“With the war stuff where he deliberately got his hand shot, my first reaction when I read that was that it was the act of a coward but our historical advisor Alistair Bruce was a Falklands veteran and he very kindly took me, Dan [Stevens] and Thomas [Howes] who were all in the trenches and he gave us the benefit of his experience. We're talking hand to hand combat and it was an amazing conversation I will never forget and he said it isn't the act of a coward. To knowingly put your hand up with the knowledge it will get blown to smithereens is one of the bravest things you could do and is a marker down for the horrors that they experienced at the Somme. Let's not forget that Thomas had been there for two years already and I wouldn't blame anyone for putting their hand up and getting out of that. ”