'Officers and Men': Rare WW2 Training Film | Forces TV

[@VaucluseVanguard]

Will leave soon after 35 years commissioned service and 38 years total service. The film is a bit 'stayed' after nearly 80 years, but the principals remain the same. The command of soldiers is an honour, and their respect must be earned. I can't say I was always good at it, many were better than me. But it was an adventure of a lifetime.

[@earlwright9715]

I salute you

[@coops1964]

Thank you for your service sir.

[@Stanly-Stud]

Who cares bro

[@Jake-777-7]

Thats how you know bro never saw any of the real heavy fighting. Nobody calls the meat grinder "an adventure."

[@rascarel1]

I believe this was the inspiration for the film 'the way ahead' staring David Nivan. One of the best British war films I've ever seen. Well worth watching if you haven't seen it

[@cacampbell3654]

Paul Fogarty: I just watched it again on KZbin! (Had forgotten so much from the first time! 😮) Every time I see it my understanding of my parents (father officer in Canadian navy - ‘The Navy Show’; mother job unknown for British Intelligence in NYC and Washington, DC) gets deeper. And my pride stronger. They didn’t tell me much about their experience and what they did tell me has taken me years to appreciate!

[@allandavis8201]

100% agreed, in my opinion one of the best WWII films ever made, and a very sterling cast. Niven, Ustinov etc, proper actors.

[@ebor8402]

That was a training film called The New Lot, which Niven made i to the feature called The Way Ahead.

[@bryanbufton9264]

The way ahead was 10th July 44, ,officers and men was August 44,

[@mjspice100]

David Niven served as a commissioned officer so he knew how to behave as one, a lot of actors of the time had military service under their belts which is why war films of the time had a realistic feel about them..

[@efreitorsroul9332]

"...these are men you are privileged to lead, so be worthy of them." They sure knew how to do HR films back in the day.

[@jamesmurdoch9805]

That adage is as true today as it was then... and continues to be instilled in the Officer and NCO corps of the British Army

[@_Matsimus_]

The British army has some of the finest officers in the world. Sandhurst works hard to make sure only the best go to the field force. But I must say that some slip through the net and there are some just god awful officers out there also. I've had a couple of experiences with them. Great video lol

[@Rschaltegger]

I recognise all the officer typs here. had them all. lucky i had one good 1st. LT once.

[@wcstevens7]

Matsimus Gaming ..Power sometimes goes to their heads...It happens !!!!

[@ehh7100]

I expected to find you here.

[@superkewl9376]

Matsimus Gaming it is indeed a good video

[@Peter-lm3ic]

Matsimus Gaming; with my experience of 10 years with the British Army, I would suggest if you had a bad experience with an Officer, it would have been your own fault! No doubt you got what you deserved!

[@Holocaustica]

How about those visual effects?! Seriously! That is top-notch camera work and editing with the arty strikes at the end. Keep in mind that this was filmed back when cigarettes were good for you.

[@neilkorchinski1006]

I like how they react to the flares during the night operations. And how they speak in a low voice, but not a whisper. And their arty barrage includes smoke. War movies almost never include that.

[@Stanly-Stud]

I was a Gunner & we almost never used smoke 99% of the time HE or sometimes illuminating rounds for the grunts

[@Jake-777-7]

​@@Stanly-Studyou didnt fight in WW2.

[@RedprintBobcat]

That last fighting scene was intense for an old film.

[@greybirdo]

The Australian Army during the First War commissioned most of its officers from the ranks of experienced junior and senior NCO’s. The new Second Lieutenants were so keen to prove that they were worthy of leading their mates that they were brave to the point of recklessness in their early fights. In fact, the term ‘one star one stunt’ was coined for them. They were steeped in the British traditions shown here and added their own, unique part to it.

[@dogpound7162]

Young men in those days mostly looked like they were in their 40s. must have been the hard lives they led.

[@barrysmith4674]

Daft enough to be led into a war.........on all sides

[@pumpkin91ful]

@@barrysmith4674 yeah belong to you ,someone can say no i don't want to fight ....to the state?especially to save your country????

