Summary: A tribute to Yugoslav partisan warfare against Germany, and the support rôle of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces.
Description: An opening sequence, showing a partisan column on a hillside, peasants farming, and wrecked village buildings, accompanies commentary's brief outline of the Yugoslav struggle, the nature of guerrilla war, and German retaliation. The central passage shows a partisan column, cut off by the Germans, short of ammunition, and hampered by their wounded ("the 900" of the title), arranging an exceptional daylight flight of MAAF Dakotas to drop supplies and evacuate casualties. Besides the waiting column, film also shows a (British?) wireless operator working with them, and scenes of loading etc at Balkan Air Force HQ (AOC Air Vice Marshal Elliott) and the advanced fighter base on Vis. The airlift is successfully carried out, and casualties reach medical stations in Italy. An UNRRA home for Yugoslav orphans is shown. Closing sequence of Tito reviewing a parade of the National Liberation Army. (Soundtrack throughout also has several Yugoslav patriotic/folk songs).
Alternative Title:
Colour:B&W
Digitised:Yes
Object_Number:CVN 233
Sound:Sound
Access Conditions:IWM
Featured Period:1939-1945
Production Date:1944
Production Country: GB
Production Details: Ministry of Information (Production sponsor)
Combat Camera Units of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (Production company)
RAF Film Production Unit (Production company)
Army Film Unit (Production company)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Elliott, William (person)
Tito, Josip Broz (person)
Yugoslav National Liberation Army (regiment/service)
Yugoslavian partisans (regiment/service)
United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (regiment/service)
Keywords: aircraft, United States - transport: Douglas C-47 Dakota & [Yugoslav] (object name)
arts, Yugoslav - ethnic: music (object name)
combat, Yugoslav - irregular (object name)
internationalism, governmental, United Nations: UNRRA Yugoslav children's home (object name)
operations, Yugoslav military - sortie (object name)
supplies, Yugoslav, movement [RA] - misc: air (object name)
Italy (geography)
Yugoslavia & Vis, Bosnia (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: 682 ft; Running time: 19 mins
