1 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:11,840 Being blonde, busty and the short skirts - 2 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:15,000 that was enough to bring the house down. 3 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:26,640 "I can't go out there. There are bombs, Germans and terrible mayhem!" 4 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:33,560 You could look and see the Germans looking at you with field glasses. 5 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:40,840 I've got theatrical experience, I've been to the theatre twice. 6 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:43,480 "Get off! Show us your..." Oh, dear. 7 00:00:43,480 --> 00:00:46,280 Every night, something awful! 8 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:48,400 That were what the boys used to call it. 9 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:58,560 We must have travelled for thousands of miles. 10 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,720 We didn't care. We were entertaining the troops! 11 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:15,280 I was due to make my debut in show business on 3 September 1939, 12 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,560 would you believe. The day war broke out. 13 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:20,920 The Government has given instructions 14 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:23,600 for the following important announcements - 15 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:27,400 closing of places of entertainment. 16 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:32,920 All cinemas, theatres and other places of entertainment 17 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:36,840 are to be closed immediately until further notice. 18 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,640 The first thing I thought, "Well, there goes my career." 19 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:46,320 You know, there won't be a sort of entertainment during the war. 20 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:50,520 Everything will be very serious and safety-minded. 21 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:53,720 But entertainment was far from over. 22 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:56,120 And one man would make it his mission to ensure 23 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:59,440 that the world of show business played its part during the war. 24 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:03,280 Basil Dean was a renowned theatre and film impresario, 25 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:05,720 a legendary name in the world of entertainment. 26 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:09,120 During the First World War, he took on the task of 27 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:12,200 raising the spirits of his fellow soldiers in the battalion. 28 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:13,720 The commandant was concerned 29 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:17,400 that something needed to be done for the morale of these men 30 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,640 and Dean was the ideal person to be given the task. 31 00:02:20,640 --> 00:02:26,080 And he went round the area. He looked for singers, dancers, magicians, 32 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:29,480 and slowly, he poured a wealth of talent in. 33 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:36,040 Dean certainly commented on the fact he felt morale had been lifted 34 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:37,920 and it never left him. 35 00:02:37,920 --> 00:02:41,040 As a second world war loomed, 36 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:43,400 Basil Dean realised he could build on this idea. 37 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,440 He had a vision of a worldwide theatrical operation, 38 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:50,040 where entertainment would play a key role in keeping up morale 39 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:51,680 and helping to win the war. 40 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,560 When the war was obviously coming, 41 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:59,280 he was very active in proposing what became ENSA. 42 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,240 I think he approached the political authorities, 43 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:05,040 urging the Government to set up something like ENSA. 44 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:06,600 That is certainly so. 45 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:11,040 I think he wanted especially the theatre to do its bit in the war 46 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:14,640 and the people, not only the troops but the factory workers, 47 00:03:14,640 --> 00:03:16,080 needed entertainment. 48 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:21,480 So, the idea for the Entertainment's National Service Association, ENSA, 49 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:23,040 began to take shape. 50 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:27,840 Basil was a man of great drive and extreme energy and vigour. 51 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,320 Yes. And a difficult man. 52 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:36,840 You don't get a mild-mannered man who agrees to run a show like ENSA. 53 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:38,920 He needs to be a formidable figure. 54 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:42,720 To me, he was a Diaghilev, he was figure of power. 55 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:46,880 He was a magical name that people said, "Basil Dean!" 56 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:51,240 Basil Dean's impressive powers of persuasion finally convinced NAAFI, 57 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:53,440 the service's trading organisation, 58 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:56,280 to foot the bill for this ambitious operation. 59 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,040 But it wasn't just officials he could win over. 60 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:01,240 Due to his connections with West End people, 61 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:03,440 he got these big stars. 62 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:06,840 "You will do this, won't you?" "Yes, of course I'll do it." 63 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:09,360 CHEERING AND APPLAUSE 64 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:15,360 You should wait till I finish. You shouldn't start mucking about now! 65 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:17,880 LAUGHTER 66 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:21,800 Gracie, obviously, was extremely famous - 67 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:23,960 one of our top performers. 68 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:31,200 WITH AUDIENCE: # Sally, don't ever wander... # 69 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:35,560 I think she was everything that they thought of home about. 70 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:38,160 She looked like a mother, a young mother. 71 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:42,960 She was, you know, the family, the one they were going back for. 72 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:45,840 # Sally 73 00:04:45,840 --> 00:04:48,680 # Marry me, Sally... # 74 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:50,360 And happy forever are we! 75 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:55,360 Her whole repertoire was songs that they all knew. 76 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:56,920 And men loved a sing-song. 77 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:03,080 # You're more than the whole world 78 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:09,920 # To me-e-e-e-e... # 79 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:11,240 APPLAUSE 80 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:13,440 # Hitler can't kid us a lot 81 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:15,880 # His secret weapon's tommyrot... # 82 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:19,600 Another glittering star to sign up with ENSA was George Formby. 83 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:21,840 George Formby was a very popular entertainer. 84 00:05:21,840 --> 00:05:24,920 He did this thing also of getting everybody to come round. 85 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:26,320 And he played the uke. 86 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:29,240 He'd do My Little Stick Of Blackpool Rock 87 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:32,200 and When I'm Cleaning Windows. 88 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:38,040 Some sort of double entendres in that, which the blokes loved. 89 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:40,480 # At eight o'clock, a girl she wakes 90 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:42,600 # At five past eight, a bath she takes 91 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:44,560 # At ten past eight, me ladder breaks 92 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:46,880 # When I'm cleaning windows. # 93 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:48,040 CHEERING 94 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:49,360 If you had George Formby, 95 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:53,120 if you had Gracie Fields, who was a tremendous supporter, 96 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:55,520 others thought, "If they can do it, why can't I?" 97 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:00,480 With a headquarters complete with staff, 98 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:04,280 offices and workshops set up at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, 99 00:06:04,280 --> 00:06:07,520 Basil Dean was heading up an already formidable organisation. 100 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:10,680 But to achieve his dream, he needed an army of foot soldiers. 101 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:13,080 Word went out to the show business world, 102 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:15,600 that they were needed for the war effort. 103 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:18,360 And performers - from singers to contortionists, 104 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:20,640 comedians to jugglers - heeded the call. 105 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:25,600 I simply saw an advertisement for dancers 106 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,440 to go abroad with ENSA. 107 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,040 I wanted to entertain the troops. 108 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:36,480 And so I went to Drury Lane Theatre and did an audition. 109 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:42,800 We were just sort of, as I seemed to remember, 110 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:45,960 looking out onto a vast blackness. 111 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:52,800 You did your first audition on THE stage, 112 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:56,280 and that was frightening, really! 