[@adamscott7354]

@@barrysmith4674 ^ Nazi / Fascism apologists^

[@antonarap]

Its today's men that look childish. This is because marketing pushes us to an unmarried lifestyle. Single men buy unnecessary staff to impress women.

[@l.u.rehuher3714]

@@antonarap Seldom see any 😁 ivory whites non existent in the Isle

[@MURDOCK1500]

You remember the officers in "It ain't half hot mum"? My dad used to laugh and say they were just like that. La de da public schoolboys. My dad was in the Royal engineers in Normandy

[@johnsabini2330]

Very starry eyed presentation of officers like all groups you had the good the bad and the ugly - served under all types - lucky that most were in the good category.

[@proud2bpagan]

My dad was in the Navy during Vietnam...he talked fondly of his d.i...he said that the man promised tbem he woud not ask the men to do anything he himself wouldn't do...the d.i. trained right alongside them.

[@geronimo5537]

A great film, one of the better training videos Ive seen by a country mile.

[@liamoneill1042]

Very interesting to see this. They keep saying how standards have slipped these days, and society isnt what it used to be. But seeing this shows that people were just the same back then, and the way they wanted soldiers to be treated was obviously in the front of their minds. Seems like the 70s and 80s were much worse

[@keithbeavon8708]

I have enjoyed it all, especially the Welshman, Williams. I have always wondered what "Wenglish" sounded like, and here I have it right before me! Part of me is Welsh and wants to go back home.

[@iriscollins7583]

Hiraeth🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@mairzydoats8050]

Wife's niece lives in Cllanberis. Visited her in ''11. Went to Snowdonia. Gorgeous country, Wales

[@staffsyeoman]

I think my Dad might be in this film... he mentioned a film crew turning up at his OCTU...

[@terfle1106]

Ha, mine too, took OCTU in 1944, was in the East Surry's.

[@geoffgeoff5586]

And to think that in this film Robert Coote was a 2nd Lieutenant, By the time he made My Fair Lady he was a Colonel and a Brigadier in The League of Gentlemen.

[@davidbooth806]

Also Richard Greene, later Robin Hood, was the inept officer.

[@wellingboroughanddistrictu3a]

Well, he had to start somewhere! Actually Robert Coote was never in the army. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII ending the war as a Squadron Leader.

[@ThroatSore]

7 minutes in and I want to fight the Bocsh. Thanks for putting this up.

[@frankperkin124]

I spent four years in the USAF and don't ever remember having any kind of meaningful conversation with an officer.

[@jelkel25]

It's to be avoided in the British military, if you're being "volunteered" for something ordinary a sergeant will inform you that you volunteered. If an officer would "like a chat" things are about to get far too interesting.

[@Frank-mm2yp]

and thats a good thing..he/she's not your friend...parent or therapist=go see the Chaplain he/she is paid to listen to your BS

[@allandavis8201]

JHAYKHAY25 and Frank, did you guys EVER SERVE, yes your comments are atypical of the impression military personnel give about officers and life in the mob, but they are most certainly NOT realistic.

[@allandavis8201]

Frank Perkin, sorry to hear you didn’t ever have a “meaningful conversation” with an officer in the USAF or any other element of the United States military, but that really isn’t an unusual occurrence, the four years you spent in the USAF must have been mostly spent in training, boot camp and trade training, so except for the period not in training you probably didn’t really have much contact with officers on duty or socially, it’s really only when you have been in for a few years and more experienced that you become more involved with officers on a daily basis, I really don’t think your experiences are atypical of the American military, all my contact with them was professional and cordial and they always struck me as very proficient, unfortunately not everyone has a good experience in the military, not any nations military.

[@bigredone1030]

I remember a SDO said “how are you doing?” one time. lol

[@mithridateseupator3492]

I remember seeing this film in the early 1980's doing military training in Canada.

[@mikeray1544]

Thought Canada got rid of toxic military??

