This Is Your Life: Ellen Martha Field

Ellen Martha FIELD (1912-1977)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Ellen Martha Field, humanitarian, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC Television Theatre, having been led to believe she was there to take part in the television programme The Brains Trust.

Ellen, who was born in Shanghai, China, was living in the Kowloon area with her husband and young daughters when the Japanese attacked the region in December 1941 during the Second World War. She escaped to Hong Kong, which subsequently surrendered later that month, but avoided internment by claiming to be an Irish national.

For the remainder of the war, Ellen, nicknamed 'The Shadow', risked torture and death to help the 5000 prisoners of war in the Shamshuipo Camp by organising food parcels and smuggling in medical supplies with the help of a sympathetic Japanese guard.

programme details...

Edition No: 141
Subject No: 141
Broadcast live: Mon 5 Dec 1960
Broadcast time: 7.30-8.00pm
Venue: BBC Television Theatre
Series: 6
Edition: 12

on the guest list...

Sgt Aubrey Flegg
Maj Henry Marsh
Col Graeme Crew
Padre Davies
John Watanabe
Sophie Odell
Harry Odell
June Glasby

production team...

Researcher: Liam Nolan
Writer: Robert Stuart
Director: Michael Goodwin
Producer: T Leslie Jackson

related pages...

Military Life

saluting the armed forces

This Is Your Life

Radio Times previews the ninth series

Ellen Field with guest Aubrey Flegg and presenter Eamonn Andrews on This Is Your Life

Series 6 subjects