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Series 43: World War II – The Aftermath

In this special episode reflecting on the aftermath of the Second World War, Fiona Bruce and the team hear moving stories about the impact of the conflict and the desire to rebuild and reconcile after years of suffering.\n \nFilmed at Coventry Cathedral, the only English cathedral lost to enemy action during the war, the episode explores how this ruin became a symbol of hope and reconciliation. \n \nThe programme includes powerful testimony from a woman who witnessed the Coventry Blitz first-hand as a child, while a cherished ballgown and a set of handmade playing cards offer a harrowing glimpse into the final days of the war in the Far East, where thousands of British troops and civilians were held prisoner – including cartoonist Ronald Searle. \n \nWill Farmer tells the remarkable story of a fragile teacup that survived the bombing of the German city of Dresden, while militaria specialist Mark Smith meets the daughter of a soldier who witnessed the detonation of the atomic bomb in Nagasaki.\n \nA scrapbook compiled by a British woman who worked in post-war Berlin provides a vivid glimpse of life in the ruins of the occupied city, while two wartime souvenirs - a Luftwaffe pilot’s compass and an altimeter from an RAF plane - offer contrasting stories from both sides of the conflict. \n \nThe episode also features a newly discovered set of letters from a German prisoner of war to a British Land Girl, offering a surprising take on relations between the countries once the fighting was over. They document a brief romance between the Land Girl and a German soldier who would go on to become one of Britain’s most well-known footballers after the war – Bert Trautmann. A skilled goalkeeper, Trautmann won the FA Cup with Manchester City and had the distinction of holding an Iron Cross, Germany’s highest military honour, and an honourary OBE, awarded for his contribution to Anglo-German relations.

Source: BBC 2