"Here are the Brighton Boys from Burma with a few words. Hello dears, all my love
to you, especially Nina. I'm okay but longing to see you all again."
So you're about to meet the Brighton Boys
They are a group of British Army soldiers who
served in Burma during the Second World War
The year is 1945 and the war is not quite over yet
so these individuals have been asked to step up to a camera and to
speak from the heart; they're being asked to record personal
messages homes their loved ones back in Britain.
"Cheerio now, all my love, keep smiling."
"Hello Mother! Hello Dad.
Hope you're keeping both very fit, and that goes for the rest of the family out near Horsham too
as you can see, I'm pretty well and still got something to laugh at
Give my love to Vera, Peg, Kenneth and Pat
and tons for yourself
Cheerio for now! God bless you all and keep smiling! Get cracking Ninja."
The series as a whole was produced by the Directorate for Army Welfare in India
and the purpose was really to raise morale
There was growing concern around this time that these troops that were
thousands of miles from home were fast becoming the forgotten army
and the idea was to try to improve communication with home.
One of the things that I find really fascinating about
the Brighton Boys film is you can feel that palpable sense of separation
and yet there is this incredible spirit and camaraderie amongst them
the determination to get through it and be positive
just count the number of times that they say 'keep smiling'.
"It won't be long now, cheerio all of you! Come on Mike!"
"Hello Mum and Dad, my only thing is to wish Eileen and John the best of luck
and hoping to be back with you all again in England soon.
all of us boys here are going to win the war and get back to you all a bit jolly
So cheerio darling and keep smiling.
Come on John!"
Once they were done filming the Brighton Boys would be asked by the welfare officer
who out of your family and friends do you want us to write to
give us their addresses and we're going to invite them to a special screening at a
cinema somewhere in the Brighton area and they were going to bring all of the
family and friends of all of these boys together under one roof to hear these
special personal messages.
Sometimes it took as long as 12 weeks for those films to get from the point of filming the boys
to actually up there on the cinema screen
but it was well worth the wait.
Can you imagine how emotionally charged those cinemas must have been
I mean some of these families wouldn't have seen the
faces of their loved ones for potentially years
They must have been full of laughter and tears of joy
and sometimes also tears of great sadness
because we do know that across the Calling Blighty series there were some
individual servicemen who were very sadly killed in action after being filmed.
"Take care of yourself, cheerio for now.
Come on George!"
"Hello Hilda darling, hello champ
I bet you never expected to see me as a film star but here I am
I'm feeling very fit and glad to know that you're both the same
Remember me to all at home
Of course I miss you both a terrible lot
but until that day I can get back to you, keep that chin up and keep smiling
Give mum a kiss champ! Cheerio!
For me, the Calling Blighty series and particularly the Brighton Boys films
really show the power of film
the power of seeing someone and hearing someone
It's kind of interesting that we're in such an unusual global situation now
and yet many of us are seeking comfort from video contact, from video calls with our loved ones
and it turns out that nearly a century ago
the power of moving images was also used
to bring together people who were divided.
"Come along Sam!"
"Hello Freda darling, here's proof that I'm safe and well
and if our families are watching this, you want to tell them to get their money
because I'm not worth it.
Look after yourself and keep smiling.
I just wanted to give three cheers from the Boys from Brighton before we finish
Right boys, three cheers
Hip hip, HOORAY! Hip hip, HOORAY! Hip hip, HOORAY!