The Somme: The First 24 Hours with Tony Robinson (2016)

Plot Summary

Hosted by actor and historian Sir Tony Robinson, this one-off special tells the powerful and moving story of five men, all members of a unique volunteer army – the Sheffield City battalion – as it recounts the soldiers’ last days, leaving their homes and loved ones to go and serve alongside their friends and neighbours, completely unaware of what lay ahead of them. Central to the programme is the story of Private Frank Meakin, who recorded his unique personal testimony of the war. Frank and his friends could never have anticipated what they would experience, but 100 years on we know in detail, thanks to his diary – an account that shouldn’t have existed, because keeping one was forbidden for servicemen on active duty on the Western Front. Frank’s diary, which was smuggled back from the Front, reveals the intimate details and dramatic stories of one battalion – and one British city – in the words of one man.

Full Cast & Characters

Tony Robinson

Presenter

Simon Ashland

Private Frank Meakin

Carl Wharton

Captain William Folley

Richard Thirlwall

Private Alf Casey

Josef Dawes

Private Reg Glenn

Jon M Coleman

Sergeant Will Streets

Director & Crew

Where to Watch The Somme: The First 24 Hours with Tony Robinson Online

Movies Similar to The Somme: The First 24 Hours with Tony Robinson

IMDb 7.9

Charcot: Secret Poles

2016

IMDb 8.0

Grandpa's in the Tuff Shed

1998

IMDb 10.0

102 Years in the Heart of Europe: A Portrait of Ernst Jünger

1998

IMDb 7.0

Forgotten Men

1933

IMDb NR

Hunt For the Lost Superfleet

2020

IMDb NR

Asunder

2016

Frequently Asked Questions