My Grandparents’ War: Toby Jones FACTUAL 8PM, C4, ALL4 (BOX SET)

There’s an extraordinary story in the final episode of the series when actor Toby Jones unearths what happened to his grandmother, Doreen, who was entertaining the troops in France in May 1940 when the Nazis invaded. As a member of ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association), she was given the codeword ‘Hamlet’ and with her fellow actors was forced to make a desperate retreat to Boulogne by night. Fortunately, she was evacuated by the Royal Navy, along with 5,000 British soldiers, as Nazi bombers soared overhead. Toby also learns the sad tale of his grandfather, Doreen’s husband Reggie, who was left emotionally scarred by his experiences fighting the Japanese in Burma. ★★★★ HD

Toby and his grandparents Reggie and Doreen