Music, Military and Morale

Hear about the essential role military musicians played in wartime, from issuing vital commands on the battlefield to keeping up morale among troops and, just like other soldiers, carrying out acts of extreme bravery and daring.

There's a cheeky version of a favourite wartime song, a cross-dressing music hall star who encouraged young men to sign up for the First World War; and the story of how a legendary American entertainer came to Bodmin to entertain the troops in 1943. And we'll hear a newly recorded version of a recently rediscovered First World War tune, the DCLI Boys.