Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
Major Pat REID MBE MC (1910-1990)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Pat Reid, British Army Officer and author, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews outside the Europa Hotel in London, having just left a meeting where he had been discussing a future project.
Pat, who was born in Ranchee, Eastern India, studied engineering at London University before joining the British Expediary Force as a Territorial Army volunteer at the outbreak of the Second World War. Having been mobilised to France, he was captured by the Germans in May 1940 after his unit was surrounded and sent to Laufen castle in Bavaria as a prisoner of war.
Pat and a group of POWs escaped but were captured and, now classed as marked men, were sent to the impregnable prison, Colditz Castle in Saxony. After several attempts, they eventually escaped, travelling over 400 miles to the Swiss border, disguised as Germans. After the war, Pat wrote several books about his experiences, which became the basis of a film and a television series.
"Great scot - you've made me blush!"
programme details...
- Edition No: 349
- Subject No: 350
- Broadcast date: Wed 21 Feb 1973
- Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
- Recorded: Wed 14 Feb 1973
- Repeated: Wed 13 Jun 1973 7.00pm
- Venue: Euston Road Studios
- Series: 13
- Edition: 15
on the guest list...
- Edward Hardwicke
- David McCallum
- Gerard Glaister - in audience
- Brian Degas - in audience
- Denise Robins
- John - brother
- Mary - sister-in-law
- Nora - sister
- Henry - son
- Michael - son
- Diana - daughter
- Christopher - son
- Christina - daughter
- Patrick Friar
- Sir Rupert Barry
- Dick Howe
- Kenneth Lockwood
- Harry Elliot
- Peter Allen
- Reinhold Eggers
- Billie Stephens
- Hank Wardle
- Frank Joseph Schneider
- Frau Schneider Filmed tribute:
- Robert Wagner
related appearances...
- John Mills - Oct 1983
- Lord Harewood - Feb 1985
production team...
- Researchers: Sarah Dickinson, Olga Kersner
- Writer: John Sandilands
- Director: Margery Baker
- Producer: Malcolm Morris
- names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life
Screenshots of Pat Reid This Is Your Life
Series 13 subjects
Pat Phoenix | Bill Griffiths | Shirley Bassey | Warren Mitchell | Dudley Moore | Phyllis Calvert | Larry Grayson | Clive SullivanBill Shankly | Willie Carson | Jack Smethurst | Mary Peters | Noele Gordon | James Corrigan | Pat Reid | Diana Coupland
Dulcie Gray | Janet Adams | Rita Hunter | Leslie Crowther | Jimmy Logan | Spike Milligan | Jackie Pallo
John Gregson | Jackie Charlton | Francis O'Leary