Captain Tom Moore the TV star: Former Army officer given a documentary

Captain Tom Moore the TV star: Former Army officer who’s raised £28million for NHS charities will share his WWII experiences in an ITV documentary to be aired on VE Day

Captain Tom Moore, who turns 100 next week, is to have his own documentary
Former British Army Officer will share his experiences of the Second World War
The 30-minute documentary will be aired on ITV on VE Day next month
Captain Tom has raised more than £28million for NHS Charities during lockdown
Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

Coronavirus fundraising hero Captain Tom Moore is to be given his own TV documentary.

The former British Army officer, who turns 100 next week, will share his experiences of the Second World War in a 30-minute special, Captain Tom’s War, which will be aired on TV on VE Day next month.

Captain Tom has emerged as a beacon of light amid the darkness of uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic and has raised more than £28million for the NHS by walking 100 lengths of his garden in Milton Keynes with his frame.

Captain Tom will recount his memories of serving on the frontline in Burma, where a million Allied troops from 40 nations attempted to repel the invading forces of Imperial Japan from the British colony, over the course of almost three years. Pictured, Captain Tom in uniform

In the documentary Captain Tom will recount his memories of serving on the frontline in Burma, where a million Allied troops from 40 nations attempted to repel the invading forces of Imperial Japan from the British colony, over the course of almost three years.

There he was involved in the massive amphibious assault on Arakan, the instrumental part of recapturing the colony, before pushing on with his troops to the capital, Rangoon.

Despite the lives lost, the battlefront in Burma is often overlooked in the history books, leading it to be known as the ‘Forgotten War’.

Captain Tom, who served in India before being stationed in Burma, told how he wanted to redress the balance and honour his fallen comrades by shedding light on his experiences.

Part of the documentary will feature Captain Tom’s daughters, Lucy and Hannah, who will share personal family photos and stories from their trip back to Burma, now Myanmar, with their father. Pictured, Captain Tom with daughter Hannah in an ITV interview

Part of the documentary will feature Captain Tom’s daughters, Lucy and Hannah, who will share personal family photos and stories from their trip back to Burma, now Myanmar, with their father.

The commissioner is ITV’s Controller of Current Affairs Tom Giles, who says: ‘Captain Tom’s War will shed light on a campaign which comparatively goes unmentioned but in which our troops suffered unthinkable hardship and tens of thousands of British soldiers fought and died.

‘Hearing this from Captain Tom Moore, who fought in Burma, means we will find out a lot more about the man who has done so much to raise our spirits at this time and the experience he and many others faced during World War Two on an occasion when we rightly come together to thank them for their sacrifice.’

FROM YORKSHIRE TO BURMA: CAPTAIN TOM’S MILITARY CAREER

Captain Tom Moore was conscripted into the British Army in June 1940 when he was 20, alongside all men aged 20 to 35.

He began his military career in Otley, West Yorkshire, where he joined the 8th Battalion, the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment under Lieutenant Lord George Saville.

The Regiment was sent to train in Wadebridge, Cornwall where they were tasked with coastal defence amid a predicted German invasion.

A young Captain Moore was soon promoted to Corporal and sent to the officer cadet training unit in Droitwich Spa.

Here, he celebrated his 21st birthday after he passed as a Second Lieutenant.

In August 1941, he was sent to the DWR headquarters in Halifax where he joined the 9th Battalion at Winchcombe.

The infantry battalion then converted to an armoured regiment 146th Royal Armoured Corp, though the majority of the soldiers could not drive.

In October, the unit was posted to Bombay, now Mumbai, in India. The journey took six weeks by sea, with a four-day delay in Freetown, Sierra Leone and a four-day stop in Cape Town.

Captain Moore then took a train from Bombay to Poona, before arriving at Kirkee, a town now known as Khadki.

The 9th DWR formed the 50th Indian Tank Brigade under the command of Brigadier Schreiber.

Captain Moore was then asked by the Brigadier to start a motorcycling course for the Brigade due to his expertise for the sport.

The Brigade was then ordered to move to Calcutta – the road journey was in a monsoon and took three weeks.

His Battalion was stationed in the Lohardaga district near Ranchi.

They then took part in two exercises in the Arakan before moving further east and south to Rangoon.

Captain Moore was then sent on a course at the approved vehicle depot in Bovington, England.

He remained here as an instructor until it was closed.

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