World War One [Radio 1 Stories]

Mixing new interviews from Afghanistan veterans with archive of those who endured the trenches, this Radio 1 story brings out the universality of experience of going to war: the joining up, the camaraderie, the killing, the trauma and the loss, as well as asking questions such as do all wars change those who fight in them in similar ways?

The Afghanistan veterans also reflect on the stories of their relatives who fought and died in The Great War and what they went through. And just as the nation will be debating the rights and wrongs of World War One, this new generation of veterans from Britain's latest conflict consider what they believe has and has not been achieved in Afghanistan.

All of the interviews are with veterans who have left the Armed Forces, many of whom were wounded during active service. They include Lance Corporal Peter Cosgrove who served with the 2nd Royal Tank regiment in Afghanistan. He was six weeks from finishing his tour when his vehicle was hit by an enemy bomb, breaking his left leg and shattering his foot. Since leaving the army, he has battled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Peter reflects on what his family went through in WW1. Of his three uncles who served in the war, Lewis and Fred Cosgrove were killed while Jessie survived - although he was injured and mentally scarred by his experiences. Peter is proud that, just like him, his great uncle Jessie joined the Tank Regiment and he has that connection going back a 100 years.

Other interviewees include former Royal Marine Lance Corporal Pete Dunning who lost both his legs after his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. Another double amputee Captain David Henson dealt with nearly twenty bombs in Helmand but stepped on an IED in a compound he was trying to clear. Both he and Pete Dunning consider themselves lucky to be alive. David Henson reflects on the bravery of his Great Great Grandfather, Private Michael Heaviside who won the Victoria Cross in WW1 for rescuing an injured man under fire in No-man's land.

Other contributors include Private Luke Hardy of the Parachute Regiment who did three tours of Afghanistan as a sniper, Flight Lieutenant Laura Posthumus who looked after the welfare of soldiers doing combat roles and Joe Glenton who, as a conscientious objector, refused to go back to Afghanistan for a second tour.

This is the first of three documentaries on the subject of war. Next week's Radio 1 Story is War Children; and MP3 War will be broadcast on Monday 18th August.

Greg James contrasts the experiences of British troops in Afghanistan and World War One.

Listen to my story, war started and pushed us out and that's when our misery and homelessness started', the words of Afghanistan's first female rapper, Soosan Firooz. But they echo the story of every young person, in every conflict, in each of the hundred years since WW1.

I thought wars happen to other people,' wrote an 11 year-old girl in Bosnia,in 1994. We'll meet today's 'other people' - war children who got caught in the crossfire of conflict not of their making.

What do we think when we think of a refugee? Victim or survivor? Friend or outsider? Heroes, like athlete Mo Farah or supermodel Alek Wek, or just normal people, who want to Skype their friends back home, listen to Justin Bieber or Beyonce, get good grades, get married, speak their minds, feel safe?

We hear from writer Zlata, rapper Mohammad, filmmaker Reem, dancer Ishimwa, campaigner Dhibla and student Linda, from Bosnia, Iran, Syria, Rwanda, Somalia, but who are all closer to us than we think.

What's the reality of growing up in a war zone? And how can a diary, a song, a poem or a play change, and even save, a life? These testimonies of war- and peace- will be sound tracked by refugees who took refuge in music: MIA, Mika, Regina Spektor and Rita Ora. We also hear from Celebrating Sanctuary which showcases emerging refugee artists to kick start Refugee Week, Musicians Without Borders, which harnesses the healing power of music for victims of torture, and War Child, who have been making charity rock for the last 20 years by getting bands like Kasabian on board.

This is the second of three documentaries on the subject of war. You can still hear Veterans: From WW1 to Afghanistan on the BBC iPlayer; while MP3 War will be broadcast on Monday 18th August.

War Children was produced by Kirsty McQuire. It was a Sparklab Production for BBC Radio 1.

Greg James hears about children caught in the crossfire of conflict 100 years on from WW1

Greg James hears from troops at Camp Bastion who describe music as an essential part of their lives. It drowns out the monotony of camp-life. It gives an adrenaline kick to long journeys, and provides the backdrop to the ultimate dance-offs.

Soldiers about to leave for Afghanistan describe what tracks they can't do without. They reveal their fears about going to war for the first time, and their excitement at finally getting out there.

But what happens when the unit comes home from war? Years after seeing active duty in a war zone, what place do those playlists have in their lives? Do they offer comfort or rake up difficult and dangerous memories?

MP3 War weaves the music soundtracks of Helmand with soldiers' stories of operations. On the way we discover that within these track choices lies an almost endless list of associations, memories and emotions.

This is the third in a series of three documentaries on the subject of war. You can still hear Veterans: From WW1 to Afghanistan and War Children on the BBC iPlayer.

Music in war: Greg James goes in search of the ultimate playlist.