Great War Stories 1 - Bess and the War Horses

This edition of Great War Stories follows the experiences of Kiwi horses in World War I by recounting the story of Bess, the thoroughbred stead of Colonel CG Powles of the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment. The two would serve in the Middle East, and on the Western Front. Over 10,000 horses were sent to war; Bess was one of only four to return home. The clip finishes with an Anzac Day remembrance at Bess’s Rangitikei grave. The first series of seven short documentaries screened during TV3's primetime news in 2014; another series followed in 2015.

These little slice-of-life war stories have told me more in a few minutes than The World Wars told me in an hour. … All good stuff and an object lesson in how a tiny part can speak for the whole.

– From Greg Dixon's NZ Herald review of the Great War Stories series, 9 August 2014

Key Cast & Crew

Hilary Barry

Presenter

Dave Armstrong

Writer

Anna Cottrell

Writer, Director, Producer

Mark Jennings

Executive Producer

Jock Phillips

Executive Producer

Peter Metcalf

Editor