Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
Colonel Alastair PEARSON CB, DSO and 3 Bars, OBE, MC, TD, DL, ADC (1915-1996)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Alastair Pearson, former British Army Officer, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews - with the help of Anthony Deane-Drummond - outside the Spanish Club in London's West End.
Alastair, who was born in Glasgow, joined the 6th Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry and served briefly in France in January 1940. In 1942, he joined the British Army's Parachute Regiment and was sent to Tunisia to participate in Operation Torch. He was awarded the Military Cross and, at the age of 27, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and given command of the 1st Parachute Battalion, becoming the youngest commanding officer in the British Army.
He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and three bars for his actions during the Battle of Tamera, the invasion of Sicily, and his contributions during the Battle of Normandy. As one of the most highly regarded soldiers of the Parachute Regiment and the British Army who served in the Second World War, he left the Army at the end of the war and became a farmer in Gartochan on the shores of Loch Lomond.
programme details...
- Edition No: 166
- Subject No: 167
- Broadcast: Mon 16 Oct 1961
- Broadcast time: 7.30-8.05pm
- Recorded: Mon 25 Sep 1961 8.30pm
- Venue: BBC Television Theatre
- Series: 7
- Edition: 3
on the guest list...
- Richard Todd
- Sammy Ross
- Charles Crawford
- Edward Cull
- Brig John Frost
- Brig Vic Coxen
- Jimmy Bushnell
- William Clarke
- Mary Campbelll
- Mary Murrichy
- Gen Sir Richard Gale
- Maj Tommy Thompson
- Maj Archie Bookless
- Joan - wife
- Claire - daughter
- Fiona - daughter
- Georges Gondrée
- Thérèse Gondrée
- William Wilson
production team...
- Researchers: John Ralph, Caroline McCullough, Anthony Chivers
- Writer: Arthur Sellwood
- Director: Yvonne Littlewood
- Producer: T Leslie Jackson
- names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life
Screenshots of Alastair Pearson This Is Your Life
Series 7 subjects
Max Bygraves | Mario Borrelli | Alastair Pearson | Brian Rix | Derek Dooley | Elizabeth Twistington Higgins | Sandy MacPhersonRonald Menday | Harry Day | Peter Finch | Charlie Drake | Timothy Cain | Isabella Woodford | David Park | Sefton Delmer
Coco (Nicolai Poliakoff) | Jenny Gleed | Arthur Davies | Tom Evans | David James | Kenneth Horne | Marie Rambert | David Butler
Glen Moody | Kenneth Cooke | Tom Breaks | Dora Bryan | Bob Oatway | Acker Bilk | Hester Meakin | Joe Filliston | Ellaline Terriss