113 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:02,440 It's a beautiful theatre. Really, one that 114 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:05,120 has got the ghost of ages there. 115 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,800 But they built on the stage, which was a beautiful big stage, 116 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:10,720 they built a small stage 117 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:15,040 because we would never have quite such a big one as that. 118 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:20,120 In Drury Lane, you had your inoculations there, 119 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,520 and we even had to make a will when we went abroad. 120 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,040 Our roving cameraman takes you behind the scenes 121 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:28,480 at the headquarters of ENSA, Drury Lane Theatre. 122 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:31,800 There, the wardrobe girls are dealing with another rush order. 123 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:33,480 We had to go to the wardrobe. 124 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:35,640 We had very pretty dresses. 125 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:37,520 What can't be adapted must be made. 126 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:40,240 That means a lot of work for the cutters and machinists. 127 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:41,760 If they didn't fit you, 128 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:46,440 you had wardrobe mistresses there who altered all the clothes. 129 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:48,160 If it fits, it's hers to take away. 130 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:51,640 If it doesn't, the backroom girls' nimble fingers will soon alter it. 131 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:56,200 It was a complete little factory of its own, really. 132 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,360 The wardrobe is doing a big job in a big way, 133 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,800 playing its part to help the artist play theirs. 134 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:06,960 And this new army of entertainers was even given its own uniform. 135 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:10,040 It would identify the ENSA performers when they were abroad, 136 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:12,640 in case they were mistaken for spies by the enemy. 137 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,840 Dean felt that the war correspondents had a uniform, 138 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:19,520 other people had a uniform, the American entertainers had a uniform, 139 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:24,200 why wasn't his people, why weren't they getting a uniform? 140 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:26,400 And he created a design. 141 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:28,880 It was a very nice uniform. 142 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:33,240 We didn't wear trousers. 143 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:36,040 Girls didn't wear trousers in those days. 144 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:40,680 It was like the summer khaki uniform. 145 00:08:40,680 --> 00:08:43,080 The same material as the troops wore. 146 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:45,920 And it was just a skirt 147 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:49,320 and an army jacket and a hat. 148 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:56,960 That was a khaki soldier's uniform, officer's uniform, 149 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:03,840 with the most dreadful flat cap thing, which I never liked, 150 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:08,160 so I got myself a different one from a boyfriend, 151 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:11,320 borrowed a Scotch beret and I wore that. 152 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:13,360 I just thought it looked better, 153 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:17,240 so, I was a rebel in those days, certainly! 154 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:20,360 Really, I should be here in battle dress! 155 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:23,280 When I left England to come and work for ENSA they said, 156 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:25,880 "You'll have to wear a battle dress." 157 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:27,200 I said, "What's the idea? 158 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:29,760 "I mean, after all, I'm an actor, not a soldier." 159 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:32,240 He said, "You'll have to wear a battle dress 160 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:34,680 "because if you get captured by the Germans, 161 00:09:34,680 --> 00:09:35,920 "they'll shoot you." 162 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:39,080 I said, "If the Germans capture me, they're entitled to shoot me." 163 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:40,200 LAUGHTER 164 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:44,080 Uniforms fitted, bags packed, the performers were ready to go, 165 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:48,040 but not before they were briefed on ENSA's rules of engagement. 166 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:50,880 We had the usual lecture that we had. 167 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:54,040 It was our duty to go in the mess and talk to them, 168 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:56,640 they were lonely and they were away from home, 169 00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:58,640 but there was not too much involvement. 170 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:00,920 No maternity. Right, of course. 171 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:02,600 In the vastness of Drury Lane, 172 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,080 Leslie Henson is rehearsing his concert party 173 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:07,760 that NAAFI is sending out to the troops in France. 174 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:11,080 # Bop, bop, doodle-oodle-ay... # 175 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:15,360 Performers came from far and wide to play their part in the war effort, 176 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:18,200 but everyone had their own reasons for signing up. 177 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:21,400 # ..we'll have a beautiful... 178 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,320 # ..day! # 179 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:28,360 I was sort of called up, 180 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:31,040 but I didn't want to be a soldier, 181 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:36,320 so I appealed against it on the grounds that I was a dancer 182 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:41,880 and I needed to practice, which was a tiny bit of a fib, I should say! 183 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:47,320 But they said, "Well, if you join ENSA, that's OK." 184 00:10:47,320 --> 00:10:49,600 So that's what I did, actually. 185 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:53,800 I got a set fee from ENSA to entertain. 186 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:56,600 Sometimes it was for the military, 187 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:01,040 sometimes it was for the factories, sometimes in air raid shelters. 188 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:03,080 But it was work and it was a payment. 189 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:07,920 The standard pay was £10 a week. 190 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:11,280 It was very nice money in those days. 191 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:16,080 But life as an entertainer was far from an easy option, 192 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:18,280 as these performers would soon discover. 193 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:20,080 They were very brave. 194 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:24,760 They went by ship or air and could easily be torpedoed or shot down. 195 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:31,840 We were put on board this ship with all our stuff that we brought. 196 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,120 We didn't know where we were going then, but... 197 00:11:35,680 --> 00:11:41,280 ..we were in a convoy, of course, and it was a hairy one. 198 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:43,480 On the boat, you had to drop depth charges, 199 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:47,280 hoping to keep the submarines away, 200 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:50,040 cos they were underneath all the time 201 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:53,720 and they would be dogging the convoy all way, following it along. 202 00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:59,480 And the boat was rocking all over the place! 203 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:06,800 We ended up in Algiers. 204 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:10,680 I'd like to introduce you a lovely bit of homework. Joy Tudor! 205 00:12:10,680 --> 00:12:13,200 # If you want to be happy 206 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,760 # If you want to go far 207 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:19,040 # Then I've a treat in Broadway 208 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:21,480 # Everyone is a star 209 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:24,480 # No one there has a fortune 210 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:26,200 # No, not even a car 211 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:29,040 # For I've a treat on Broadway 212 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:32,240 # Everybody's a star... # 213 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:35,400 The lucky dip, I was a dancer, really. 214 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:37,760 It was like a little variety thing 215 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:40,960 and whatever was going, needed, you had to do it. 216 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:44,600 # ..in Broadway. 217 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:48,800 # Everybody's a star! # 218 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:54,040 At that stage, I was doing speciality dancing, 219 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:56,840 so sometimes I did a Spanish dance, 220 00:12:56,840 --> 00:13:00,560 I had a Spanish dress and frills and black earrings 221 00:13:00,560 --> 00:13:05,880 and black things, a black cross, shawl and all the rest of it. 222 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:15,960 We were going forward one night to play this petrol depot. 223 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:18,960 The jerry cans, those big jerry cans were full of petrol 224 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:21,760 and they were all put in a row 225 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:25,840 and they built a little stage with planks on this petrol thing. 226 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:34,160 We had to do the show very quickly and smoothly. 