Harold’s War

A remarkable true story of an East Yorkshire boy’s battle for Britain in World War Two.

This is a true story presented with short video clips from unique interviews with Harold and other family members who fought in World War Two, combined with live narration, readings from letters exchanged and conversations recalled, plus additional archive materials. This performance will be captured as a radio podcast recording in front of a live audience.

Harold was the youngest of 5 brothers. He was just 14 years old when World War Two broke out in 1939. His mother watched her sons report for duty, one by one, but never dreamed her youngest would serve.

This unlikely band of brothers and their friends took on the Nazis in the battle for Britain and the liberation of Europe, North Africa and, ultimately, the Far East.

Over 40 years later Harold’s grandson, Daniel, produced a school project to explore his Family at War. He discovered relatives involved at every major milestone, from fleeing persecution to the outbreak of hostilities; the retreat from Dunkirk, the defence of Britain and the D-Day landings; major battles, seizing scientists and even the development of the atom bomb.

Daniel interviewed those involved on video and combined it with archive footage and commentary. Research revealed that, sadly, many other members of the family who had remained in Eastern Europe lost their lives in ghettos and concentration camps at the hands of the Nazis.

The final edited video was sent to Steven Spielberg, who had just released Schindler’s List, to offer it to the Shoah Foundation archive of survivor testimonies. The response related how impressed he was with Daniel’s film and how it would pay tribute to those featured, long after their deaths, as a legacy for future generations.

Now almost 30 years later, Daniel’s father Jonathan, an accomplished producer in his own right, has created a presentation incorporating excerpts from the original video interviews, combined with archive, live narration and readings. It is a unique and moving story which captures, vividly, the mixed emotions of the time, from nervous humour to heart-breaking grief.

This premiere performance will be presented as a script-in-hand radio and podcast recording in front of a live audience, including relatives of Harold, his extended family and friends who are featured in the original interviews.