Love Stephen: A World War II Love Story
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My grandfather, Stephen Russell, joined The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland and went to war in 1939 as part of the British Expeditionary Force aged just 23.
Soon after joining the allied effort he was wounded and captured at St Valery, France as part of a rear-guard action at the time of Dunkirk evacuation. On release from Rouen Hospital, he spent the next five years as a prisoner of war in Germany in different prison camps.
During the war he wrote hundreds of letters to his parents and to a young woman who was to become the love of his life, Ailsa, my grandmother.
My mum, Lucy Smith, inherited a trunk full of these letters, telegrams and postcards, which have been preserved by my family and I’ve always wanted to share them, so people could hear my grandparents war torn love story.
Introducing Love Stephen: A World War II Love Story.
A podcast story from the Second World War, told through the letters Stephen sent home between 1939 and 1945.
The letters transport you back to a time when the world and Stephen were at war and tell the story of a love affair which survived against all the odds.
With the generous help of friends - Dan and Nick at Smith and Western who created the sound design and recorded, mixed and mastered the episode, actor Rupert Degas for playing Stephen, art director Ben Alden, Newman Sorensen and Rob Spencer for making the film and my parents Chris and Lucy, I’ve created episode one, which you can listen to on your favourite podcast platform or by clicking here .
Now I need help with production costs to complete the rest of the season, which will run to a planned six episodes in total.
So, if you like it, please back the project today, and with your help we can bring ‘Love Stephen’, a unique story of one man’s war and love, to life.
Thank you, I really appreciate the support.
Ben
Soon after joining the allied effort he was wounded and captured at St Valery, France as part of a rear-guard action at the time of Dunkirk evacuation. On release from Rouen Hospital, he spent the next five years as a prisoner of war in Germany in different prison camps.
During the war he wrote hundreds of letters to his parents and to a young woman who was to become the love of his life, Ailsa, my grandmother.
My mum, Lucy Smith, inherited a trunk full of these letters, telegrams and postcards, which have been preserved by my family and I’ve always wanted to share them, so people could hear my grandparents war torn love story.
Introducing Love Stephen: A World War II Love Story.
A podcast story from the Second World War, told through the letters Stephen sent home between 1939 and 1945.
The letters transport you back to a time when the world and Stephen were at war and tell the story of a love affair which survived against all the odds.
With the generous help of friends - Dan and Nick at Smith and Western who created the sound design and recorded, mixed and mastered the episode, actor Rupert Degas for playing Stephen, art director Ben Alden, Newman Sorensen and Rob Spencer for making the film and my parents Chris and Lucy, I’ve created episode one, which you can listen to on your favourite podcast platform or by clicking here .
Now I need help with production costs to complete the rest of the season, which will run to a planned six episodes in total.
So, if you like it, please back the project today, and with your help we can bring ‘Love Stephen’, a unique story of one man’s war and love, to life.
Thank you, I really appreciate the support.
Ben
Organizer
Ben Smith
Organizer
Oxford Falls NSW
