Over the course of the last couple of weeks, a group of set dressers have been busy transforming my neighbourhood into what I initially thought was just going to be a bomb site on one street; there was a bit of filming happening last year with London Blitz kind of vibes, I assumed this was just more of the same.

But after a few days of them just not stopping, I started to wonder what was actually afoot.

(See the slideshow at the top of this post for a sample of how much has been altered.)

They’re still busily reshaping the block into World War 2 era Birmingham (so I assume from a couple of the posters) although now I have an explanation, since a letter popped into my mailbox, saying that several streets would be closed this week due to the filming.

The masthead simply said “Six Triple Eight Productions Ltd.” and then a cool little postmark that said “6888 – Postal Battalion”.

My Google fu wasn’t really put to the test for this one: it’s a Netflix film about the only all-black, all-female battalion in World War 2 who were tasked with sorting out a backlog in mail from troops overseas. It’ll be directed by Tyler Perry and has apparently got Oprah Winfrey and Susan Sarandon in it, to name a few. I’ll be out with my autograph book for sure.

(More on the film here.)

It’s a pretty amazing story to be honest – it sounds like the creation of this battalion was something of an afterthought to find black women something to do for the war effort, and yet the 6888th didn’t just turn up; they turned it on:

Army leadership estimated that it would take at least six months and closer to a year to get the backlog taken care of. The SixTripleEight did it in three months.

The Six Triple EIght: No mail, low Morale

Honestly, the whole story is such an uplifting tale complete with big personalities clashing then coming to mutually respect one another, underdogs triumphing over adversity, a secret mission, a mountain (of mail) to climb … you just have to wonder how it’s taken so long to be turned into a film.

Fingers crossed it’s a good one – but either way, I’ll still be able to do that Once Upon A Time In Hollywood meme, pointing at the telly any time I recognise somewhere. Which I always enjoy.

(More on the history of the 6888th here.)