Colditz TV Series S02-E01 - Arrival Of A Hero 

I totally agree. I refuse to watch the modern day offerings, only watch '70s and '80s TV on sites like this, far better quality. I'm glad to know it's not only me who's watching this series for the umpteenth time.

It’s worth it for the theme alone!

you got that right...

I was 10 years old as well, I'll be 60 in 6 weeks

Same here, absolutely loved watching this with my parents

Yes

Total agree sir

Hi yes. He was also in 'Callan' too.

@@MrSlitskirts plus a great cameo in 'Minder' as Maurice the gambler !

Yes, it takes a real talent to play a stinker like Mohn...

Dale Burrell and Toby Miers in Callan, great character as well!

I didn't know about the sewing machine until I saw it in this episode and read your comment. It is quite a complex machine to replicate but I guess with enough time and determination it could be done. I have known about the glider since reading Reach for the Sky in the 80s. There was a documentary about it and it did actually fly. Made in the 90s or 2000 I think.

The glider was real too...I think it's still there.

Bartering for parts with bribable guards helped a lot in many cases. I had a boss who was in Changi jail and worked on the burma railway. During which by careful cultivating of some guards items like medical kits could be put together. Also working R/T set was constructed. Although the range was not brilliant it was capable of reaching jungle units to get information in and out.

Thankyou for your observations, rather unfortunate that your attempts to see me 'gone away' failed so terribly lol better luck next time lmao

me too

Hi, yes. Bernard Hepton was also in 'Secret Army' too.

Bernard Helton was superb actor I could be wrong but I would put him in character actor class. Often times some of us watch something because of the supporting actors. I was in awe of Mr. Helton when I first saw him giving a glories male version Gloria Swanson in Midsomer Murdurous long before I ever knew of this series. RIP MR HEPTON.

​@@kathyraygoza3299 he also played Inspector Goole in the 1982 version of an inspector calls.. IMHO THE best version

@@kathyraygoza3299 Hi, yes. You would also probably like him in 'Secret Army' where he plays a Cafe owner (in Belgium) but he's in charge of 'Lifeline' (helping allied aircrew escape): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-unN9W0NqU2w.html at 1:03 kind regards.

Very talented actor . Was his work in Midsomer Murders one of his last performances? His act as a megnomaliac was frightening and outstandig.

This series first aired in January 1974 during the three day week strike period. BBC One, BBC Two and ITV were forced to closedown early at around 10.30pm each night from early January until early February 1974 to save power. Colditz aired at 9.25pm and was the last proper programme of a Monday on BBC One back then. This episode aired on Monday 7th January 1974.

@@johnking5174 That was past my bed time

At least he got to wear a RAF mustache in this!

Some people just can't differentiate between real people and actors portraying a character. It was the same thing with some of the actors in Neighbours being abused in the street for something that their character had done.

I thought he was a truly wonderful underated actor

Didn’t know this but would not surprise me at all.For me he was wonderful actor I never tire of watching anything he was in.

He said he also got letters from ladies inviting him to visit them in his uniform.

They wanted him to invade their poland!​@@vintagebrew1057

Superb actor so charismatic and born on the same date as me August 17

He looks generally like a Nazi Aryan type

Absolute master on not depending on the scene. Yes he is still a masterful actor even in the roles as a snivelling shit in Get Carter or this absolutely wonderful role the of fear laden Albert, in Secret Army: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Es5c4SFhLJU.html

Lovely actor and lovely guy!

@@vintagebrew1057 ...true enough.

Three pages is quite a reply to a fan letter.

I have been enjoying the great ITV drama Callan here on RU-vid and I am shocked at how very little background music there was on dramas of the 60s and 70s.

@@johnking5174 the lack of music builds up the atmosphere and the tension. This approach seems to be lost today. Another 70s programme that did this was Sapphire and Steel.

i did not know,he always played his parts so well.a true pro.rip mr valentine

Toby MearsThe Section's second best man-RIP MATE TOMMY27

+John King. Thank you for telling us. Sad to hear of the death this great actor. I thought he made the part of Raffles his own.

Brilliant man. Very sadly missed. Never forgotten.

This is lies and propaganda, Herr Valentine has not died he has merely been posted elsewhere

+John King ...spot on...Bernard Hepton is fantastic.

