Britain's Secret War Babies

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Season 1

Summary

Mary and John were born to British women and African American GIs and never knew their dads. They embark on an emotional journey to learn about their fathers and their rich Black heritage.

Episode 1: Britain's Secret War Babies

Summary

Two people born to African American GIs and British women set out to discover who their fathers were and learn more about their black heritage. Growing up, the identity of Mary and John's fathers was shrouded in mystery and they were raised in predominantly white rural areas without a parent who could empathise with their experiences of name-calling and prejudice. Now, with the help of DNA and genealogical research, presenter Sean Fletcher sets out to unravel the secrets and lies surrounding Mary and John's births

Review

David Butcher

This is like a Long Lost Family special with a sharp historical twist. Mary from Bristol is in her late 70s and has been trying for 20 years to trace her father. He was a black GI who knew her mother when he was stationed in South Wales during World War II. After the war, he sent a letter inviting Mary and her mother to join him in America, but in a cruel move, Mary’s grandmother ensured they never received it.

Presenter Sean Fletcher highlights Mary’s story as one of thousands of children born to the British girlfriends of African-American GIs — as he puts it, “the first significant generation to be born Black and British, but missing a vital part of their identity.” John from Weymouth has a similar tale and when Fletcher tracks down relatives, we see him and Mary movingly reunited with parts of their US families, as years of stigma and isolation fall away.

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Crew

rolenamePresenterSean FletcherExecutive producerEmily ShieldsDirectorAlex ThomasProducerYasmine Permaul

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Episode 1

Britain's Secret War Babies

Summary

Two people born to African American GIs and British women set out to discover who their fathers were and learn more about their black heritage. Growing up, the identity of Mary and John's fathers was shrouded in mystery and they were raised in predominantly white rural areas without a parent who could empathise with their experiences of name-calling and prejudice. Now, with the help of DNA and genealogical research, presenter Sean Fletcher sets out to unravel the secrets and lies surrounding Mary and John's births

Review

David Butcher

This is like a Long Lost Family special with a sharp historical twist. Mary from Bristol is in her late 70s and has been trying for 20 years to trace her father. He was a black GI who knew her mother when he was stationed in South Wales during World War II. After the war, he sent a letter inviting Mary and her mother to join him in America, but in a cruel move, Mary’s grandmother ensured they never received it.

Presenter Sean Fletcher highlights Mary’s story as one of thousands of children born to the British girlfriends of African-American GIs — as he puts it, “the first significant generation to be born Black and British, but missing a vital part of their identity.” John from Weymouth has a similar tale and when Fletcher tracks down relatives, we see him and Mary movingly reunited with parts of their US families, as years of stigma and isolation fall away.

Details

Languages

Formats

Colour

Credits

Crew

rolenamePresenterSean FletcherExecutive producerEmily ShieldsDirectorAlex ThomasProducerYasmine Permaul

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