227 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:43,200 We were shoved off and as we got into our lorry to drive back, 228 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:45,680 we were sitting in the back of the lorry and WHOOSH! 229 00:13:45,680 --> 00:13:47,720 EXPLOSION 230 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:51,040 And a flashing of lights and boom, boom! 231 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:53,280 EXPLOSION 232 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:55,560 We were safe then 233 00:13:55,560 --> 00:13:59,280 but we had gone right forward into the firing line. 234 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:02,080 You don't think about the job, you've got a job to do. 235 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:06,120 It isn't until afterwards that you would think, 236 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:08,400 "That was a bit dangerous." 237 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:10,400 AMERICAN ACCENT: Well... 238 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:14,240 look me over, boys, but don't try to reform me. 239 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:17,400 Stick around here, honey, you might learn something. 240 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:21,320 Mavis White set sail with ENSA, aged just 21. 241 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,040 I was a singer and impressionist 242 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:26,480 and we were a very small, little group 243 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:31,280 of about eight but we were a very talented little group. 244 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:32,720 A lot of variety. 245 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:38,960 Going out on the ship, we didn't know where we were going to. 246 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:42,240 We landed in North Africa. 247 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:44,200 "Oh, we're in North Africa!" 248 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:46,800 Algiers. 249 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:51,160 We didn't have a limousine to meet us. 250 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:52,400 We had... 251 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:53,440 a lorry. 252 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:55,240 Believe it or not, that's a theatre. 253 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:57,400 Come round to the stage door 254 00:14:57,400 --> 00:14:59,640 to meet Marylyn and Roma making up for the show. 255 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:02,240 A strange sight in the middle of the desert. 256 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:05,080 Here's some of the audience, men with a few hours' leave, 257 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:07,640 who, in between rounds, are coming in for a sing-song 258 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:10,080 with an ENSA company on location in Libya. 259 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,840 And we must have travelled for thousands of miles over potholes, 260 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:19,440 dirt tracks, dust, dirt, flies, mosquitoes. 261 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:21,160 We didn't care. 262 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:23,280 We were entertaining the troops. 263 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:25,280 You'll notice they bring their rifles. 264 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:27,280 Let there be no misunderstanding - 265 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:30,040 this roadshow is not so many miles from the enemy lines. 266 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:33,880 The troops would put one side of the oblong lorry down 267 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:40,520 and a little upright piano in the corner. That was our stage. 268 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:42,400 There's always a big hand for the girls, 269 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:45,080 singing under extremely difficult conditions. 270 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:46,520 It's not the easiest thing 271 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:48,800 to put over a song with sand blowing about. 272 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:52,520 I sang a little song called Tiddley Winkie Woo, 273 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:55,840 and it was there in the North African desert 274 00:15:55,840 --> 00:16:00,160 that the troops nicknamed me the Tiddley Winkie Girl. 275 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:02,480 # Tiddley winkie winkie winkie 276 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:04,480 # Tiddley winkie woo 277 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:08,360 # I love you 278 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:10,320 # Tiddley winkie winkie winkie 279 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:12,800 # Tiddley winkie woo 280 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:15,880 # Love me, too 281 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:18,080 # I love you in the morning 282 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:19,680 # And I love you in the night 283 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:22,040 # I love you in the evening 284 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:24,480 # When the stars are shining bright 285 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:25,800 # Ooh! 286 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:28,440 # Tiddley winkie winkie winkie 287 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:30,000 # Tiddley winkie woo 288 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:32,480 # I... 289 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:36,760 # ..love you! # 290 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:39,720 Not bad for 90! 291 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:47,880 Once we got on stage, it was magic. We were entertaining. 292 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:56,440 We knew that we were making them happy at this time. 293 00:16:56,440 --> 00:17:00,280 And that's all we cared about... 294 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:03,040 to hear their laughter. 295 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:06,040 I loved to make them laugh. 296 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:11,920 A troop audience was at that time the best in the world. 297 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:14,360 You could not get better. 298 00:17:14,360 --> 00:17:16,120 The little show has gone down well. 299 00:17:16,120 --> 00:17:20,120 The boys have had a bit of fun before moving up to the line again. 300 00:17:20,120 --> 00:17:23,840 Everybody liked a different sort of entertainment. 301 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:27,320 You had to give them a mixture of anything that they liked, 302 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:28,760 and we did that. 303 00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:44,560 The troops loved pretty ladies, of course. 304 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:47,560 Singers, magicians, jugglers, 305 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:50,720 four people and a piano on the back of a lorry. 306 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:52,600 Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. 307 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:57,600 Contortionists. Of course, the blokes loved that. They had very little on. 308 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:01,200 It could be a bit saucy. 309 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:08,920 You didn't really have to do anything. 310 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:12,080 Being blond, busty and with a short skirt on, 311 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:15,720 and that was enough to bring the house down! 312 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:21,320 APPLAUSE 313 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:26,000 The shows were proving their worth, 314 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,520 as troops wrote in, praising the entertainment. 315 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:32,240 "You have literally radiated laughter and happiness 316 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:35,840 "to thousands of troops, whose lot is normally a hard and a dull one." 317 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:39,120 "Great excitement here last week. An ENSA show turned up." 318 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:41,560 "We all went to an ENSA concert in the gym 319 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:43,560 "and had a thoroughly enjoyable time." 320 00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:46,920 Allen Clifford was working as a radio navigator 321 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:48,880 at RAF Methwold in Norfolk. 322 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:51,080 As well as entertaining overseas, 323 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:53,360 ENSA was touring shows around the UK, 324 00:18:53,360 --> 00:18:56,360 and groups would stop off at his base and perform. 325 00:18:56,360 --> 00:18:58,200 At least once a week, somebody came. 326 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:00,240 It was nice to have fresh people to talk to. 327 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:02,240 You'd talk to every girl on the station, 328 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:06,160 but you'd have some new ones coming in who were dressed in bonny things 329 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:09,240 and had their hair done and lipstick and all that. 330 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:12,120 It was quite exciting, but also because, after it was over, 331 00:19:12,120 --> 00:19:15,400 you all retired to the mess and had a drink and talked to the girls. 332 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,160 They didn't bugger off, they did actually stop there! 333 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:22,280 You knew your time was fairly circumscribed, 334 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:27,360 so it was nice to get something different introduced always. 335 00:19:27,360 --> 00:19:29,640 You felt just a bit civilised for a while. 336 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:35,520 And the troops themselves were creating their own entertainment. 337 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:37,440 Henry Lewis, a wireless operator, 338 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:41,760 performed magic shows at military bases around the UK. 339 00:19:44,920 --> 00:19:48,600 I volunteered for the forces just after the day war was declared, 340 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:51,600 and as a youngster, 341 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:53,080 I knew Morse code, 342 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:56,960 I immediately got taken to the Royal Corps of Signals. 343 00:20:03,360 --> 00:20:06,720 In the evenings, we used to have entertainments, 344 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:10,400 and various members of the unit were asked 345 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:12,560 whether they could do anything and so on, 346 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:15,720 and as I was always interested in magic since the age of eight, 347 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:17,480 I thought, "I could do something." 