Great actor who does a good job on these series.

Been watching the series on TV when i was young. Very exiting then. But now ... lol When the Germans 'speak' German to each other it sounds robotic. I am Dutch and understand Germans 100% so that's why i say robotic. ;)

Most were British actors so you have to give a little bit of licence for accents.

I believe Ullman was based entirely on Eggers.

Did you ever see him in Callan?

No, I don't know what that is.

@@CorwynCelesil A British spy drama from 1967 - 1972 starring Edward Woodward and for most of the run Anthony Valentine.

@@CorwynCelesil Would you like me to send you a link to an episode?

@@johnking5174 Sure.

Good Show👍

Why do you reckon that Aussies love beating the Poms at cricket or anything else? Mark from Melbourne Australia

Total agree

You may have escaped us Major Reid but your friends will suffer for your foolish deeds, enjoy your skiing gentlemen, likewise for your comrades who will find it only goes downhill from here also

@@majorhorstmohn709 i don't know i hope the cart you escaped under didn't go downhill to fast for you and it took you years later to get away ..by the way you left your bag of money behind. We used it for bribes

Really liked this series so much that I ordered a copy only to find it was not playable in my California zone so I watch it on RU-vid. Recently I read a blog where people were asked tell what film they had ever seen that left them speechless after the performance. My list includes Where Butterflies Go To Die and Sold its series 1 Tweedle Dee and Twaddle Dumb, so,so heart wrenching.

@@kathyraygoza3299 Kathy- 'Where Butterflies go to Die' is a Colditz episode? Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum is one of the finest pieces of television ever made. And I also include Chernobyl in that list.

i agree,his performance is probably the best german officer ever....

While I love Valentine's portrayal of Mohn and think it's quite rich, I prefer Hepton's Kommandant and how he demonstrated something different about German military officers than your typical Nazi stereotype. Mohn is a really deep portrayal, but he's still fairly stereotypical. The Kommandant is very much not.

Ah yes you are admiring the Knights Cross with Oak leaves this is understandable I have no problem with admiration, there is no homo in one mans attraction to another is perfectly natural, I'm privileged to be recognised by the medical staff, carry on Doktor

@@majorhorstmohn709 ..lol, just seen this 6 months after you left the comment. Ha, ha. Nice one. Perfect portrayal though. And yes, that Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and swords...ooh! Just needs the Diamonds and...bingo...full house.

@@doktoruzo 6 months is reasonable, mail is slow during wartime, a parcel from February arrived only just this week from your ebay, I had the postman shot of course

Not strictly a Nazi officer. A major in the Luftwaffe. It was the SS that deserve that particular epithet.

@@ds1868 I stand corrected... I only meant to highlight anthonys great performence... He was a wonderful actor.

He lived to the grand old age of 92. Well deserved. From his friends and family it seems he was a true gentleman.

I like the smile of Mohne when he sees the "gone away" written on the bunk! *Excellent* casting! Both Ullman and Mohne really look the part! Bernard Hepton is great as the Kommandant too!

@@malcolmveloz1160 Hi Malcolm, Quite agree with you sir. This series was Momentous and very much highly acclaimed. Also the character Colonel Preston was played to a high standard of integrity. Also this series reminds me of the time n Fab to be young and luvly memories of my parents too. Kind regards Glynn n greetings from Stourbridge West Midlands UK 🕊🕊🕊

What’s the docu called? Thank u?

@@sh0k0nes Actually, that was a 2=part installment on Mark Felton's WW II history channel. The episode was called "The great rabbit hunt - Soviet POW breakout Mauthausen 1945". Thanks for taking an interest. Hope that was helpful.

@@shelbynamels973 Thank u. Found it

A fantastic actor but for me he will always be Albert Foiret.

He was busy during the war running Colditz and that cafe.

Completely agree with that. After all, the Smiley series were an outstanding achievement.

and David McCallum will always be Illya Kuryakin.

Toby's scene with George in the art gallery in Smiley's People was a highpoint of Hepton's career.

Stirling Castle located in the city of Stirling, to the north east of Glasgow was used as the exterior because is resembled Colditz Castle as how it looked in the 1940s.

