Title:BRIEFING AND OTHER PREPARATIONS FOR A POST-D-DAY RAID [Allocated Title]
Film Number:ACA 34
Other titles:
Summary: Scenes shot at a Night Bomber Station in England.
Description: I. French crews prepare their Bostons for a raid; bombs are wheeled to the aircraft on a trolley, and French officers make sure these are securely fixed. French airmen sit, in a group, listening to the radio, French airmen sit, in a group, listening to the radio; some are sitting on bombs marked "Elle est Morte" or "Casse-Croute pour Hitler", with the Cross of Lorraine, others are reading newspapers. An airman adjusts the tuning dial on the radio, while others listen, intently. Some are reading the Star headlines: "We invade; 6am. Air and Sea Landings on Normandy Coast"). Close-up of a map, on the front page of the Star, taken from over a French airman's shoulder.
II. A Squadron Leader (Intelligence) briefs French and British bomber crews, with the aid of general, and more detailed, maps of the Normandy area. A French officers acts as interpreter. Various reaction shots of French and British officers.
III. An Army officer (Colonel) briefs British and French aircrews, with the aid of general and more detailed maps of the Normandy area, on details of enemy ground forces. A French officer acts as interpreter. A series of static shots of these lectures (various 'takes') are followed by reaction shots, including film of questions 'from the floor'. In the background, there is a board, with the headings "Armament" and "Cameras" written on it: the blank spaces below these headings are not written on. [The French squadron is almost certainly No 342 'Lorraine' Squadron, in which case the station is RAF Hartford Bridge (Blackbushe).]
Production Details: Royal Air Force (Production company)
Sayer (Sergeant) (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Free French Air Force, 342 Squadron (Lorraine) (regiment/service)
Keywords: aircraft, United States - combat: Douglas Boston & [French] (object name)
intelligence, military, French - briefing (object name)
recreation, French [Free French] air - radio (object name)
intelligence, military, British - briefing (object name)
operations, French air - preparation: bombing up (object name)
recreation, French [Free French] air - casual (object name)
GB, England & Blackbushe, Hants <RAF Station, Hartford Bridge Flats> (geography)