348 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:20,880 And in those days, I could do things with billiard balls 349 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:24,240 and thimbles and cards and so on. And I volunteered for these shows. 350 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:29,080 Then, I got transferred to Stars In Battledress, 351 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:31,280 which was the touring Army show. 352 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:36,320 But we were a military organisation, and they usually sent us places 353 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,920 where they didn't particularly want the civilian population to go to. 354 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:46,840 Everything had to be very portable, 355 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:51,200 and playing cards, making fans and diminishing 356 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:53,880 and producing them, that sort of thing. 357 00:20:57,080 --> 00:20:58,840 The Army were very good to me. 358 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:01,840 The Army workshops, if I needed a piece of equipment, 359 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:03,440 would make it for me. 360 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:05,320 And that made a lot of difference. 361 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:07,120 So I was able to do things 362 00:21:07,120 --> 00:21:10,120 which the average performer would have no chance. 363 00:21:10,120 --> 00:21:12,920 We were bound up by the laws of secrecy. 364 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:15,320 We couldn't tell anybody where we were going. 365 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:18,560 If I was being sent from, say, Aldershot to Catterick, 366 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:21,720 I couldn't even tell my mother if I wanted to. 367 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:24,520 I mean, this was the Army, this was wartime. 368 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:28,080 If an enemy knew there was going to be a theatre full of soldiers - 369 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:29,640 what a target! 370 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:34,480 When you think of all these people who came to these shows, 371 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:37,240 they all had their own problems. 372 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:41,520 The fact they could forget all this and come to a show that evening 373 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:45,000 and laugh and enjoy what people were doing, 374 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:50,000 and we had some wonderful performers, that made it all worthwhile. 375 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:02,200 Somewhere in Rhodesia, 376 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:05,680 this English cadet is training under the Royal Air Force flag, 377 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:07,440 part of the Empire Training Scheme. 378 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:10,160 Proud recruits to one of the most gallant brotherhoods, 379 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:13,160 they are learning to do their job well. 380 00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:16,600 Troops near and far welcomed the chance to see entertainers, 381 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:18,880 and in remote corners of the world, 382 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:22,680 it created a much-needed connection with home. 383 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:26,040 I joined the Air Force in 1943. And I was sent to Southern Rhodesia, 384 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:28,640 now Zimbabwe, to learn to fly, 385 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:30,640 and I was there for about a year. 386 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:34,520 It was full of excitement. On the other hand, we were all very lonely. 387 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,520 We were far away from home. There was very little entertainment. 388 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:42,520 But one of the most quintessentially English stars of the time 389 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:44,760 was due to perform at Tony Benn's RAF base. 390 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:47,600 When I heard that Noel Coward was coming, 391 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:50,720 a few of my mates and I decided to go to the canteen 392 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:52,800 inside the camp where we were. 393 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:55,880 # Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun 394 00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:59,320 # The smallest Malay rabbit deplored this foolish habit... # 395 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:03,440 It was quite a big thing to have a major London actor coming over. 396 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:06,720 # In Hong Kong, they strike a gong and fire off the noonday gun 397 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:10,120 # To reprimand each inmate who's in late... # 398 00:23:10,120 --> 00:23:12,960 He was very neatly dressed. I noted in my diary, 399 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:15,520 "His programme, which lasted a little over an hour, 400 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:17,800 "was absolutely first rate." 401 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:20,760 He entered into it exactly as you'd expect Noel Coward would, 402 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:22,080 into the spirit of it all. 403 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:24,720 # In the mangrove swaps where the python romps 404 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:27,360 # There is peace from 12 till two 405 00:23:27,360 --> 00:23:29,360 # Even caribous lie around and snooze 406 00:23:29,360 --> 00:23:30,960 # For there's nothing else to do... # 407 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:32,840 He put on an absolutely first-rate show, 408 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:34,760 deliberately, consciously treated it 409 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:36,920 exactly as if we were a West End audience. 410 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:40,200 And that made people feel at home and comfortable. 411 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:44,280 # In Bengal, to move at all is seldom, if ever, done 412 00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:48,000 # But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday, out in the midday 413 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:50,880 # Out in the midday, out in the midday 414 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:52,920 # Out in the midday sun. # 415 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:57,560 He was very suave and amusing, and it was a touch of home, 416 00:23:57,560 --> 00:24:00,000 brought to where we were, and therefore was 417 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:01,840 very, very much appreciated. 418 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:04,400 But often, the shows weren't up to scratch, 419 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:05,960 and the troops didn't hold back 420 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:08,200 in their criticism when writing letters home. 421 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:10,680 "I wonder if you could see if there are any jobs for me 422 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:11,920 "around Drury Lane. 423 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:15,240 "I'm sure I could produce and tour a damned sight better show 424 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:17,680 "than the abominable tat we get out here. 425 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:20,560 "I have never in my life seen such an unprofessional 426 00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:23,400 "and incompetent organisation overseas as ENSA. 427 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:26,160 "You will get my moan in full when I see you." 428 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:34,600 Word got round, "Oh, Christ, it's an ENSA show, let's not go tonight." 429 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:40,160 It did have a bad reputation, which, really, it didn't deserve, 430 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:44,480 except some of the acts weren't 100%. 431 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:51,640 I saw one show in the whole of my career in the RAF. 432 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:53,360 I saw one ENSA show. 433 00:24:53,360 --> 00:24:55,760 I came out of it halfway through. 434 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:58,160 It was pathetic. 435 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:03,480 We weren't considered the creme de la creme, shall we say. 436 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:06,680 ENSA didn't have a very good name. 437 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:11,880 You'd get a rather poor-quality magician out there, 438 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:13,840 showing you a magic trick 439 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:17,840 and you've just taken a mine out of the ground and defused it. 440 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:20,040 You know, which is the better one? 441 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:23,320 For Basil Dean, this criticism was hard to take. 442 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:25,720 In his determination to provide entertainment 443 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:27,000 wherever it was needed, 444 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:29,280 the quality of ENSA's output had suffered. 445 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:32,880 He had high ideals. Of course, most of them had to go out the window. 446 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:36,880 With ENSA, he had to produce a vast amount of stuff 447 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:38,960 and some of it wasn't very good. 448 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:43,680 Oh yes, some of it wasn't very good. Well, he admitted all that. 449 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:49,120 I don't think he quoted the phrase "Every Night Something Awful", 450 00:25:49,120 --> 00:25:54,480 but that was said of ENSA. Yes, who was it that made that joke? 451 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:57,680 "Some low comedian," as Basil would have said. 452 00:25:57,680 --> 00:25:59,680 And it was these "low comedians" 453 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:02,280 who brought a storm of protests down on ENSA. 454 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:04,560 Certain comics, desperate for laughs, 455 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:07,000 were resorting to risque humour once on the road 456 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,000 and away from the rules and regulations of Drury Lane. 457 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:16,000 Despite having their scripts signed off at HQ, 458 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,760 some still weren't toeing the party line. 459 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:22,560 This controversy about lewd jokes reared its ugly head 460 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:26,480 and Dean was insistent that was not what he wanted. 