SEVEN DAYS TO WHITE TENT [Main Title]

Log in to create clips, download free screeners and save clips/films in Collections. Click here to find out more.


  • Title: SEVEN DAYS TO WHITE TENT [Main Title]
  • Film Number: COI 768
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: Television programme about life in the RAF.
  • Description: The film follows 3 characters as they pursue their duties over a seven day period culminating in 'Exercise White Tent', designed to test Harriers in the Arctic conditions of northern Norway. Mike Shaw is a Harrier pilot; Ralph Green an engineer on a Belfast transport; Chris Gould, captain of a Lockheed Hercules. The activities of the three men are intercut to evoke the atmosphere of "one hectic, complicated, confusing but routine week in November." Mike Shaw: parachute ditching drill off Plymouth; pilots DH Tiger Moth G-ANRN of Peterborough Flying Club; discusses Harrier navigational display with new pilot at Wittering, Lincolnshire; goes along in Puma as it exercises with men of RAF Regiment; tries new Harrier simulator; participates in Operation White Tent, flying a practice strike with Norwegian FAC. Ralph Green: travels in VC10 to Cyprus as part of slip crew to pick up aircraft for flight from Akrotiri to Gan; Belfast's flight aborted due to faulty warning light, and crew relaxes in Limassol before flying to Gan by VC10 to pick up another aircraft for return flight to UK; Belfast leaves Gan carrying marines and equipment in transit from Singapore; Operation White Tent - Belfast lands and unloads supplies. Chris Gould: tested in Hercules simulator; participates in exercise over England, dropping paratroopers after preliminary photo-reconnaissance by Phantoms; flight from Lyneham, Wilts, to Ascension Island via Lajes in the Azores, and return flight to Britain; Hercules loads for White Tent but is re-scheduled to Karachi and Islamabad to evacuate refugees. The three characters are all given the opportunity to express conventional views on their life in the service.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: Colour
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: COI 768
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © Crown copyright. IWM (COI 768)
  • Featured Period: 1946-1975
  • Production Date: 1972-11
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: HTV West (Production company) Mead, John (Production individual) Mead, John (Production individual) Davies, Mel (Production individual) Stokes, Bob (Production individual) Cross, John (Production individual) Elgar, Terry (Production individual) Mead, John (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Gould, Chris (person) Green, Ralph (person) Shaw, Mike (person) Royal Navy (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: aircraft, British - combat: Hawker Siddeley Harrier (object name) aircraft, British - light civilian: De Havilland Tiger Moth (object name) aircraft, British - transport: Short Belfast (object name) aircraft, United States - transport: Lockheed Hercules & [British] (object name) operations, British air - preparation (object name) training, British air (object name) Cyprus & Limassol (geography) Plymouth, Devon, England, UK (geography) Norway (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English Title language: English Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 16mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 1963 ft; Running time: 55 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    COI 768

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:
Register