Summary: An attempt to show the human background to the RAF by concentrating on the mixed Commonwealth (4 New Zealand, 2 English, 1 Canadian) crew of a Lancaster during a raid over Germany.
Description: The Navigator narrates the story, aimed at relatives at home who complain letters are uninformative. Ground crew make plane ready, load bombs; aircrew arrive (film introduces them: one is a Maori) chat, waiting for final 'go ahead' from Wing Commander; take off. Film guesses at thoughts of crew members during uneventful part of flight (eg. they think of fishing; of girls; of children; of ambitions in journalism or politics; of Maori people; of a wife killed in industrial accident); a fighter attack is beaten off, but damages oxygen supply: they continue at low altitude; approach to target ("This is the time you mean a lot to us, even if we haven't a thought to spare for you from now on"); bombing run, and turn for home, "Is it any clearer now...what we mean by the letters that tell you so little?"
Alternative Title:
Colour:B&W
Digitised:Yes
Object_Number:CNZ 202
Sound:Sound
Access Conditions:IWM
Featured Period:1939-1945
Production Date:1944
Production Country: GB
Production Details: Ministry of Information (Production sponsor)
Merlin (Production company)
Hankinson, Michael (Production individual)
Luff, A H (Production individual)
Reynolds, Harry (Production individual)
Kemplen, Ralph (Production individual)
Hughes, Ken (Production individual)
Robertson, Arnot (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Royal Air Force (regiment/service)
Royal Air Force, Canadian personnel (regiment/service)
Royal Air Force, New Zealand personnel (regiment/service)
Keywords: aircraft, British - combat: Avro Lancaster (object name)
operations [simulated], British military - sortie: bombing raid (object name)
propaganda, British - inspirational (object name)
GB, England (geography)
propaganda (concept)
