We may know about Pearl Harbor and how the war against Japan ended with the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But in popular memory, what happened in between is less well-known. Marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, we hear of how defeat turned to victory, from epic battles in jungles, to one that played out on a tennis court and saved the British Empire, through remarkable testimonies from British, Indian, and Japanese soldiers who were there, as well as former prisoners of war and civilian internees. Plus we speak to descendants across Britain who are uncovering a family member's story of heroism, imprisonment, and survival.
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4:23
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4:23
Half-Life: 8. A Fracture
In this final episode, Joe follows the opening of a public memorial and engages with a private reckoning.Written and presented by Joe Dunthorne (based on his book Children of Radium: A Buried Inheritance)
Produced by Eleanor McDowall
Music by Jeremy Warmsley
Mixing engineer, Mike Woolley
Translator in Berlin: Francesca Schweiger
Recordings of the memorial unveiling: Phoebe McIndoe
Story consultant, Sarah Geis
Executive producer, Alan Hall
Commissioning editor, Daniel Clarke
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
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29:38
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29:38
Half-Life: 7. The City Forgets
In Munich, Joe traces a very different side to his family history, events that were left out of his great-grandfather’s memoir.Written and presented by Joe Dunthorne
Produced by Eleanor McDowall
Music by Jeremy Warmsley
Mixing engineer, Mike Woolley
Story consultant, Sarah Geis
Executive producer, Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
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28:44
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28:44
Half-Life: 6. Tranquility
After the war, Joe's great-grandfather attempts to build a new life in the United States where his mental health begins to deteriorate.Written and presented by Joe Dunthorne
Produced by Eleanor McDowall
Music by Jeremy Warmsley
Mixing engineer, Mike Woolley
Story consultant, Sarah Geis
Executive producer, Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
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28:37
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28:37
Half-Life: 5. The Road Through the Mountains
A letter from Joe’s great-grandfather, leads him to the east of Turkey and the story of a massacre, kept silent for many yearsWritten and presented by Joe Dunthorne
Produced by Eleanor McDowall
Music by Jeremy Warmsley
Mixing engineer, Mike Woolley
With thanks to Jaclynn Ashly and David McDowall
Story consultant, Sarah Geis
Executive producer, Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
In early December 1941, on the outskirts of London, a 14 year old boy is listening to the radio and is surprised as he hears about Japan’s attacks on the US Naval base at Pearl Harbor. But what happened hours afterwards is of great concern - Japan’s invasion and air strikes against key British colonies in South East Asia. In his living room in England, next to his map of Europe, the schoolboy puts up a second map of Asia and the Pacific. Over the next three and a half years he charts - on these two maps - the defeats and later victories against Japan, as well as the Nazis. Aged 98 - he speaks of how the faraway war on the Asian Front would end up involving members of his own family. From the creator and host of the multi award-winning Three Million and Partition Voices - the new series - The Second Map - tells the story of Britain’s war against Japan. Marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day we hear of how defeat turned to victory, epic battles in jungles, to one that played out on a tennis court and saved the British Empire. We may know about Pearl Harbour and how the war against Japan ended with the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But in popular memory what happened in between, and why Britain was fighting Japan on the Asian front, is less well-known. Even at the time the largest army of almost a million men, was known as the “forgotten army.” Yet it was a war that many thousands of Britons fought in, as well as hundreds of thousands of British colonial subjects.We hear remarkable testimonies from British, Indian and Japanese soldiers who were there, as well as former prisoners of war and civilian internees. And we speak to descendants across Britain who are uncovering a family member’s story of heroism, imprisonment, and survival.Creator, Writer and Presenter: Kavita Puri
Series Producer: Ellie House
Script Editor: Ant Adeane
Sound Designer: James Beard
Series Editor: Matt Willis
Production Coordinators: Sabine Scherek, Maria Ogundele
Original music: Felix Taylor
Archive Curator: Tariq Hussain
Voice actors: Dai Tabuchi, Bhasker Patel
Translators: Hannah Kilcoyne, Sumire Hori
With thanks to Dr Diya Gupta, Dr Vikki Hawkins, Dr Peter Johnston, Professor Rana Mitter and Tejpal Singh Ralmill.
Australia