461 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:32,560 He has a story about listening to a second-rate comic 462 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:36,960 amusing the troops and the comic wasn't doing very well at all, 463 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:40,280 and then he produced some rather blue material 464 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:42,680 and this amused the troops even less, 465 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:45,800 and Basil, as director, sacked him on the spot. 466 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:49,720 Managing a giant operation like ENSA was no easy task. 467 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:52,720 And Basil Dean was starting to make some enemies. 468 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:55,680 He was fighting a variety of battles. 469 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:58,400 First of all, the press were in some ways hostile. 470 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:03,160 He noted that certain agents were unhappy 471 00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:07,360 with the amounts of money that was to be paid to their stars. 472 00:27:07,360 --> 00:27:12,200 There were senior officers who felt they could probably do a better job, 473 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:14,840 because they had chums in the entertainment world. 474 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:17,840 And, of course, the heavyweights of the entertainment world 475 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:20,640 were convinced they could do a better job than Dean. 476 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:23,880 What they didn't have was Dean's drive and initiative. 477 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:26,440 Well, it was very ambitious. 478 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:29,520 He was very ambitious, that's certainly the case. 479 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:32,720 He was dealing with officials and big boards, 480 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:35,000 and no doubt rubbed many up the wrong way. 481 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:37,320 But Basil Dean wouldn't give up on his dream 482 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:39,960 of providing entertainment at the highest level. 483 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:44,680 He tried to raise the standard of ENSA's musical entertainment. 484 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:49,440 There were orchestras, vocalists, all sorts of things, all under ENSA. 485 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:56,480 And it wasn't just the troops who needed respite from the war. 486 00:27:56,480 --> 00:27:59,120 The civilian population was doing its bit, too. 487 00:27:59,120 --> 00:28:01,040 Factories were working round the clock 488 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:02,760 to meet demand for the war effort. 489 00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:06,400 Pauline Sadgrove began her ENSA career playing the cello 490 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:08,960 and touring factories around the UK. 491 00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:12,280 When war broke out, I always felt I'd like to use 492 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:14,400 my talent for entertaining. 493 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:16,000 There were three of us, a trio. 494 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:19,160 Violin, piano and cello. We joined together. 495 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:24,160 The factories, of course, we gave lunch breaks, 496 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:29,000 and the lunch breaks had got to be at 12, sort of six o'clock, 497 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:33,240 any time, four o'clock in the morning or two o'clock in the morning. 498 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:36,640 So our life was upside down. 499 00:28:38,680 --> 00:28:42,160 All these huge factories, 500 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:47,960 they'd only had, you know, very popular music 501 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:54,280 and squeezebox, and a comedian. They gave us a rousing reception. 502 00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:58,480 It was unbelievable. But I think we were an experiment. 503 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:00,480 That's why they were so surprised 504 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:03,080 when every factory asked to have us back again. 505 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:06,720 It gave one a great buzz. 506 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:14,080 Despite the criticisms, ENSA was on a roll. 507 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:16,880 And for Basil Dean, the sky was the limit. 508 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:19,920 I think ENSA was very clever to send the ballet, 509 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:24,000 because it's so far from everyday life in a sense, isn't it? 510 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:26,920 And there's wonderful music and a lot of girls. 511 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:37,840 The troops said to me, "Well, if the ballet's coming out here, 512 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:41,880 "it must be all right. Can't be dreadful, can it?" 513 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:43,880 Gillian Lynne was a young dancer 514 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:47,800 touring the country with the prestigious Sadler's Wells Ballet. 515 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:52,240 We were in Leeds and we heard this rumour we're going abroad in ENSA. 516 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:54,680 We went to London, we were all fitted out, 517 00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:59,960 and to be in a uniform with a cap! And we were in officers' uniform! 518 00:29:59,960 --> 00:30:02,440 And we were rather smart 519 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:05,600 and it was so different from the rest of our lives. 520 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:12,720 We did feel that we were at last going to have 521 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:18,080 a really helpful contribution to the war. 522 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:21,680 I hate to say it, but it was sort of exciting. 523 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:29,320 Two sections of society that would never probably have met up, 524 00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:32,480 you know, because ballet's a sort of isolated world 525 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:36,960 and then the troops came from all different walks of life. 526 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:40,560 To their amazement, the majority adored it, and of course, 527 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:45,280 it's very physical, and there are girls with long legs and tights. 528 00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:48,280 I mean, they were starved of female companionship 529 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:50,360 so that went down rather well. 530 00:30:56,400 --> 00:31:01,720 I think it would have been a really lovely eye-opener for them 531 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:05,840 and they kind of might have forgot a lot of the horror 532 00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:07,640 they were having to go back to. 533 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:20,880 When we were flying at night, I had to have a curtain round me 534 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:24,480 so as I could have a light on to do my job. 535 00:31:24,480 --> 00:31:27,600 But everybody else was sitting in the dark, and the first time 536 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:30,880 I went over a heavily defended target, I was sat behind a pilot. 537 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:34,520 He said, "Come and have a look at this, Allen." I opened the curtain, 538 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:36,080 all hell was breaking loose! 539 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:37,920 So I closed it and got on with my work! 540 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:44,240 It is a very tense sort of business. For a quarter of an hour, 541 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:47,240 when you're over the target, it was indescribable. 542 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:50,560 But for a half hour either side of that, it was pretty rough. 543 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:53,880 Aircraft going down around you, it's very disconcerting. 544 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:01,960 On his 22nd flying raid, Allen Clifford was shot down 545 00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:05,160 and captured by the enemy. Held captive for seven months, 546 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:08,760 he was moved between prisoner of war camps across Germany. 547 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:12,120 In one, Stalag Luft 7, the inmates would stage shows 548 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:14,320 in an attempt to lift their spirits. 549 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:17,240 Well, when I got there, they already had a concert party 550 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:20,160 and one of the things that the Swiss Red Cross did 551 00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:23,400 was to encourage that sort of thing for morale reasons. 552 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:26,440 And because they'd negotiated getting musical instruments 553 00:32:26,440 --> 00:32:29,640 and suchlike, when you've got a couple of thousand people, 554 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:33,560 you've got enough musicians amongst them to make it work. 555 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:36,200 And apparently it was fairly common in most camps. 556 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:39,200 Virtually every week there'd be a musical concert, 557 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:42,840 an hour or something like that. It was fairly amateurish, 558 00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:46,560 but it was very much appreciated and even the Germans liked it. 559 00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:50,200 They would come to it. The costumes were all made. 560 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:53,120 I don't think any of them were imported. 