The great war The people's story : Episode four: Arthur, Helen, Diana, Duff and Ted.

This accessible series resumes the dramatisation of the diaries, letters and memoires of people directly involved in WWI either as serving military personnel or civillians. This episode starts in 1917. Arthur Roberts, based in Scotland, a mixed race ship-buiilding apprentice, journeyed from Edinburgh to Ypres in Belgium. Duff Cooper working at the foreign office is released to serve. Duff was in love with an aristrocratic lady, Lady Diana Manners. Many eligible men had already been killed but her parents refused her permission to marry him. Arthur Roberts was based at Passchendale where the worst of the fighting happened. This was also where the worst of the rain and mud was; 250,000 allied men died. Ted Poole, was 18 and conscripted. He describes his training to his father in a letter. The Land Army of women became critical to feed the nation. Helen Bentwich, working in a munitions factory in episode three where she was sacked becomes a land army volunteer. Helen enjoys her freedom - she buys herself a motorbike. Diana volunteered as a nurse against her mother's wishes. She started work at Guys. Duff is also surprised by his experiences after his upbringing. Ted Poole describes how deserters were treated. Arthur was accused of damaging his boots and finds himself facing a court martial. Germany bolstered by returning soldiers from the Eastern front suddenly looked like they might be winning. Lady Diana and Duff correspond and pour their hearts out to each other. The US joins the war in 1917. Duff was in the midst of the fighting, he singlehandedly captures 18 Germans, symptomatic of the German's lack of morale. Ted became part of the final push; he doesn't survive. Eventually Germany surrenders; Churchill's account of the end of the war is included. Life starts to return to normal. After the war Helen became involved in politics. Duff and Diana get married. Hallie recounts a visit to an exhibition which showed how some of the objects of war could be usefully re-used.