Levison Wood and historian Alex Bescoby to search for one of the surviving veterans of the World War II campaign
Sky History has ordered a documentary paying tribute to the last surviving veterans of the allied victory in Burma.
As part of its 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day) programming, the single doc The Last Burma Star will also recognise those from Burma (now Myanmar) who fought alongside British and Commonwealth forces against the Japanese who occupied the region during World War II.
Levison Wood, whose grandfather fought in the Fast East campaign, will join historian and presenter Alex Bescoby to front the doc. Together, they will travel to India and the border with Myanmar to find one of the last surviving veterans of the campaign from Burma to deliver his campaign medal, the Burma Star.
Co-produced by Bescoby’s indie Grammar Productions (British Museum: Burma to Myanmar, The Last Overland), Maya Vision International (Du Fu: China’s Greatest Poet) and Blackmane Media (Levison Wood: Walking With…), the doc will feature personal testimonies and archive footage. It is set to air in November.
Vice-president of programming at Hearst Networks Dan Korn said: “The Last Burma Star is a powerful tribute to a forgotten chapter of history.
“Through compelling storytelling and filmmaking, this documentary seeks to honour the courage and sacrifice of those veterans who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with British and Commonwealth troops in the Far East, in the name of freedom.”
The documentary is supported by official legacy partner the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Help for Forgotten Allies, The Burma Star Memorial Fund, The Gurkha Welfare Trust, and Royal British Legion Industries.
Executive producer at Maya Vision International Rebecca Dobbs added: ‘’Timely, important and moving, this very human story describes both the brutality of the war and the comradeship of those who fought together in one of the most multi-racial armies in British history.
“This film also shows us the importance of history: to those who lived it, to the generations that followed and to those still struggling with the aftermath.”
As part of its VJ Day line up Sky will also air some of its previous documentaries around the Pacific War and the Japanese surrender.
In addition to the UK, The Last Burma Star will become available across all Hearst Networks’ EMEA territories.
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