Relatives Get To See War Messages Sent From Servicemen Decades Later

During World War II, many British servicemen and women sent messages to their families in a series of films that were known as Calling Blighty.

Filmed by the Army Film Unit in India, the black and white series featured those at war speaking to their loved ones back home. The emotional footage was then shown in cinemas back home.

For decades, these incredible tokens of the past had been forgotten. But the U.K.’s North West Film Archive is on a mission to find the living relatives of those in the film.

"The films would have been shot in India, either in a studio set or out on location when men were on leave. It was too far to come home on leave, so they spent their leave in camps playing Ping-Pong and swimming and generally resting up,” said Marion Hewitt, the director of North West Film Archive. “And they would have been brought together in groups from the same town and they would send their messages to their family.”

In the video below, shared by CCTV on Facebook, some of the relatives have been found and are shown watching their servicemen on camera. Although the reunions aren't physical, like the sailors who found each other almost 40 years after serving in the Vietnam War, they are still meaningful and emotional.

For example, John Purvis is one of the relative who was delighted to see his father, serviceman Harry Purvis.

“We all get emotional when we see him,” John said referring to his family.

Watch the footage from the old films below and please SHARE if you think it's important that all the living relatives are found!