A PUPIL from Tadcaster Grammar School has been picked to appear in a television documentary on Nazi-occupied Europe, after impressing producers with his historical knowledge.

George Colclough, 18, from Copmanthorpe, who is heading off to study history at university next year, is a member of the 21st Panzer Division Living History Group.

Members of the re-enactment group spent three days filming in Norfolk, where they were used to portray German soldiers and members of a forced labour group, building the Nazis’ Atlantic Wall sea defences on the continent.

George said: “I appeared in two roles – a German private and a slave labourer. The soldier was better to play; it wasn’t much fun being kicked around.

“I’m doing history at university so the re-enactment group was a natural place to find myself. I can do all the German commands and like to think I could talk at conversational level.”

The group were contacted by the producers of the documentary, Darlow Smithson Productions, and the show is expected to go out on the National Geographic channel later this year.

Darlow Smithson have been the recipients of more than 40 awards, including BAFTAs, The Royal Television Society and the US Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

George described the three days of filming as hard work but very interesting and the history of the everyday German soldier was one widely misunderstood.

“This is a section of history which is very badly taught,” he said.

“We are told they were all Nazis which is just wrong.

“The Nazis were just a very small proportion of the army – most of them were conscripts just like us.”