561 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:56,920 At that time, there was all sorts of textiles available from blankets 562 00:32:56,920 --> 00:33:00,560 and things like that and towels. It was remarkable what you could do 563 00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:02,400 with dining towels and suchlike. 564 00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:06,520 Prisoners in these camps would often create their own entertainment 565 00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:08,280 by staging extravagant shows. 566 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:10,600 Making the best of limited resources, 567 00:33:10,600 --> 00:33:13,480 servicemen would be transformed into starlets. 568 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:16,800 There's always people who like dressing up as girls. 569 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:19,120 I don't know where they got their make-up from, 570 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:21,360 I presume the Germans helped there, I suppose. 571 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:24,240 The girls looked pretty good actually. 572 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:26,560 They were always blondes. HE LAUGHS 573 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:29,000 We never had any brunettes or red heads on the show. 574 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:32,080 Always, always blondes. 575 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:35,640 Subversive comments were made from time to time. 576 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:38,840 Every now and then the Germans would expostulate, 577 00:33:38,840 --> 00:33:40,800 "No more of this, no more of this." 578 00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:45,480 Most of your life was enlivened by being awkward. 579 00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:48,160 We were up-to-date on what was going on 580 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:50,600 and where our troops were 581 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:53,080 so you managed to work in a reference to the places 582 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:55,320 that we'd occupied that morning. 583 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:58,040 So they knew it was up-to-date. 584 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:01,280 You'd say something innocuous like, "What's happening in so and so? 585 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:04,080 "Quite exciting, isn't it?" Or, "Quite interesting?" 586 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:06,360 Or, "I don't believe that!" 587 00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:10,680 They frankly weren't as up-to-date as we were on it, actually. 588 00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:14,120 Life as a prisoner of war was brutal and unrelenting. 589 00:34:14,120 --> 00:34:18,000 But during his capture, a moment's kindness from Allen's guard 590 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:21,400 had made a connection across the greatest of divides. 591 00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:24,640 In the corridor was a grand piano, quite a battered looking one 592 00:34:24,640 --> 00:34:25,800 with no front on. 593 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:28,320 He was obviously a classical pianist, 594 00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:31,560 he obviously thought, "What would we know that he knew?" 595 00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:34,840 So he started tinkering this out 596 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:37,320 and I smiled and he said, "Marie Marlene". 597 00:34:37,320 --> 00:34:39,200 I said, "No, Lili Marlene". 598 00:34:39,200 --> 00:34:41,240 "Lili Marlene". 599 00:34:41,240 --> 00:34:44,520 # I'm Lili Marlene 600 00:34:44,520 --> 00:34:48,600 # I'm Lili Marlene... # 601 00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:52,800 It was the one song that we picked up from the Germans. 602 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:55,360 The Eighth Army brought it home. 603 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:57,560 It's a very evocative piece. 604 00:34:57,560 --> 00:34:59,760 It was nice, it was a moment's tenderness. 605 00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:03,240 It brings tears to my eyes. 606 00:35:03,240 --> 00:35:05,520 I'm going to have it played at my funeral. 607 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:08,280 # I'm Lili Marlene... # 608 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:22,760 REPORTER: We won the dogfights and finally the battle, 609 00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:25,640 but many of our pilots were horribly injured 610 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:29,240 in the wreckage of their Spitfires and Hurricanes. 611 00:35:29,240 --> 00:35:33,480 Meanwhile, other members of the RAF who had been badly burned in action 612 00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:37,480 were convalescing at the Marchwood Park facility near Southampton, 613 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:40,040 under the care of pioneering plastic surgeon, 614 00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:41,760 Sir Archibald McIndoe. 615 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:44,880 Brenda Logie had been performing in the south of England 616 00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:47,680 with a concert party and a chance encounter 617 00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:51,800 led to her playing an important part on their road to recovery. 618 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:56,200 We had been told that they were at Marchwood Park 619 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:59,720 in the case we should see them. 620 00:35:59,720 --> 00:36:01,920 This particular morning, I'm walking along 621 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:03,680 and I saw this chap 622 00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:07,560 in RAF uniform coming towards me. 623 00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:12,360 I didn't want him to think he looked any different to anybody else, 624 00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:16,080 so we sort of passed one another and that was that. 625 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:18,960 When I got back to the office, the boss said, 626 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:21,240 "You've got to go up to the personnel", he said. 627 00:36:21,240 --> 00:36:26,320 He said, "You passed squadron leader..." whatever his name was, 628 00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:29,040 "..in the yard this morning and you smiled at him. 629 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:33,400 "Would you like to go to Marchwood? You obviously can cope with it." 630 00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:37,920 He said, "If you would go, you could go and take your pianist with you, 631 00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:44,160 "and do a few songs and talk to them and dance with them, 632 00:36:44,160 --> 00:36:47,320 "if they're having any dancing or anything like that." 633 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:49,280 And I said, "Yes, sure. I'll go." 634 00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:57,200 Well, they liked sort of sentimental songs 635 00:36:57,200 --> 00:37:03,280 and they liked patriotic songs, that was one of the main things. 636 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:11,440 They talked about their families and their parents 637 00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:13,440 and all that sort of thing. 638 00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:16,640 And, as I say, once they got to trust you, 639 00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:20,560 they would tell you what operations they were going to have. 640 00:37:20,560 --> 00:37:25,040 I admired them tremendously, I thought they were so brave. 641 00:37:25,040 --> 00:37:29,320 I thought it was absolutely dreadful, you know, what had happened. 642 00:37:29,320 --> 00:37:33,160 And I hope they all realised that I thought that they were 643 00:37:33,160 --> 00:37:35,280 all pretty special people. 644 00:37:35,280 --> 00:37:39,360 If music was good to them and they wanted it done, 645 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:40,960 I was quite prepared to do it. 646 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:54,920 Further along the south coast, Betty Hockey was also keen to do 647 00:37:54,920 --> 00:37:57,720 her bit for the war effort and had an idea. 648 00:37:57,720 --> 00:38:01,760 I was passing all these camps under canvas 649 00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:05,240 and general activity and I thought, "I must do something. 650 00:38:05,240 --> 00:38:10,120 "What can I do?" Then I suddenly thought, "I'll run a concert party." 651 00:38:10,120 --> 00:38:14,200 I'd never done it before in my life, but nevertheless I did. 652 00:38:14,200 --> 00:38:19,760 So I chose 16 that wanted to be in the Forces, 653 00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:22,360 but couldn't get released from their jobs, 654 00:38:22,360 --> 00:38:24,800 so that was the nearest they could get. 655 00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:27,360 There was a ventriloquist, 656 00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:28,640 a magician, 657 00:38:28,640 --> 00:38:33,360 and there was a man and wife, accordion and xylophone. 658 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:35,960 We really had the lot. 659 00:38:35,960 --> 00:38:38,200 We had all sorts of dancers. 660 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:41,360 There was the hula hula, we used to do. 661 00:38:41,360 --> 00:38:46,480 And we had made skirts out of raffia and straw and things like that. 662 00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:51,360 At one RAF camp, they gave us a lovely parachute. 663 00:38:51,360 --> 00:38:54,760 The men had shirts out of it, we made the shirts. 664 00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:56,960 It was amazing what we did use it for! 665 00:38:58,280 --> 00:39:00,840 Then I suddenly thought of the can-can. 666 00:39:00,840 --> 00:39:02,800 It was risque. 667 00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:05,720 It wasn't considered nice. 668 00:39:05,720 --> 00:39:09,080 Actually, it wasn't allowed in England at that stage, 669 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:11,280 it was banned. 670 00:39:11,280 --> 00:39:14,880 Nevertheless, the boys loved it and they kept asking us back. 671 00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:21,920 # If I were the only girl... # 672 00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:25,480 One place in particular was to make a lasting impression on Betty. 673 00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:28,720 I shall never forget Hurst Castle. 674 00:39:28,720 --> 00:39:31,200 # Nothing else would matter 675 00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:32,520 # In this world... # 676 00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:35,680 The theatre, of course, was so tiny. 677 00:39:35,680 --> 00:39:38,240 16 of us couldn't get on that stage 678 00:39:38,240 --> 00:39:42,360 so we had to make do and mend. 679 00:39:42,360 --> 00:39:46,320 We did most of the show on the floor in front of the stage. 680 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:50,920 They were almost on top of us. 681 00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:53,720 I can hear them all singing 682 00:39:53,720 --> 00:39:55,560 and doing their acts. 683 00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:58,360 I really can. It's almost like a ghost. 