[@Cromwelldunbar]

Is the officer there played by Leo Genn? I believe it is and a very fine actor and person he was too, God bless him.

[@seandobson499]

Yes, it was Leo Genn, who was a barrister before the war and served with the Royal Artillery during the war, reaching the rank of Colonel and took part in the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial and was portrayed in a series that Radio Four did on the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials a year or two ago. He was also a really good actor. Richard Green was also in this, the. Robin Hood of my childhood.

[@mgtowsoldier8673]

Rank is something you wear.....Respect is something you Earn

[@elizabethtaylor9321]

As Sgt Wilson would have said , they are an awfully nice bunch Capt Manwaring , very polite very polite indeed !

[@daviddrake3504]

Rifle Brigade or KRRC foot drill. I remember this story in one of those little War Picture Library comics.

[@philipinchina]

The sound of willow striking leather as a bored recruit kicks a tree.

[@jimalexander1896]

Having Trained Hard in the USMC...and a Combat tour of duty ...I like military movies we used to laugh at the films they showed us!...well done!

[@lawrencelinehan4602]

I wish my awkward father were alive to see this. He was in the 8th Army and would have been 98 this year.

[@Holocaustica]

My grandfather was in the 8th Army. Leyte, Philippines, another place, somewhere else…

[@prof.heinous191]

Jerry on Salisbury Plain - now it can be told...

[@Sarah.Riedel]

the Welsh guy is my favorite 😂

[@Cromwelldunbar]

Superb and a right credit to Britain Thanks a trillion Indeed!😊

[@dulls8475]

Anyone? Salisbury plain at the 40 min mark?

[@louislungbubble]

RSM Brittan appeared in this ,was that Richard Greene I saw as an officer ?

[@robertallen2832]

Yes,it was Richard Greene.

[@Swaggerlot]

Yes, and according to my father, he remained just as obnoxious for a large part of his life

[@OldSetonian]

Isn't that a young Sidney Tafler? And Robert Coote?

[@chrisnmayor]

And Richard Greene?

[@g0mhc]

Loads of actors in this, just can't remember all their names :O)

[@robertallen2832]

Yes and yes!

[@sf100800]

Leo Glenn from wooden horse as the briefing officer and Graham Greene old Robin Hood series from the 50's

[@hariseldon2577]

Richard Greene...from wikipedia "Greene tried to enlist in the Seaforth Highlanders in Vancouver, but they would not give him a commission. He obtained a release from Fox and travelled to England where he enlisted in the 27th Lancers, where he distinguished himself. After three months, he went to Sandhurst and was commissioned. He was promoted to captain in the 27th Lancers in May 1944."

[@bromisovalum8417]

Our finest hour. Love these wartime movies.

[@d.b.2812]

This is great and nothing like the U.S. military!

[@johnthorburn1913]

D. b. It’s still like this in the British Army. Posh officers, dodgy Sergeants, even dodgier haircuts.

[@allandavis8201]

John Thorburn, what a load of old twaddle, I spent 24 years in the British military and NEVER had a bad officer or NCO, and as a junior and senior NCO I wasn’t corrupt or anything else you have written or experienced, that is if you ever did serve, and if you did your experiences must have been in the minority, definitely not the normal experiences of anyone or any arm of our military.

[@skhotzim_bacon]

@@allandavis8201 That man has never been in the military. He's just one of those people that criticizes the military no matter what.

[@jimmytwo-times4394]

I think Recruit Williams bats for the other side, if you catch my drift…

[@jasonnicholasschwarz7788]

You're basically father, mother and (platonic) lover in one person as an officer. Even one of the three would be quite a challenge for most at the best of times.

[@jasonnicholasschwarz7788]

Btw, whose dog is this at 13:04???:)

[@mole389]

Some good tips for YOs even today.

[@matthewlane518]

I like watching these vids and looking to see if I spot my Grandfather somewhere in frame😃

[@vinaychakraborty8635]

The British Army is not only one of the oldest armies in the world but also the most professional and humane force.

