Parts of Bradford are going back in time as they are transformed into war-torn Birmingham for a major new film.

Six Triple Eight will tell the story of 6888th battalion, the only all-black, all-female American battalion of World War Two

The film, for Netflix, stars Oprah Winfrey, Susan Sarandon and Kerry Washington and is being directed by Tyler Perry.

Filming in Bradford's Little Germany area is expected to take place next week.

The 6888th Postal Directory Battalion was formed in 1945 as there was a significant shortage of soldiers able to manage the postal service for the US Army.

The unit, consisting of more than 800 women, sailed to the UK in February 1945, arriving first in Glasgow before travelling on to Birmingham, where they would be based.

In Birmingham, they found piles of undelivered mail from US forces to loved-ones back home.

"Facing discrimination, unfamiliar land, and a war-torn country, they persevered and sorted over 17 million pieces of mail, reconnecting American soldiers with their families and loved ones back home," Netflix said in publicity for the film.

The women created their own motto "No Mail, Low Morale" to show how important they believed getting those letters delivered was.

After sorting mail in the UK the battalion was moved to France to begin tackling a second backlog.

The unit was disbanded after the war in 1946 and received little recognition for their work.

However, in 2022 President Jo Biden signed a bill for the women to receive Congress' highest honour, the Congressional Gold Medal.

At a glance

• Bradford's Little Germany transformed for new Netflix drama

• Six Triple Eight is the story of the only all-women, all-black US battalion during WWII

• The city will stand in for war-battered Birmingham

• The film stars Oprah Winfrey, Susan Sarandon and Kerry Washington.