Historic colour film about WW2 night bombing
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Thank you very much for flagging that up.
Thank God I didn't have to do that.
Thank God I didn't have to do that.
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I believe that this film was shot at the end of 1943 by the Station Commander at Hemswell, Gp Capt Cozens, who was an amateur filmmaker. After the war his films were put together and released in 1981 under the title of Night Bombers. It is still commercially available on DVD. The raid is real and there were no actors! It remains the only "true" colour film of Bomber Command in action.
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Not challenging Wensleydale at all, but the tail turret shown in that film raises a question on date.
The narrative at 10:26 says it's Hemswell in 1944. According to that Wiki-thing, the Rose turret (if that is what I saw in the film) didn't enter service until mid-44. But then the narrative at 28:08 calls the cutaway perspex "the Grantham Lodge modification".
I feel very anorak. Please excuse me.
The narrative at 10:26 says it's Hemswell in 1944. According to that Wiki-thing, the Rose turret (if that is what I saw in the film) didn't enter service until mid-44. But then the narrative at 28:08 calls the cutaway perspex "the Grantham Lodge modification".
I feel very anorak. Please excuse me.
"the Grantham Lodge modification"
Actually "Gransden Lodge" - a bomber field beween Cambridge and St Neots, these days still active as the base of Cambridge Gliding Club.
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My hearing as well as my eyesight (and everything else) is failing!
Thanks for the correction
Thanks for the correction
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I watched the whole thing again today.
Some of that footage, the world should be grateful he took it.
I have one question re the taxiways. It stated that keeping the lancaster
on the 50ft Taxiway was not easy, yet when they showed the 40 Lancasters
all taxiing for take off, the Taxi way was a squiggly line, hardly a straight
piece of tarmac the whole way.
Any reason for this ?
Some of that footage, the world should be grateful he took it.
I have one question re the taxiways. It stated that keeping the lancaster
on the 50ft Taxiway was not easy, yet when they showed the 40 Lancasters
all taxiing for take off, the Taxi way was a squiggly line, hardly a straight
piece of tarmac the whole way.
Any reason for this ?
This was the longest time I have spent on a Youtube movie yet. Worth every second.
I am under the impression though that the reality was even less suitable for the faint of heart than what was depicted here. Flak, night fighters and the massive losses were only mentioned "by the way".
I am under the impression though that the reality was even less suitable for the faint of heart than what was depicted here. Flak, night fighters and the massive losses were only mentioned "by the way".
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Night bombing
The wing commander waiting for his boys to return is basil templeman-rooke. He was my boss on 205 at changi in 1959. A great man and an excellent CO. He went from sergeant pilot to wing commander in three years,and his log book was brilliant.R I P T-R.i