How Britain Won World War Two will serve as a 165-minute one-off marking this year’s Remembrance Day. The film will feature British journalist Michael Buerk and TV presenter Arthur Williams as they reveal hidden stories and events that altered the course of the Second World War.
The duo will venture behind the scenes of some of the most famous turning points of the war – Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain and the D-Day landings – to find the unsung heroes who made them possible. Buerk and Williams will meet with experts, historians and family members to hear the untold stories of the ordinary people who fought for their country.
How Britain Won World War Two is co-produced by October Films and Motion Content Group. It is executive produced by October’s Julia Harrington, with Bob Marsden listed as producer. The executive producer for Motion Content Group is Melanie Darlaston. Daniel Pearl commissioned the special for Channel 5.
Meanwhile, the 3 x 60-minute Dambusters Story: A Battle Against Time will document historian Dan Snow as he relives the countdown to Operation Chastise, one of the most daring bombing raids in history. The attacks employed 133 airmen whose mission it was to deal a hammer blow to the Nazi war effort.
In May 1943, the British Air Ministry had recognized Germany’s industrial Ruhr Valley and its various dams as important strategic targets that would inflict much damage to the country’s ongoing war efforts. By using a purpose-built “bouncing bomb”, the Royal Air Force was able to breach the Möhne and Edersee dams, causing catastrophic flooding, while also destroying two hydroelectric power stations.
The Dambusters Story: A Battle Against Time is executive produced by Neil Breakwell, while the series producer is Jamie Simpson. C5′s Lucy Willis commissioned the series.
Premiere dates for the two series have not yet been announced.