[@dylancarroll3173]

Wrong

[@earlwright9715]

​@dylancarroll3173 Did you say wrong with knowledge or just blabbering?

[@davidwall7747]

I'm sure 'Richard Greene' (Robin Hood) was the smart dancing Officer.

[@aaa111912]

i thuoght it was leo gen ,i could be wrong.

[@robshirewood5060]

Definitely Richard Greene, he gave up a great career in Hollywood to return to the UK for the war, served as an officer in armoured reconnaissance and was badly wounded, a real leader, a brave man, and a patriotic British man, not to mention a great actor.

[@him050]

Serve to lead. Sandhurst is very proud that Officers carry a higher casualty rate than the enlisted men.

[@MrFredSed]

What are the structures in the street between 02:16 and 02:19? They look too small and inconsequential to be air-raid shelters but I can't think of anything else that would be outside the front doors. Also, they look like they're made of corrugated metal and that wouldn't stand up to much bomb-splinter or building-masonery wise.

[@MrFredSed]

+Gazza Boo Thanks

[@billyrock8305]

Great movie 🍿

[@wuffothewonderdog]

Oh dear. At 6.13 would the army really have issued rifles to recruits on the first day?

[@bradmiller7486]

No ammo? Let them get used to the heft and the feel of it?

[@bluestreak2701]

Bring back the good old days.

[@davidrussell8689]

The German officers suffered the highest casualty rate of armies in the European theatre . It’s probably because they leaded by example . As Field Marshal Montgomery said “ you can get a man to do anything , if he believes in you “

[@molanlabexm15]

The sequence from 31:00-31:07 I found very funny and really well done acting wise.

[@Droodog127]

Royal Artillery Lieutenant Colonel Leo Genn

[@edwardwhitehead6025]

I thought so!

[@mackgrout]

This is a two minute long un-skippable ad in front of a PS4 game video... annoying.

[@TheBlenderblob]

what a nice film

[@imsteevin]

Anyone in a leadership role can learn from this

[@lablackzed]

Only officers I respected where the one's that came up through the rank's.

[@Arizona-ex5yt]

What's that supposed to mean? They haven't done battlefield commissions for officers since WW2. NCOs are different from commissioned officers. Officer training is harder than enlisted training. They need to choose men who are better educated than your average draftee.

[@notmenotme614]

@@Arizona-ex5yt You don’t know what you are talking about. It means they joined as a soldier, sailor or airman first and got experience. Then after a few years they applied to become an officer. The best educated are engineers, technicians and communications signallers. An admin officer doesn’t do harder training than a para or a marine.

[@jimspink2922]

@@notmenotme614 I agree the training for all officers regardless or posting is exactly the same when they do their Officer Training. I was a Corporal in an armoured unit in Australia and had a couple of men do exactly that spent several years in the unit and applied to do Officer Selection and were successful.

[@mrjockt]

You get good and bad officers that come up through the ranks, I served in the R.A.F. under a few officers who started out in the ranks, some were amongst the best officers I ever served under but one was probably the worst I ever had the misfortune to serve under.

[@lablackzed]

@@Arizona-ex5yt What 😅😅😅😅i use to train some Rupert's and believe me there where some right Herbert's but lads that had come from the ranks ran circles round them.

[@peterdelgado1223]

yea this is British military! :D this is KOOL!

[@rickoshay6554]

Peter Delgado That battle scene looks like they overran a Hitler Youth camp. I'll swear this could be the pilot episode of "Dad's Army" -- the Early Years.

[@paulsmith4448]

Jolly good show what

[@suffolksettler5106]

I liked this - very good

[@liveliestawfulness]

What'll we do with eggs and ham when we've got plum and apple jam?

[@None-zc5vg]

Richard Greene was the "star " of this one: Robert Coote also features.

