Summary: A WRAF recruiting film, pitched at 2 levels: the potential glamour of service life compared to city existence, and the national importance of the work of the (W)RAF.
Description: An opening sequence portrays images of Britain: a ploughman, a mother and young son at the seaside, London office workers; a mildly ominous note ("wars and rumours of wars") is struck as WRAF radar operators report for duty at a station near the ploughman's fields. The audience is then made aware of a connection between the symbols shown: the ploughman, mother and child, and an office girl are the family of a WRAF nurse now in Singapore; the mother reads one of her letters as film illustrates her exciting life. Into this picture of contentment ("just as it should be") the threatening note again intrudes: the camera returns to the radar operators, the soundtrack echoes their briefing ("you are the eyes and ears of the air force"); Hunter fighters stand by; as an unidentified aircraft is plotted, the small boy on the beach trips and falls (Reel 1 only viewed).
Production Details: Rank Screen Services, Pinewood Studios (Production company)
Bundy, Frank (Production individual)
Wells, Frank (Production individual)
North, Frank (Production individual)
Boote, Cliff (Production individual)
Dowling, Brian (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Royal Air Force, Women's Royal Air Force, (regiment/service)
Keywords: aircraft, British - combat: Hawker Hunter (object name)
intelligence, military, British - reconnaissance: radar operators (object name)
propaganda, British - practical: recruitment, Women's Royal Air Force (object name)
GB, England (geography)
Singapore (geography)
(concept)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: English
Subtitle language: None
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 2
Footage: 1543 ft; Running time: 15 mins
