Purple Heart Warriors: 5. The lost battalion

With half of the men lost, the most dangerous battle of all awaits. The battalion is ordered to rescue Texan soldiers surrounded by German artillery. Can they save the so-called ‘Lost Battalion’?

This series is inspired by real events and contains dramatised battle scenes and out-dated racial language.

Cast:

Narrator: Will SharpeKen: Akie KotabeLieutenant/Bus guard/Texan soldier/Reporter: Freddy ElletsonGrandpa Allan/ Mr Yamada: Clyde KusatsuEmily: Samantha DakinLittle Ken: Hudson Roberts. Mrs Tanaka/Baachan/Shirley/Li: Tamlyn TomitaNui Louie/Mr Okimura: Aaron IkedaBarry/Captain Kim/Private Sasaki/Radio man: Derek MioShorty: Raiko GoharaOhta/Captain Minori: Matt McCooeyDrill Sergeant/General Dahlquist: Martin McDougalColonel Pence/Earl Finch/Col Miller: Colin StintonSonny: Kurt KanazawaBoxer/Crooner/Pokey: Conrad Lihilihi

Written by Iris YamashitaSound design: Richard Gould at Skywalker SoundRecording and mixing: Leon ChambersOriginal music: Josh SneesbyConsultant: L Stuart HiraiDramaturg: James YeatmanBroadcast assistant: Teresa Milewski Production co-ordinator: Kate BrookAssociate producers: Tim Bell & Rosa CromptonDirector: Jessica DromgooleProducer: Catherine Bailey.Based on an idea by Simon Pitts

A Catherine Bailey production for the BBC World Service

Immersive storytelling from the BBC World Service. The home of original drama.

The latest season is Purple Heart Warriors, a time-travelling drama about the Japanese American soldiers who became legends of US military history. Inspired by real events, it’s the little-known story of the 442nd Regiment, decorated for their bravery fighting the Nazi German army in World War Two. Narrated by Will Sharpe and written by Oscar nominee Iris Yamashita, it is told in six-parts.

Also listen to our previous season: Fukushima. This seven-part nuclear drama tells the story of the tsunami which hit in 2011. It follows the heroes who fight to contain the disaster and those whose mistakes led Japan to catastrophe.

• No. of episodes: 16
• Latest episode: 2025-01-06
• Fiction

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