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Burma, My Father and the Forgotten Army

Griff Rhys Jones travels to Ghana and the jungles of Burma to learn about the army of West Africans his father served alongside during the Second World War.

Apart from a few fragmentary stories, Griff Rhys Jones's father never talked about his war. Yet as a medical officer to a West African division, he travelled 15,000 miles from Wales to Ghana and the jungles of Burma. He and his men were part of an army of a million raised in Africa and Asia to fight the Japanese. To understand their story, Griff travels first to Ghana and then, accompanied by 90-year-old veteran Joshua, he goes to the jungles of Burma. It is known as the forgotten war, but Griff discovers how it transformed these West Africans from children of the British Empire into masters of their own destiny.

9 days left to watch

59 minutes

Audio described

Last on

Mon 23 Jun 2025 20:00

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Griff Rhys Jones
Producer Ruairi Fallon
Director Ruairi Fallon
Executive Producer Elizabeth Hartford

Broadcasts