British Fighting Heroes

British Fighting Heroes is Ross Kemp's personal homage to some of the most remarkable men and women to have served in the British Armed Forces during the two World Wars. Many of them unsung or forgotten, each of the lives profiled is an extraordinary tale of courage, adventure and patriotic sacrifice. From Sgt Major Stan Hollis, D-Day's only VC winner, to Mary Seacole, a Jamaican-born nurse who set up her own field station to treat wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. Vivid descriptions of their lion-hearted actions are woven into the wider story of their lives, providing a fascinating insight into a variety of military units, operations and theatres of war. Embedded with British forces in Afghanistan for his award-winning television documentaries, Kemp has experienced the terror and exhilaration of life on the frontline for himself while witnessing the courage and leadership of today's servicemen first-hand. Kemp tells the breathtaking stories of commandos, medics, submariners, fighter pilots, infantrymen, bomber crewmen, sailors and engineers in daring raids, stirring last stands and acts of extreme valour far beyond the reach of ordinary men. Author Biography Ross Kemp was born in Essex in 1964. He became a household name as one half of the infamous Mitchell Brothers in BBC's EastEnders, a role for which he won Best Actor at the British Soap Awards twice. Most recently, Kemp has received international recognition as an investigative journalist for his critically acclaimed and award-winning documentary series'. Ross Kemp on Gangs was broadcast on Sky1 in October 2006, the second series of which won a BAFTA Award for Best Factual Series. In January 2008 Sky1 broadcast the first episode of Ross Kemp in Afghanistan, which came about when Ross heard that his father's old regiment, The First Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment, were to be deployed in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Filming took place over a year and followed the soldiers from their pre-deployment training to their return to the UK. The series won a Broadcast Award and was followed in 2009 by Ross Kemp Return to Afghanistan. Ross lives in London, is a keen rugby fan and is a Patron of Help For Heroes.