Is 1917 a true story?<\/strong><\/h2>\nIn short: sort of. In a bit longer: 1917 is loosely based on a story Mendes was told by his grandfather \u2013 Alfred H Mendes, who served in the war \u2013 as a child.<\/p>\n
During the conflict, Alfred was awarded a Military Medal for volunteering as a runner during 1917\u2019s Battle of Poelcappelle, weaving through machine gun fire to deliver messages.<\/p>\n
Writing in his memoirs, Autobiography of Alfred H Mendes 1897-1991<\/a>, Alfred recalls: \u201cIn spite of the snipers, the machine-gunners and the shells, I arrived back at C Company\u2019s shell hole without a scratch but with a series of hair-raising experiences that would keep my grand and great-grandchildren enthralled for nights on end.\u201d<\/p>\n