[@chrismillard4651]

I want you all to see me like a Father said the 2nd LFT....... Sergeant rolls eyes...... I just want to be liked :(

[@whit1981]

Basic training in ft Benning USA in 2003 was much worse than this adult daycamp. I never once saw my basic train8ng company commander except at graduation. The British were and are much more sophisticated than us yanks

[@nullvid]

whit1981 what was your MOS

[@whit1981]

Jason Gardner at first I was just an 88mike. Went to benning then bliss. Then came back to Ohio national guard and did 3 years while also doing ROTC. Commissioned in 2005 and went active. 1st armored division

[@nullvid]

whit1981 a diesel truck operator?

[@whit1981]

Jason Gardner I only did the truck driving while in AIT- I never did it again as when I got home to my guard unit I also committed to two years of ROTC. So I was SMP- simultaneous membership program where I did both Ohio guatd and ROTC. At my guard unit I acted as a cadet and got paid as an E3 for two, almost 3, years- then I commissioned artillery officer

[@chrismc410]

We may have had and still have problems but no where near as bad as the Red Army back then. Soldiers were shot for less

[@mrpurser3136]

A lot of British army's weak link in WW2 were some of its command decisions and penny pinching doctrine...Channel islands, Norway, Singapore, market garden...but El Alamein fixed the British reputation and long fond tradition that it had. The British army's early performances were decent compared to literally no backing off the government the way the Royal Navy was backed, but commando raids like St. Nazareth, Roast, Archery, biting where they destroyed Hitler's radar etc etc etc...put the British Army as astounding and amongst the best in the world. 1943 the British started to see sense and despite the Americans and Russians still had a lot of fighting still to do. The British Army were amongst the best in the world, yes there were more errors, but more success's too, and name me a single army that didn't make an error in the war?!...No army. But 44-45 The British Army operating in Europe and Far East were on a par of the British army in 1918...critical to overall allied victory.

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

Mr Purser the Channel Islands were not a sensible place to try to defend being only a stones throw off the French coast.

[@hariseldon2577]

St Nazareth? St Nazaire...?

[@adamscott7354]

Too bad Monty was so in charge so much of the time, Caen and Market Garden were disastrous despite all signs pointing to the contrary of his plans

[@ceciljohnrhodes4987]

That’s a mighty bold statement my friend, the army of 1918 won the greatest series of battles in its very long history, arguably the best we’ve ever had.

[@ianprice9563]

But Market Garden came 2 years after El Alamein...

[@johnjohns8166]

In sum: uneducated working-class know your place and do not question authority figures.

[@DieReaktion]

Because a non-hirarcycal army would work perfectly

[@Arizona-ex5yt]

They won the war doing it this way, genius. What's the alternative?

[@notmenotme614]

@@DieReaktion promoting people on merit rather than class would work perfectly

[@RaffieFaffie]

@@notmenotme614 Which is why we won in Afghanistan

[@bobsemple07]

LoL at 41:34 you can see a German using a British rifle

[@northernwildcamper1593]

Great film. Inspections are never that easy though! Long hair would usually result in show parade or jail!

[@timsmith428]

..One complaint I always have about movies like this is, the men are waaaay too old. My Dad was an officer in the Canadian Army in WW2. When the war was over, he was 26yrs old. He was considered old by his men. The Regiment's Colonel was real old..he was 35!

[@alanjohnson6091]

This was nearing the end of the war where typical solider was older.

[@timsmith428]

@@alanjohnson6091 ya, but these actors are in their 40s! They never would see front line action..

[@christophervoyk2817]

What is it difference between this and other military...same shed, same sticking only different calor

[@bazra19]

The only thing Officers don't have to use is common sence.

[@baronedipiemonte3990]

21:30 Richard Greene... Robin Hood

[@billhuber2964]

Boot camp for me was very interesting. 😆

[@craigcooknf]

If this was real, the Brits would have been known for talking people to death.

[@jonathananderson3990]

Remind me of dad's army

[@CharlesvanDijk-ir6bl]

Who is that nasty, noisy person? Mom referring to the RSM.

[@sweetiesquad4lyfe582]

The different accents and dialects - they might as well have been speaking different languages.

[@barrysmith4674]

Same today

[@pumpkin91ful]

Commonwealth.

