Night Bombers Documentary (1981?)

[pug]

Just recently re-watched this masterpiece after not seeing it for 20 years. Available on YouTube now. After watching it I have a few questions and suppose I thought it maybe appropriate to generate a discussion around it. I did search before posting but couldn’t seem to find anything about it.

One of the questions was regarding the audio. Obviously there is the narration, however I dont believe there is any non-scripted documentary style footage out there from this time, could be wrong. Does anyone happen to know whether the background audio is genuine or was it a silent film that has been dubbed? There is an documentary about the ATA recently added to YouTube, I believe this is as fly on the wall as you’d get as most of the ones I’ve seen appear to be a ‘smile for the camera’ production. However there is something about the rarity of such things that I find fascinating.

Hope this generates some interest and discussion and apologies if it’s already been discussed on here before - assume it has but like I say couldn’t turn anything up by use of the search function.

[Bergerie1]

Is this the one you mean?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAztJVoBTKE&t=42s

[pug]

Is this the one you mean?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAztJVoBTKE&t=42s

That is indeed the one I mean.

[76fan]

Great film. Thank you.

[CAEBr]

I remember seeing some of this footage around 1973 at an event at Blackfriars Theatre, Boston. It may have been organised by the then Lincs Aviation Society at Woodhall Spa, but 50 years has dulled the memory of some details.
I do recall however that Air Commodore Cozens (credited as the photographer at the end) was the main guest speaker. He was the CO of Hemswell at the time and a keen photographer who took the opportunity to shoot many of the sequences. The showing of his personal films was the centrepiece of the event and was possibly the first time they had had such a viewing. As colour film it created much interest. During the Q&A session he also introduced an ex Luftwaffe pilot who had several 'kills' but was by then a firm friend of several of those he had fought against.
I am assuming that the film as it now stands was subsequently edited, with other official film added to it, into an hours TV programme.

[rolling20]

It was filmed on a clockwork 16mm Bell & Howell camera, so no audio was available.
The camera was obviously quite small, as it was used in an Oxford to get the take off shots.

[Less Hair]

Thanks so much. Most interesting movie I hadn't known before.

[thnarg]

Just watched it, and thanks for highlighting it, Pug. Obviously a foley soundtrack but very well done and no bloody background music!

Aviators of my generation started out sitting to the right of men who flew such machines on such missions. We shouldn’t have scoffed at their leather gloves, medal ribbons, piston-engine-induced deafness, alcoholism or conservative values, but we did. I regret that.

Shouldn’t have complained about night Heraklions either…

[FrankPilot]

Cannot answer your questions but thanks for the heads-up on the movie. Cheers.

[SQUAWKIDENT]

I've seen it before in the dim and distant past but it's certainly worth another watch. Great early colour film footage with no annoying music to distract from the sound of all those Merlin engines.

The commentary sounds like the guy who voiced "The Clangers" (British Children's TV from the 70's) ? Oliver Postgate?

Anyway a great British documentary worth a watch for the history lesson alone.

[rolling20]

I've seen it before in the dim and distant past but it's certainly worth another watch. Great early colour film footage with no annoying music to distract from the sound of all those Merlin engines.

The commentary sounds like the guy who voiced "The Clangers" (British Children's TV from the 70's) ? Oliver Postgate?

Anyway a great British documentary worth a watch for the history lesson alone.
When it was filmed, the camera used did not have the ability to record sound.