Main content

The First World War From Above

This fascinating documentary offers a unique perspective on the scale of the First World War with aerial footage shot from an airship in the summer of 1919, capturing the trenches

This fascinating documentary offers a unique perspective on the scale of the First World War as a collection of extraordinary historical finds, brought to the screen for the first time. Aerial footage, shot from an airship in the summer of 1919, captures the trenches and battlefields of Europe, revealing the damage and destruction inflicted on towns, villages and the countryside, from the coast of Belgium to the border of Switzerland. Retracing that journey, this film rediscovers the scars, gashes and fault lines still clearly visible on the landscape and reveals their stories. Aerial photographs taken by First World War pilots, developed 90 years after they were taken, show the devastation inflicted during the fighting. Experts from London's Imperial War Museum bring insight and detail to these images, telling incredible stories of battles lost and won and paying tribute to the soldiers and civilians who played their part in the war that was meant to end all wars.

50 minutes

Last on

Sun 19 Oct 2014 15:10GMT

Broadcasts