[@DannnnnyW]

ahh 6:25... I'm so childish

[@importantname]

if the officers are as nice as they are in this movie, why do they need to make a movie about nice officers? As it would be common knowledge.

[@Vigilante-k4q]

David Boson officers are still to be gentlemen even in US standards.

[@djones9122]

David Boson officers tell the Sgt and the sgt yells

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

David Boson because not everybody makes a good officer.

[@fourfortyroadrunner6701]

"Officers and Men." LMFAO I always FIGURED that "men" were different from "officers."

[@chrissheppard5068]

Compare that to the German Army.

[@c3aloha]

chris sheppard compare the number of allied soldiers executed for desertion to the Germans too.

[@captainoblivious_yt]

American officers were way harsher than German ones.

[@tristan7848]

20th Century Germany: Great at propaganda, garbage-tier at winning wars.

[@adamscott7354]

@@c3aloha For the US army its like, literally ONE for all of ww2, and quite late I might add, Dec 44 lol

[@ianprice9563]

@@captainoblivious_yt really? Define 'harsh'. It's estimated that over 15,000 men were executed in the German army during the war.

[@ward142]

When I was in the Army, we were treated like slaves. Part of the reason we lost in Vietnam.

[@beerborn]

I guess joing the British Army meant that you are either Irish, Welsh or Scots. Your subject to be scrutinization cause you aint a Brit.

[@skepticalbadger]

beerborn What? All of those (except for the southern Irish) are British.

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

JonMacFhearghuis no the Nothern Irish aren't British they're Irish. Britain is only Scotland, Wales and England.

[@paganphil100]

@@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819 : Correct....N.I. is part of the UK but not part of GB.

[@backblaise1255]

I believe over 10% of the British Army of WWII were citizens of the Irish Republic. I think it may have been more but am too tired to look it up. The Gurkha's were not even citizens of the British Crown. An entire division of the 8th Army that defeated Rommel was Polish. What's your point?

[@pumpkin91ful]

@@skepticalbadger before the arrival of romans ,Brit,scottish and irish were the same people;Saxon and co doesn't effect the genetic so much so until today Is still a a big family.

[@marksteven6116]

he is a actor the one speaking at the start talking to the Ruperts the poor should never he asked to fight, the upper class should fight their own wars. That was when it was Great Britain not the uk sad, what went wrong

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

It was the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland even in WW2. In WW1 the upper classes suffered a higher percentage of losses than the working classes did.

[@Grimenoughtomaketherobotcry]

@@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819 Perhaps, but more working class soldiers died in total. And are you including NCO's, because many of them were working class, too, as were some junior officers promoted to commisions in the field.

[@Droodog127]

Royal Artillery Lieutenant Colonel Leo Genn and actor

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@Grimenoughtomaketherobotcry you obviously don't understand statistics. It's not whether or not they were promoted from the ranks or not. The percentage of upper class junior officers killed in WW1 was higher than that of working class men of all ranks as there were fewer upper class men than those from the working classes.

[@johnlawrence7150]

Thats how they used to speak in a stupid accent ,left over from public school . Today is so different without a plum in the mouth ,and without a them and us attitude .

[@IndependentGeorge76]

The old boys in the old days still did the bizzo mind you!

[@wcstevens7]

john lawrence...Be that as it may ..most British soldiers prefer their officers to be WELL SPOKEN...The class system in the UK. Is still alive and kicking. ' SIR '.

[@johnlawrence7150]

In answer to Elizabeth, I know that it is very important to have well spoken intellgent officers and indeed they are some of the best in the world ,but my point is ,as I have served myself in the armed forces ,the plumb in mouth public school way of speaking ,it isnt necessary in todays British forces ,plain normal method of middle england speech is acceptable to all !!

[@mikemurray2027]

BS. It's as bad as ever with old Etonians running the country since 2010

[@Toadyy]

Sir it is politically incorrect to say "Men"

[@MIck-M]

All the more reason to do it. We aren't stinky pinkos here.

[@NickPeters-ug7vk]

english propaganda .. "Scotland for Independence"