Sat 1 Aug 2105 BBC2 - First Light
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Often in Jersey, but mainly in the past.
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A nicely done docu-drama.
The Wiki on both Wellum and Kingcome made interesting reading as well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Wellum
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Kingcome
The Wiki on both Wellum and Kingcome made interesting reading as well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Wellum
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Kingcome
Didn't catch the entirety, but what I did see I agree was good. Having Wellum voice over the acting was a master stroke, giving it a moral authority that it otherwise might have lacked.
The curious business of the convoy patrol where he and his no.2 are launched in appalling weather, so he promptly loses his no.2 yet glimpses and shoots down a Ju88 in cloud, then continues IMC until a fortuitous break in the cloud gives him a fix and a way home and lands with barely any fuel left, was well portrayed imo.
Indeed the whole arbitrariness of the Battle, and indeed war itself, is well brought out, together with the accumulative fatigue that usually has only one outcome. Fortunately, for him and for us, Wellum was pulled out of the fray in the nick of time.
Recommended, if you can catch it up on iPlayer.
The curious business of the convoy patrol where he and his no.2 are launched in appalling weather, so he promptly loses his no.2 yet glimpses and shoots down a Ju88 in cloud, then continues IMC until a fortuitous break in the cloud gives him a fix and a way home and lands with barely any fuel left, was well portrayed imo.
Indeed the whole arbitrariness of the Battle, and indeed war itself, is well brought out, together with the accumulative fatigue that usually has only one outcome. Fortunately, for him and for us, Wellum was pulled out of the fray in the nick of time.
Recommended, if you can catch it up on iPlayer.
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Does anyone have info on locations for the filming ?
The air to stuff was impressively done and I reckon included some clips - albeit "enhanced" from the 1969 B of B film. Saw some glimpses of the Spanish Me109 versions.
The air to stuff was impressively done and I reckon included some clips - albeit "enhanced" from the 1969 B of B film. Saw some glimpses of the Spanish Me109 versions.
FS:-
I don't I'm afraid, though agree that quite a lot was from the BoB film. There is some blurb here re the original screening in 2010 for the 70th aniversary together with a chance to stream the video:-
BBC Two - First Light
I like Wellum's inclusion in the credits as "Older Boy" as distinct from "Boy" ;-)
Does anyone have info on locations for the filming ?
BBC Two - First Light
I like Wellum's inclusion in the credits as "Older Boy" as distinct from "Boy" ;-)
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An excellent drama/documentary. I've read most of the RAF/FAA flying WW2 autobiographies and good as they are, they don't manage to get across the the true excitement/horror of what must have been a visceral experience - probably because of the authors modesty. The bad weather flying scenes had me feeling much the same way as I did on the occasions I stupidly allowed myself to get into a similar problem when flying just for fun. To think this fear was an every day event is just unimaginable. As far as the final question which 'Boy' Wellum asked in the program -'Was it all worth it...I still ask the question and am not sure?', at the time, I think yes, history has shown it was vitally necessary. However, I doubt whether any politician from the last fifty years could look him in the eye and say the legacy Wellum and his fellow-pilots left us through their bravery has been protected and preserved.