684 00:39:58,360 --> 00:40:00,280 # If I were 685 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:03,440 # The only girl 686 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:05,280 # In the world 687 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:09,080 # And you were 688 00:40:09,080 --> 00:40:12,840 # The only boy. # 689 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:22,160 And even on 5th June 1944, the night before D-Day, 690 00:40:22,160 --> 00:40:24,480 Betty and her troupe were in the camp 691 00:40:24,480 --> 00:40:26,640 unaware of what was about to unfold. 692 00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:29,640 Strangely enough, they allowed us to do a show. 693 00:40:29,640 --> 00:40:32,640 I don't know how it happened, but it was at Holmsley. 694 00:40:32,640 --> 00:40:37,520 We guessed something pretty major was going to happen 695 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:39,240 but nobody really knew. 696 00:40:40,800 --> 00:40:43,200 We had to be very careful what we said and... 697 00:40:44,440 --> 00:40:47,520 But actually, we knew where everybody was. 698 00:40:47,520 --> 00:40:50,600 I could have done a lot of damage. 699 00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:52,960 We really couldn't do the show properly 700 00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:56,520 because they were coming and going the whole evening. 701 00:40:56,520 --> 00:40:59,200 The planes were taking off on one side 702 00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:03,080 and the trucks and the tanks the other side. 703 00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:07,320 It wasn't the normal, happy atmosphere 704 00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:08,960 that there had been before. 705 00:41:08,960 --> 00:41:15,000 They were very agitated, because you knew that the next lot 706 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:18,080 you were entertaining were the next lot to go. 707 00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:21,640 And half of the others didn't come back, of course. 708 00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:27,400 They sang, they sang. They sang their hearts out. 709 00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:30,400 They knew jolly well what they had ahead of them. 710 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:36,520 TROOPS SINGING 711 00:41:57,480 --> 00:42:01,200 REPORTER: D-Day has come. Early this morning, the Allies began an assault 712 00:42:01,200 --> 00:42:05,600 on the north-western face of Hitler's European fortress. 713 00:42:05,600 --> 00:42:08,680 The first official news came just after half past nine, 714 00:42:08,680 --> 00:42:12,240 when supreme headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force 715 00:42:12,240 --> 00:42:15,760 issued communique number one. This said, 716 00:42:15,760 --> 00:42:19,240 "Under the command of General Eisenhower, Allied naval forces, 717 00:42:19,240 --> 00:42:21,240 "supported by strong air forces, 718 00:42:21,240 --> 00:42:24,400 "began landing Allied armies this morning 719 00:42:24,400 --> 00:42:25,960 "on the northern coast of France." 720 00:42:34,560 --> 00:42:37,640 D-Day proved to be a major turning-point in the war 721 00:42:37,640 --> 00:42:40,080 and Basil Dean wanted the entertainment world 722 00:42:40,080 --> 00:42:43,600 to show its mettle and be there for the troops as they went into action. 723 00:42:43,600 --> 00:42:45,440 Dean was desperate, 724 00:42:45,440 --> 00:42:50,520 he would have liked to have been the first entertainment unit ashore. 725 00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:51,680 In his heart of hearts, 726 00:42:51,680 --> 00:42:54,080 he knew that he was going to run second on this one, 727 00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:57,520 because of that business of, should the Germans counter-attack, 728 00:42:57,520 --> 00:43:00,040 then what would happen to the ENSA party. 729 00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:03,360 This time, rather than the civilian entertainers of ENSA, 730 00:43:03,360 --> 00:43:05,160 it was Stars In Battledress - 731 00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:08,320 the military organisation who got there first. 732 00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:10,960 You had a collection of very talented people, 733 00:43:10,960 --> 00:43:13,800 but they could go anywhere and if necessary, 734 00:43:13,800 --> 00:43:18,000 they could defend their location or they could attack if necessary. 735 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:20,120 But ENSA was hot on their heels. 736 00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:21,960 Just weeks after D-Day, 737 00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:25,920 the organisation sent over one of its best-known stars. 738 00:43:28,280 --> 00:43:31,480 # I'm leaning on a lamp-post at the corner of the street 739 00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:34,680 # In case a certain little lady comes by 740 00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:37,040 # Oh, me, oh, my 741 00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:41,200 # I hope the little lady comes by... # 742 00:43:41,200 --> 00:43:44,480 Other ENSA stars soon followed to do their bit for the troops. 743 00:43:44,480 --> 00:43:46,720 Acts as diverse as Ivor Novello, 744 00:43:46,720 --> 00:43:49,640 Flanagan And Allen and Margaret Rutherford 745 00:43:49,640 --> 00:43:52,800 crossed the Channel in the weeks after D-Day. 746 00:43:52,800 --> 00:43:58,360 And ENSA's army of unknown entertainers weren't far behind. 747 00:43:58,360 --> 00:44:02,600 It was about September before I started going, therefore, 748 00:44:02,600 --> 00:44:08,080 you are three months behind the fighting. 749 00:44:14,360 --> 00:44:20,240 Wherever we went, the devastation was absolutely horrendous. 750 00:44:20,240 --> 00:44:22,320 Every time you entertained the boys, 751 00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:27,440 they were very happy to be alive, I suppose, but a little depressed. 752 00:44:31,960 --> 00:44:35,240 You're so appreciated. 753 00:44:35,240 --> 00:44:38,080 You didn't have to be clever, you just stood on the stage 754 00:44:38,080 --> 00:44:43,400 and that to them, I mean, you can imagine the horrors of war 755 00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:49,760 and everybody, they experienced it, where we only ever saw the aftermath, 756 00:44:49,760 --> 00:44:52,840 which was horrific at places, 757 00:44:52,840 --> 00:44:56,360 but nothing to what the boys were going through. 758 00:44:58,040 --> 00:45:00,440 But ENSA parties travelling and performing 759 00:45:00,440 --> 00:45:02,320 in the midst of war zones themselves 760 00:45:02,320 --> 00:45:04,480 weren't immune to the dangers. 761 00:45:04,480 --> 00:45:07,400 The reality of war was about to hit close to home. 762 00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:12,480 She was blonde and vivacious, a very good dancer, 763 00:45:12,480 --> 00:45:16,640 and she and I got on as sisters. 764 00:45:16,640 --> 00:45:19,160 Vivien Hole had been Audrey's dance partner 765 00:45:19,160 --> 00:45:20,960 before they both joined ENSA. 766 00:45:20,960 --> 00:45:28,920 They were driving from one venue to the other, in the coach. 767 00:45:28,920 --> 00:45:34,880 Unfortunately, they took a wrong turning and went into a minefield 768 00:45:34,880 --> 00:45:40,760 and the wheel over which she was sitting was hit and she died. 769 00:45:42,120 --> 00:45:43,880 I was devastated. 770 00:45:43,880 --> 00:45:49,400 I mean, she was so lovely and 19 years old 771 00:45:49,400 --> 00:45:52,360 and it's just incredible, really. 772 00:45:52,360 --> 00:45:57,080 It comes home to you, when somebody so close to you gets killed. 773 00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:06,880 Troops continued to land at Normandy to support the push into Europe. 774 00:46:06,880 --> 00:46:11,720 Amongst them was a young Eric Sykes, serving with the RAF. 775 00:46:11,720 --> 00:46:14,880 I was a wireless operator, yes, in what was formed, 776 00:46:14,880 --> 00:46:20,080 especially for the invasion of Europe, was a mobile signals unit. 777 00:46:20,080 --> 00:46:24,800 Eric decided to try his luck with show business at the end of the war. 778 00:46:24,800 --> 00:46:29,000 They started a concert party, with a notice on the notice board, 779 00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:31,920 "All those with theatrical experience... 780 00:46:31,920 --> 00:46:34,320 "..report to..." what do you call it. 781 00:46:34,320 --> 00:46:37,080 And I thought, "Yeah, I've got theatrical experience, 782 00:46:37,080 --> 00:46:38,800 "I've been to the theatre twice." 783 00:46:38,800 --> 00:46:42,800 They were mainly troop audiences and, you know, 784 00:46:42,800 --> 00:46:45,600 we went very well, so that's it. 785 00:46:45,600 --> 00:46:50,600 These shows, we all stood on the stage when the curtain went up 786 00:46:50,600 --> 00:46:54,160 and all on chairs, leaning on the back of the chair 787 00:46:54,160 --> 00:46:56,400 and singing our opening number. 788 00:46:56,400 --> 00:46:59,240 But every one of us was in our uniforms 789 00:46:59,240 --> 00:47:02,440 with the badges of rank and everything. 790 00:47:02,440 --> 00:47:06,440 All throughout the show, we never changed out of that uniform, 791 00:47:06,440 --> 00:47:08,400 so we could go straight off the street, 792 00:47:08,400 --> 00:47:11,640 on the stage, do the show, straight out and... 793 00:47:13,960 --> 00:47:15,880 Enough said. 794 00:47:15,880 --> 00:47:21,560 We were a team and that was really enjoyable. 795 00:47:21,560 --> 00:47:22,880 Whilst serving abroad, 796 00:47:22,880 --> 00:47:26,280 Eric found he could tune into his own favourite entertainer. 797 00:47:26,280 --> 00:47:28,760 Being a wireless operator, you see, sometimes, 798 00:47:28,760 --> 00:47:32,520 in between sending out messages and receiving them, 799 00:47:32,520 --> 00:47:34,640 we had quite large breaks, 800 00:47:34,640 --> 00:47:38,480 so we could either get the cricket scores from London 801 00:47:38,480 --> 00:47:41,960 when we were abroad in France or Holland or somewhere, 802 00:47:41,960 --> 00:47:44,600 or we could get Vera Lynn 803 00:47:44,600 --> 00:47:48,000 and I'd prefer Vera Lynn to the cricket scores. 804 00:47:48,000 --> 00:47:51,880 REPORTER: From home to the Forces, from Vera Lynn and Fred Hartley. 805 00:47:51,880 --> 00:47:55,960 VERA LYNN: This letter of mine is getting to be a sort of rendezvous, 806 00:47:55,960 --> 00:47:59,200 where husbands and wives, torn apart by war, 807 00:47:59,200 --> 00:48:01,840 can be brought together by music. 808 00:48:01,840 --> 00:48:05,000 On the wings of these melodies, 809 00:48:05,000 --> 00:48:09,320 the sentiments go from me to both of you, from you to her. 810 00:48:09,320 --> 00:48:12,480 Here's our song together tonight. 811 00:48:19,320 --> 00:48:23,560 # Night and day 812 00:48:23,560 --> 00:48:26,200 # You are the one... # 813 00:48:26,200 --> 00:48:30,520 The young star was broadcasting a weekly show, Sincerely Yours, 814 00:48:30,520 --> 00:48:33,640 which conveyed messages between troops and families 815 00:48:33,640 --> 00:48:34,960 separated by the war. 816 00:48:34,960 --> 00:48:38,480 # Whether near to me or far... # 817 00:48:38,480 --> 00:48:43,080 I was getting all these letters from the boys and I thought, "Well, 818 00:48:43,080 --> 00:48:46,440 "I wonder what the possibility is, if I could get out there, 819 00:48:46,440 --> 00:48:49,280 "actually, and sing to them in person 820 00:48:49,280 --> 00:48:53,520 "instead of over the radio and talk to them." 821 00:48:53,520 --> 00:48:57,160 I approached ENSA, so they said, "Well, where would you like to go?" 822 00:48:57,160 --> 00:48:58,960 I said, "Well, if I'm going anywhere, 823 00:48:58,960 --> 00:49:01,760 "I want to go where they don't get any entertainment." 