Longest Day.

In the scene, with a stunning one take aerial shot, you can clearly see the casino, with several German machine guns on the roof. In reality, the casino wasn’t there in 1944.
The Germans found the location of strategic value and decided to demolish the building. Only the foundations and the basement were preserved, on top they build concrete bunkers with trenches surrounding the structure.

The French Commando’s managed to capture the bunker at the Casino site after suffering several casualties. The only French unit included in the invasion force fought with honor and Philippe Kieffer, along with two of his men, was among the first members of the Free French Forces to enter Paris.