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Summary: Short documentary about RAF Transport Command's regular flights to the Far East narrated by (and starring) Jon Rollason.
Description: Reporter John Rollason, not an RAF man, is booked on a Transport Command Comet to Singapore, and describes his experiences. RAF Lyneham - departure lounge, meeting the crew. Preparations - form-filling, bags checked and loaded, briefing. The flight itself. First stopover - Bahrain; street scenes, meeting with John Churchill, RAF pilot of a Beverley transport. Rejoining the Comet, and on to Aden - harbour and street scenes. He takes a trip from RAF Khormaksar over the Radfan mountains to meet troops guarding the border. Next stop for the Comet is Gan, in the Maldives - RAF post, fishing, wet weather. Comet's final destination, Singapore - RAF Changi, street scenes, Bugis Street. Trip in an Argosy to Hong Kong - aerial scenes, junks. On to Sarawak, North Borneo, by Whirlwind helicopter - dyaks in their long houses, scenes of RAF routine and preparation for para-drop at Carfax Platoon HQ. The para-drop itself, by troops of 55 Company RASC (Air Dispatch); Hastings, with Javelin fighter escort, delivers to front line. Back to base. Flying home in Bristol Britannia, Rollason sums up his experiences.
Production Details: Ministry of Defence (Air) (Production sponsor)
Central Office of Information (Production sponsor)
United Motion Pictures (Production company)
Pudney, Alan (Production individual)
Billings, Roy (Production individual)
Chiffey, Tony (Production individual)
Sheppard, Jack (Production individual)
Sobel, Raoul (Production individual)
Broderick, Peter (Production individual)
Rollason, Jon (Production cast)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Royal Air Force, Transport Command (regiment/service)
British Army, Royal Army Service Corps, 55 Coy (Air Dispatch) (regiment/service)
Keywords: aircraft, British - combat: Gloster Javelin (object name)
aircraft, British - transport: Blackburn Beverley (object name)
aircraft, British - transport: De Havilland Comet (object name)
aircraft, British - transport: Handley Page Hastings (object name)
aircraft, British - transport: Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer (object name)
aircraft, British - transport: Armstrong Whitworth Argosy (object name)
operations, British air - preparation (object name)
operations, British air - movement (object name)
operations, British air - routine (object name)
society, Arabian - ethnic (object name)
supplies, British, movement - misc: para-drop (object name)
Yemen & Aden <RAF Khormaksar & Radfan Mountains> (geography)
Saudi Arabia & Bahrain (geography)
Maldive Islands & Gan <RAF Station> (geography)
Malaya & Sarawak (geography)
Singapore & Changi <RAF Station> (geography)
Singapore & Singapore <Bugis Street> (geography)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: English
Subtitle language: None
Technical Details: Format: 16mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Footage: 993 ft; Running time: 28 mins