824 00:49:01,760 --> 00:49:07,760 So they said, "Well, Burma is one that gets very little, if anything." 825 00:49:07,760 --> 00:49:11,000 So I said, "Right, that's where I want to go." 826 00:49:21,240 --> 00:49:25,080 The boys never talked about their experiences when they were out there. 827 00:49:25,080 --> 00:49:29,840 I suppose they wanted just to forget it, really. 828 00:49:29,840 --> 00:49:33,280 It was rather a nasty war out there. 829 00:49:37,640 --> 00:49:39,320 Everywhere I went, they said, 830 00:49:39,320 --> 00:49:42,120 "When you go back home, will you tell them about us? 831 00:49:42,120 --> 00:49:48,960 "And remind them that we are here still." The war isn't over for them. 832 00:49:51,920 --> 00:49:54,360 They really did feel they were forgotten. 833 00:49:57,960 --> 00:50:00,440 I was performing in all sorts of places. 834 00:50:00,440 --> 00:50:01,880 It might be in a tent 835 00:50:01,880 --> 00:50:08,960 or it might be a whole crowd of 6,000 in a big open area. 836 00:50:08,960 --> 00:50:12,440 They came from miles and miles around 837 00:50:12,440 --> 00:50:18,840 and it was so lovely to be able to be there and not just sing to them, 838 00:50:18,840 --> 00:50:20,440 but to go round and talk to them 839 00:50:20,440 --> 00:50:22,800 and chat, bring them a little bit of home. 840 00:50:22,800 --> 00:50:25,400 Tell them how we were facing the bombs and everything 841 00:50:25,400 --> 00:50:28,880 and try and cheer them up. Tell them not to worry. You know, 842 00:50:28,880 --> 00:50:31,280 we were OK, we were getting food. 843 00:50:31,280 --> 00:50:35,960 It wasn't just the singing, it was contact with home. 844 00:50:35,960 --> 00:50:41,120 # We'll meet again 845 00:50:41,120 --> 00:50:46,520 # Don't know where, don't know when 846 00:50:46,520 --> 00:50:51,960 # But I know we'll meet again 847 00:50:51,960 --> 00:50:55,120 # Some sunny day... # 848 00:50:55,120 --> 00:50:58,840 It was a very popular song and popular I think 849 00:50:58,840 --> 00:51:05,480 because it was optimistic and it spoke of hope 850 00:51:05,480 --> 00:51:10,680 and better things to come that, you know, that we all would meet again. 851 00:51:10,680 --> 00:51:16,480 # Drive the dark clouds far away... # 852 00:51:16,480 --> 00:51:22,720 Any song she sang, she could sing the advert on a coco tin 853 00:51:22,720 --> 00:51:25,720 and make it sound musical. 854 00:51:25,720 --> 00:51:28,680 She's just that kind of a genius. 855 00:51:28,680 --> 00:51:31,320 What she did give her audiences, 856 00:51:31,320 --> 00:51:35,920 she had that amazing ability to have that quality in her voice 857 00:51:35,920 --> 00:51:38,560 that went home to all the individuals 858 00:51:38,560 --> 00:51:44,920 and everybody that looked it, felt that she was singing just for him. 859 00:51:44,920 --> 00:51:48,640 I feel blessed that I was in a position 860 00:51:48,640 --> 00:51:50,400 that I was able to do something. 861 00:51:50,400 --> 00:51:58,240 # But I know we'll meet again some sunny day... # 862 00:52:00,800 --> 00:52:03,720 CLOCK CHIMES 863 00:52:03,720 --> 00:52:08,040 Hostilities will end, officially, 864 00:52:08,040 --> 00:52:14,480 at one minute after midnight tonight, Tuesday the 8th May. 865 00:52:14,480 --> 00:52:21,480 The German war is therefore at an end. Advance, Britannia! 866 00:52:21,480 --> 00:52:26,800 Long live the cause of freedom. God Save the King! 867 00:52:26,800 --> 00:52:30,800 CHEERING 868 00:52:30,800 --> 00:52:32,640 On the 8th May 1945, 869 00:52:32,640 --> 00:52:35,880 cheering crowds gathered to celebrate victory in Europe. 870 00:52:35,880 --> 00:52:41,080 Just over three months later, Japan surrendered to the Allies. 871 00:52:41,080 --> 00:52:42,680 World War II was finally over. 872 00:52:42,680 --> 00:52:44,840 CROWDS CHEERING 873 00:52:47,280 --> 00:52:50,800 FANFARE 874 00:52:50,800 --> 00:52:53,680 REPORTER: The curtain rises on London's victory parade 875 00:52:53,680 --> 00:52:56,080 as their Majesties leave Buckingham Palace 876 00:52:56,080 --> 00:52:58,960 for the saluting base of the Mall. 877 00:52:58,960 --> 00:53:02,600 The following year saw official celebrations in the victory parade 878 00:53:02,600 --> 00:53:05,120 where all aspects of wartime service were honoured, 879 00:53:05,120 --> 00:53:08,120 from military regiments to broadcasting organisations. 880 00:53:08,120 --> 00:53:12,360 The biggest moment of all was when our own boys appeared, 881 00:53:12,360 --> 00:53:15,280 the men who have fought our battles the world over. 882 00:53:15,280 --> 00:53:18,320 Also taking in the procession, a Movietone sound-recording car, 883 00:53:18,320 --> 00:53:21,000 just one of a fleet which saw service on many battle fronts. 884 00:53:21,000 --> 00:53:23,040 The men and women of the home front were there - 885 00:53:23,040 --> 00:53:27,640 people who kept on working whatever the danger, 886 00:53:27,640 --> 00:53:31,040 turning out the weapons, running our transport, delivering our food. 887 00:53:31,040 --> 00:53:33,560 Yes, they were all there, the ordinary people. 888 00:53:33,560 --> 00:53:37,440 It was their day, a day of rejoicing and of thanks. 889 00:53:37,440 --> 00:53:40,240 But it wasn't to be Basil Dean's day, 890 00:53:40,240 --> 00:53:44,760 there was no place for ENSA in the victory parade. 891 00:53:44,760 --> 00:53:47,880 Every actor and actress would have loved the chance 892 00:53:47,880 --> 00:53:50,240 to have marched on that parade. 893 00:53:50,240 --> 00:53:52,560 They'd been to the most dangerous places in the world. 894 00:53:52,560 --> 00:53:54,440 But were denied this. 895 00:53:54,440 --> 00:53:57,080 All the army were, they have their service medals 896 00:53:57,080 --> 00:53:58,920 and things at the end of the war. 897 00:53:58,920 --> 00:54:02,680 And somewhere, somebody gave us some little bits of ribbon, 898 00:54:02,680 --> 00:54:04,840 all frayed-out with nothing else. 899 00:54:04,840 --> 00:54:09,400 It was just wiped out, more or less. It was a pity. 900 00:54:13,120 --> 00:54:15,120 Between 1939 and 1946, 901 00:54:15,120 --> 00:54:18,560 ENSA had put on over 2.5 million performances, 902 00:54:18,560 --> 00:54:21,840 from Iceland to India, Burma to Berlin. 903 00:54:24,160 --> 00:54:27,520 Along with other entertainment troupes, 904 00:54:27,520 --> 00:54:30,440 the world of show business had done itself proud. 905 00:54:30,440 --> 00:54:33,240 But things were going from bad to worse for Basil Dean. 906 00:54:33,240 --> 00:54:37,320 I do remember a certain rumpus 907 00:54:37,320 --> 00:54:41,760 when an MP made an attack on my father in the House Of Commons. 908 00:54:41,760 --> 00:54:44,320 While I am mentioning expenditure, 909 00:54:44,320 --> 00:54:47,200 might I refer to that very much travelled gentlemen, 910 00:54:47,200 --> 00:54:50,800 the worldwide traveller at public expense, Basil Dean. 911 00:54:50,800 --> 00:54:54,400 With his £3,000 a year salary, his unlimited expenses, 912 00:54:54,400 --> 00:54:57,040 free car and chauffeur, two secretaries 913 00:54:57,040 --> 00:55:01,280 and medical expenses provided and uniforms and ribbons as well. 914 00:55:01,280 --> 00:55:04,680 All paid for by soldiers, sailors and airmen? 915 00:55:04,680 --> 00:55:06,560 He has been, throughout the war, 916 00:55:06,560 --> 00:55:10,000 or at least since NAAFI took over the responsibility, 917 00:55:10,000 --> 00:55:12,680 more generously rewarded than Montgomery. 918 00:55:12,680 --> 00:55:17,880 That deprived him of any kind of serious honour for his ENSA work, 919 00:55:17,880 --> 00:55:19,880 that I do know as a fact. 920 00:55:19,880 --> 00:55:23,080 He got a CBE as quite a lot of other people in ENSA did. 921 00:55:23,080 --> 00:55:25,280 I think he would have got a knighthood. 922 00:55:25,280 --> 00:55:28,160 You see, he put people's backs up, that was the trouble. 923 00:55:28,160 --> 00:55:31,960 But even so, he ought to have been honoured much more often 924 00:55:31,960 --> 00:55:34,560 for ENSA, there's no doubt about that. 925 00:55:34,560 --> 00:55:39,520 ENSA had by this time too many enemies. 926 00:55:39,520 --> 00:55:43,040 Perhaps it's better to say Basil Dean had too many enemies. 927 00:55:43,040 --> 00:55:44,680 People wanted him out of the way. 928 00:55:44,680 --> 00:55:48,640 There were stories of generals who would no longer talk to him in Germany. 929 00:55:48,640 --> 00:55:52,400 So I think he realised the writing was on the wall. 930 00:55:52,400 --> 00:55:54,040 But at the end of the day, 931 00:55:54,040 --> 00:55:59,040 the generals may have had their view, but some of the lads 932 00:55:59,040 --> 00:56:02,680 in far flung places would have said to them, "No, he did a good job. 933 00:56:02,680 --> 00:56:06,280 "I had some entertainment thanks to this man's idea." 934 00:56:06,280 --> 00:56:10,600 Those people who joined ENSA, those soldiers 935 00:56:10,600 --> 00:56:13,920 who put down their rifles and put on a frock and had a dance 936 00:56:13,920 --> 00:56:20,200 and made the boys laugh was just as important as medicine and food. 937 00:56:20,200 --> 00:56:22,840 After ten years of blackout and semi-darkness, 938 00:56:22,840 --> 00:56:25,000 the lights go on again. 939 00:56:25,000 --> 00:56:28,200 # There's no business like show business... # 940 00:56:28,200 --> 00:56:31,840 The war ended, but the invasion of show business started. 941 00:56:31,840 --> 00:56:34,360 Because all of a sudden 942 00:56:34,360 --> 00:56:37,960 you were getting all these talented people coming out 943 00:56:37,960 --> 00:56:40,680 at the same time into the West End of London. 944 00:56:42,680 --> 00:56:46,920 Anybody who thought they could do a turn, anything, coming out. 945 00:56:46,920 --> 00:56:51,240 It was sort of reinvigorating or invigorating the theatres again. 946 00:56:51,240 --> 00:56:56,960 People wanted to be entertained and new names coming all over the place. 947 00:56:56,960 --> 00:56:59,400 Tommy Cooper and Frankie Howerd, Spike. 948 00:56:59,400 --> 00:57:02,200 Peter Sellers, Tony Hancock. 949 00:57:02,200 --> 00:57:05,240 Eric Sykes of course was another one. Dear old Eric. 950 00:57:05,240 --> 00:57:08,560 I desperately wanted to go into show business 951 00:57:08,560 --> 00:57:11,720 after I'd had such a wonderful time at the end of the war. 952 00:57:11,720 --> 00:57:19,040 What was good about it all was the fact that it was all new ground. 953 00:57:19,040 --> 00:57:21,640 And for this band of intrepid entertainers, 954 00:57:21,880 --> 00:57:25,280 the memories of those performances would last a lifetime. 955 00:57:25,280 --> 00:57:30,600 You look back and you think, "Good gracious, we did that. We saw that." 956 00:57:30,600 --> 00:57:33,600 I can't believe it now when I think of it. 957 00:57:33,600 --> 00:57:35,920 It must have been another person. 958 00:57:35,920 --> 00:57:40,160 It can't have been me doing all that, you know? 959 00:57:40,160 --> 00:57:42,800 I wouldn't have thought I had the guts to do it. 960 00:57:42,800 --> 00:57:46,880 I was glad I did it. Very glad I did it. 961 00:57:46,880 --> 00:57:52,760 It's funny to say in a wartime, I wouldn't have missed. 962 00:57:52,760 --> 00:57:55,760 They were some of the happiest days of my life. 963 00:57:55,760 --> 00:58:03,280 # And go on with the show 964 00:58:03,280 --> 00:58:07,440 # There's no people like show people 965 00:58:07,440 --> 00:58:10,800 # They smile when they are low 966 00:58:10,800 --> 00:58:14,440 # Even with a turkey that you know will fold 967 00:58:14,440 --> 00:58:18,200 # You may be stranded out in the cold 968 00:58:18,200 --> 00:58:21,920 # Still you wouldn't change it for a sack of gold 969 00:58:21,920 --> 00:58:27,000 # Let's go on with the show. #