The 'We Were There' DVD captures the experiences and memories of ordinary people in Britain, Germany and Russia who lived through World War II. The 40 minute film is divided into short sections dealing with various aspects of the wartime experience including evacuation, air raids and the fighting spirit. Each section is introduced by pupils from The King's School in Ottery St Mary asking the questions they were curious to know the answers to. Apart from the German and Russian interviewees, virtually all the participants live in Devon.
 | | Searching for blitz survivors |
Their often moving accounts range from rationing in Russia though to the experience of a then 12-year-old German boy escaping the walls of fire when his mediaeval town centre was bombed. The DVD also includes some rare archive footage of Devon at the time. 'We Were There' has been put together by the Exeter Festival Chorus as a commemorative piece to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the war. The Chorus was inspired to make the film following a combined performance of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem with choirs from Germany and Russia. His music is a great outcry against war and hatred between nations, and he specifically wrote the solo parts for a Russian soprano, a German baritone and a British tenor.
 | | The King in Exeter after the blitz |
The DVD has been funded by Exeter Festival Chorus, Exeter City Council and The Big Lottery Home Front Recall among others. The project serves as an educational resource for teachers and is being distributed free of charge to all 408 state and independent schools in Devon. It aims to share some of the real experiences and emotions of WWII - both in action and on the home front - with today's school generation. The schools will also receive an eight page booklet of teachers' notes and there is a supporting website with the DVD soundtrack and a full downloadable copy of the notes. The website also provides extensive links to other relevant learning support resources. | 
