FILM archivists are appealing for help tracing Armed Forces personnel from Bolton and Bury who appear in a series of moving videos shot during the Second World War.

Calling Blighty was a collection of short movies made between 1944-46 of servicemen and women in the Far East, sending personal messages home to their family and friends.

The poignant films were shown to invited audiences in local cinemas, bringing laughter and tears to those keeping the home fires burning.

A Message Home is a North West Film Archive and Manchester Metropolitan University project to reunite families with the films their loved ones appeared in 70 years ago.

"These few remaining films are a unique picture of 600 young Manchester servicemen and two women in the Far East around VJ day,” explained MMU School of Art Professor Steve Hawley.

“As a research resource this is priceless and as a human document the spirit and humour of the soldiers shines through in a very moving way.”

Of nearly 400 Calling Blighty issues made, only 48 are known to survive.

Of these, 25 were discovered in the North West and feature service personnel from Greater Manchester and beyond.

Nearly all were found complete with the sheets of contact details showing the names and addresses of the family and friends who were invited to the screenings.

The new project aims to find as many families and veterans as possible, and bring them together to experience the films again, and to share their stories.

Of the films, an archive spokesman said: “They are partly stilted, occasionally emotional, but mostly stiff upper lip testimonies, filmed direct to camera often in one take. Sometimes funny and always very moving.

“In a way, they predict video communications such as Skype, but also offer a window on the understated courage of servicemen who had endured the long separation from their home – in both time and space – often since the start of the war.”

Alongside the attempt to trace people, a new film is being made by Prof Steve Hawley combining some of the most interesting stories.

The film and highlights from the original Calling Blighty issues, will be screened to audiences including family and friends on November 23 at HOME, Manchester.

A documentary about Calling Blighty and the war in the Far East will also be broadcast on Channel 4 early in 2016.

A searchable database of more than 600 records and film clips from the remaining Calling Blighty issues can be found at http://www.nwfa.mmu.ac.uk/blighty/index.php

If you find someone you know in the archive, email blighty@mmu.ac.uk or phone Marion Hewitt on 0161 247 3097.

The archive’s service manager Marion Hewitt added: “This is a project I have been hoping to do for many years, and now with funding from Film Hub North West Central, and support from Manchester School of Art and HOME, we can finally achieve this long held aim.”

Featured service personnel in the clips are, by Surname Rank Forename Regiment:-

Bolton

Tonge Gnr T E Ra

Jones Gnr W 184/59 Laa

Walkden Leading James P/mx

Blackley Lac F S Raf Ceylon

Gillibrand Lac Unknown Raf Ceylon

Tomlinson Ac1 J Raf Ceylon

Halliwell Cpl Unknown Raf Ceylon

Mckie Sigmn J W Ceylon Army Signals

Jackson Sgt A 61 (z) F D S Eaamc

Morgan L/bdr Ellis 304 (ea) A Tk Regt

King L/cpl K 11th (ea) Div Sigs

Laine Pte A P Acc Att 5th Fld Coy Re

Lowe Pte J S 5 Field Ambulance (british)

Berry Cpl William No 3 F R Raf

Lock Pte J G Hampshires

Farrimond Sgt L 96 Sqdn Seaaf

Greenhalgh Gnr E 86 Medium Regiment Ra

Lester L A C T 2852 Raf Reg Sqdn

Leach Pte A C 126 I B G H (bt)

Collier L A C G 2 B P U Raf S E A A F

Partington Pte Unknown 2nd Suffolk Regt

Sutherland Bdr A Res Mob Aa Regt

 

Bury

Meigh Gnr W F 24/aa/a Tk Regt Ra

Nelson Pte R 13 Parachute Bn

Brownrigg Cpl Humphrey B O R Survey Cadre R E

Chadwick Pte Brian 1st Bn The Kings Regt

 

Oldham

Baker Cpl J R 716 Coy Para Pltns

Chadwick Sigmn H R Sigs 8th Fld Regt

Connolly Unknown Johnny Or Jack Unknown

Cunnington Pte Stan Rapc

Dickson Unknown Abe (?) Unknown

Doherty Unknown Alec Unknown

Evans Unknown Bing (?) Peter(?) Unknown

Green Sgt J 2837 Sqdn Raf Regt

Greenhalgh Tpr H 25 Dragoons Fvs

Greenott Or Greenhalgh Unknown Tom Unknown

Hardy Unknown Ken Unknown

Hedge Unknown Betty Unknown

Hilton Unknown Jim Unknown

Howard (or Howarth) Unknown Jim (or Jed) Unknown

Ingham L/bdr H 53/303 E A Light Regt

Kershaw Gnr H 136 Fd Regt Ra

Kershaw Lance T 165/86 Med Regt Ra

Lees Pte Jack 1st Lincs Regt

Marshall Unknown Harold Unknown

Martin Unknown Bob Unknown

Melia Gnr J Gnr 44th L A A Regt R A

Mellor Cfn Cyril K 10 Base Tank W/shop

Mills William Royal Army Medical Corps

Phillipson Cpl W 2960 A A Squdn Raf

Rhodes Unknown Cecil Unknown

Richardson Pte Frank Kings Regt

Saxon Pte Donald 81 Suffolk Regt

Slagg Or Slack Unknown Sammy Unknown

Stringer L/ Cpl J 7th King’s Own

Taylor Unknown Bob Unknown

Tenneton Or Pemberton Unknown Matthew Navy

Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown

Unknown Unknown Frank Unknown

Unknown Unknown Eddie Unknown

Unknown Unknown Harry (?) Unknown

Unknown Unknown Fred Unknown

Unknown Sgt Major Unknown Unknown

Unknown Unknown Ernie Unknown

Unknown Unknown Cliff Unknown

Waller Cpl F Mp 6 Ops Room Raf

Whittaker Unknown Eddie Unknown

Wrigley L/bdr M J 13 Ind Haa Regt Ia

 

Rochdale

Ashworth Lac W E Raf Ceylon

Butler Sigmn J H Ceylon Army Signals

Coomer Gnr T 27 Fd Regt R A

Irvine L/cpl A 49 B S D Rasc

Lees Pte Jack 1st Lincs Regt

Maguire L/cpl Jimmy 15 Bn Para Regt

Rhodes Sgt S 304 (ea) Atk Regt Eaa

Richardson Pte Frank Kings Regt

Saxon Pte Donald 81 Suffolk Regt

Smith Coder A N Royal Navy

Varnom L/cpl William R Signals

Woodward Pte B Kings Regt.

Yarker Lac L Raf Ceylon

 

Wigan and Leigh

Surname Rank Forename Regiment

Barber Lac James C Raf Ceylon

Hughes L A C H 5008 Sqd

Lyons L A C Austin R A F Kuala Lumpur Malaya

Potts Pte J 13 Bn Lancs Para

Sephton Pte W 227/76 Laa Regt Ra

Turton Dvr J 86 Medium Regt Ra