Jon Hart Did you notice the nicely authentic touch of the Kreta wristband?

@@tomhanna8508 The Battle of Crete where General Freyberg managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

@@jonhart7630 It's surprising that Freyberg didn't appreciate how vital the airfields would be to the whole battle...

@@tomhanna8508 though they got the waffenfarbe wrong and also the shield was too high up i think - usually worn lower down on arm about level with upper breast pocket (ie top of shield level to top of pocket)

Also the close combat clasp below his ribbon group.

That was my favourite episode too. Absolutely heartbreaking.

V8 Powerr here here!

might be worth it if it means Major Mohn will visit me for a game of chess..

in that case I better Like it then!

Cooler 30 days is the correct term

Don't you mean 28 weeks solitary confinement ? XP

Der jaggershirm

The Wound badge in gold was probably given because of his injury to the stomach. He would automatically get the close combat clasp because he had the german cross in gold with oak leaves and swords.

Was herr Major Mohn a real Fallschirmjäger at all (he wore a paratroopers badge)? His collar badges were black, which mean construction troops. In reality Fallschirmjägers had YELLOW collar badges as had flying personnel! Major Mohn had first class iron cross, but where was his ribbon of second class iron cross? This ribbon were carried in uniform jackets button hole, second from above. German cross was filling gap between 1. class Iron cross and Knights cross. And the prisoners in this serie: they were like too-well-fed schoolboys in immaculate parade uniforms planning escape from dormitory accommodation in Spanish tourist trap! And Mohn's knights cross? No one parachute officers were acted so brilliantly in combat, that he would earn oakleaves AND SWORDS??? It could be possible in Stalingrad, but...Even in Eben - Emael fortress in Belgium 1940? Major Mohn had cuff - title "Kreta". The Crete operation were very heavy for German paratroops, it took very severe death toll among "jerries", so Luftwaffe paratroopers were rarely used in latter part of WW2. (Waffen-SS had their own paratroopers too.) I don't understand Major Mohn's golden wound badge, without any marks could be seen of his wounds? Golden badge meaned for instance blindness or losing arm or foot. He didn't limp when walking... Severe wound in stomach? Hmm. In those years before penicillium, shooting wound in stomach meaned usually sure death...? Anthony Valentine acted very well, thanks for it. Hauptmann Ullmann was good prototype of German infantry officer too. But herr Hauptmann, where was his decorations? I knew, this TV-serie was made by brittischers, who had stiff upper lip. Oh, those wicked Huns, how they even dared?

Was that not Peter Egan? I could be mistaken though?....🤔

No not Peter Egan - Christopher Neame but Strange fact Egan played Valentine's character Toby Meres in the Film version of Callan 1974 !

Total agree in my opinion he was best actor in the programme

Series lol he was a wonderful actor I enjoyed everything he did

@@arthursteven5601 Hello Arthur, Quite agree with you sir and a Momentous actor. It Beefed up the series no end also Bernard Hepton played a excellent part too. This series reminds me of the time n Fab to be young and luvly memories of my parents too. Kind regards Glynn n greetings from Stourbridge West Midlands UK 🕊🕊🕊

Also special mention to the hard but kind big german actor who was 2nd in command to the major

@@arthursteven5601 Cheers for your reply Arthur, He was also very professional and Jack Hedley who played the British commanding officer Preston. May I ask were R U from sir. Kind regards Glynn n greetings from Stourbridge West Midlands UK 🕊🕊🕊

This has been noted for years, it was simply a mistake by the production team at the time when this was filmed in 1973.

More than a few inaccuracies, as he is supposed to be a Fallschirmjager, which would denote a waffenfarbe of "Yellow". Not so.

@@Savchenkov1 yes..that was a bit of a minor howler....if the designer is going to do a LW uniform, surely its as easy to get the Waffenfarbe right as it is to get it wrong - plus the yellow is surely more photogenic. Kreta shield should also be lower down on the arm i think

Nor have I! ;-) ... and thanks for telling us. What did you think of it back then and now?

@@JesusChrist-ir1td Loved it. Then and now.

Why would anyone surround his pie hole with hair?

Come come we are all knowing who has the best moustache yes? admittedly it was a tiny one I understand this of course but he's a great man