VIDEO: Can you help find Far East veterans families?

CAN you help reunite these men from the town and their families with the films they appeared in 70 years ago?

Calling Blighty is a series of short films made in 1944 to 46 of individual servicemen and women in the Far East sending personal messages home to their family and friends.

The poignant films were shown to invited audiences in local cinemas bringing laughter and a few tears from audiences.

Now the North West Film Archive is trying to find as many families and veterans as possible through their project A Message Home in the hope of bringing them together to experience the films again and to share their stories.

Of nearly 400 films made, only 48 are known to survive and of these 25 were discovered in the north west with nearly all of them complete with the sheets of contact details showing the names and addresses of the family and friends who were invited to the screenings.

Three of the films are men from Warrington including N Cleworth from 902 Wing HQ RAF who wishes family in Culcheth well in the video and hopes to see them soon for 'one in the local'.

Cpl White, from 2nd Battalion The South Lancs Regiment, says he hopes his mum is 'keeping alright' in the film while Lieutenant Wilson, from A Branch H Q 14 Army says he hopes he has not changed too much in a message to family in Latchford and blames the sun for forgetting a birthday.

Alongside the attempt to trace people, a new artist film is also being made by Steve Hawley combining some of the most interesting and appealing stories and a documentary about Calling Blighty and the war in the Far East will be broadcast on Channel 4 early in 2016.

Steve Hawley, Manchester School of Art’s professor, said: "These few remaining films are a unique picture of 600 young Manchester servicemen and two women in the Far East around VJ day.

"As a research resource this is priceless and as a human document the spirit and humour of the soldiers shines through in a very moving way."