85 Your Country Needs You! World War I

In this episode Horatio Herbert Kitchener, the secretary of state for war, declares, Your Country Needs You!

The First World War meant that Britain had to raise a new army from volunteers, so the call was raised. Five strong, stout brothers from the Souls family, who lived in the Gloucestershire village of Great Rissington, signed up to join the army and become soldiers. After training they shipped out for France.

Albert, the youngest brother, was the first to be killed. Fred was the second brother to die, he was killed at the battle of the Somme. Walter was killed next, soon followed by Alfred.

The last of the five brothers alive was Arthur, he was Alfred’s identical twin, and won the Military Medal for valour at the fight to hold Villers-Bretonneux. But during the battle he was fatally wounded.

Five brothers from the Souls family, all lost. A snapshot of a war like no other - tragedy writ large.

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