FLYING AND TOURIST SCENES IN BRITAIN, IRAQ, AUSTRALIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST IN THE PERIOD 1926-1938 [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: FLYING AND TOURIST SCENES IN BRITAIN, IRAQ, AUSTRALIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST IN THE PERIOD 1926-1938 [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: MGH 5078
  • Other titles: AMATEUR FILM BY AIR COMMODORE HAZELTON NICHOLL [Alternative Title]
  • Summary: Amateur film, largely without titles, shot by Air Commodore (later Air Vice-Marshal Sir) Hazelton Nicholl, records on and off-duty scenes while commanding RAF 70 Squadron in Iraq (1926-1928), various RAF flying boats of the early 1930s, tours around Australia while serving as a Member of the Air Board of the RAAF (1935-1937) and scenes in the Middle East and Persian Gulf (1926-1928, 1938).
  • Description: 9.5mm REELS (original numberings in brackets): Reel 1 (2A): leader marked Beri Badan Hill Camp, Iraq. (1926-1928) (Nicholl wanted Rest Camp away from hot summer in Tigris Valley, and in mid-!927 found Beri Badan 9000ft up in Persian Hills, five miles from Iraq-Persia border. Abandoned after two years as too inaccessible.) Reel 2 (5A): box marked Seaplanes. Blackburn Rangoon on sea. Blackburn Ripon taxis. Fairey IIIF, with Blackburn Perth in background. Fairey Gordon with radial engine. Short Singapore and Perth. Gordon takes off from Harwich, with St Stephen's Church visible. Perth pulled from water. Aerial view over Outer Schard Lighthouse. Air station at Felixstowe. Singapores, Fairey FIIIs and Hawker Osprey. (Early 1930s) Reel 3 (6A): leader marked Flying Heston Hendon. Passengers board R101 airship. Various air show scenes from early 1930s at Hendon and Heston. Reel 4 (7A): box marked 70 Squadron. Scenes in Iraq while Squadron Leader Hazelton commanded RAF 70 Squadron, based at Hinaidi and equipped with Vickers Vernons and Vickers Victorias, from 9 October 1926 to 26 November 1928. Aerial views, off-duty scenes, Blackburn Iris, mosque and water skating on board. Reel 5 (15A): leader marked Muscat and Persian Gulf. (1926-1928) 16mm REELS: Reel 6 (1): Tourist scenes in Western Australia (Kalgoorlie, Fairbridge Farm School at Pinjara), South Australia and Tasmania during journey on Transcontinental Railway (while travelling to attend interview boards for candidates for the RAAF in state capitals). (1935-1937) 441ft Reel 7 (2): «HMAS Australia» and HM Australian Squadron at Port Melbourne. Melbourne Cup at Flemington Race Course (November). (1935-1937) 400ft Reel 8 (3): Cricket match between England and Australia. Sydney Harbour. (1935-1937) 391ft B&W, Faded colour. Reel 9 (4): Victoria Barracks, Melbourne and Australian Coronation Contingent march to docks. (1937) 355ft B&W, Colour. Reel 10 (5): Royal Yacht Club of Victoria at Williamstown. Rotorua, New Zealand. (1935-1937) 379ft Reel 11 (6): Vanrook Station (ie cattle farm) and scenes of aboriginal life by the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland. (1935-1937) 200ft Reel 12 (7): Skiing at Mount Hotham, Victoria. Hospice Mt St Bernard. (1935-1937) 370ft B&W, Faded colour. Reel 13 (8): «HMS Courageous» Spring cruise, 1932. Nimrods and Fairey IIIFs landing on from Gosport. «HMS Glorious» in Mediterranean. «SS Aquitania» arriving at Gibraltar. Attending parade at RAAF Station Richmond (New South Wales) and Passing out Inspection for RAAF airmen and cadets at RAAF Station Point Cook (New South Wales), and airshow with Hawker Demons, 1936-1937. 421ft (Can marked RAF and RAAF) Reel 14 (9): Coronation of King George VI (1937) (Professional film) 365ft Reel 15 (11): Scenes during flight (on return from Australia, October 1937) by Imperial Airways flying boat "Centurion" from Lake Victoria via Juba, Sudan to Alexandria, Egypt, including visit to room in Khartoum, Sudan inhabited by General Gordon and later Kitchener. (1938) Reel 16 (13): Cairo, Vickers Wellesleys of RAF 45 Squadron at Helwan, Gezira Sporting Club Swimming Pool, Maadi, Nile in flood, Kasr el Nil Bridge, Cairo Yacht Club, Egyptian flag on road to Mersa Matruh. 369ft Colour. (1938) (From can markings) Reel 17 (14): Bathing and Yacht Club at Aboukir, Murki bazaar and mosques in Cairo, Egypt. (1946?) 281ft Colour. Reel 18 (16): Aerial view of Bitter Lake. Scenes in Canal Zone (Egypt), Port Sudan and Aden, with Air Commodore Hazelton Nicholl in tropical white uniform with black armband (mourning King George V ?). (1937) ca 300ft Colour Reel 19 (17): Wedding (second marriage) of Air Commodore Hazelton Nicholl to Lorna Henderson (1938) 130ft Colour (Spool marked House + Lorna) Reel 20 (19): Victory Day 1945 (Professional film - Cine Kodagraph) Reel 21 (22): Minard Yachts. (Nicholl's house after retirement from RAF) Reel 22 (23): Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (2 June 1953) - (Professional film). Followed by amateur film of historic pageant at Minard from AD 563. 297ft B&W, Colour. (Original reels 18 and 21: Transferred to Scottish Film Archive, 10/12/1997).
  • Alternative Title: AMATEUR FILM BY AIR COMMODORE HAZELTON NICHOLL [Alternative Title]
  • Colour: B&W (part Colour [Kodachrome])
  • Digitised: No
  • Object_Number: MGH 5078
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions:
  • Featured Period:
  • Production Date: 1926 1927 1928 1931 1935 1936 1937 1938
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Nicholl, Hazelton Robson1882-01-141956-08-14Served in London Scottish Volunteers 1899–1902; S. Rhodesia Volunteers (Mounted), 1903–04; learned to fly at Brooklands, 1915; joined Royal Flying Corps, 1915; served in France, No. 8 Squadron, RFC, 1915; attached No. 6 Squadron, RFC, 1917; Commanding 110 Squadron, 1918 (Legion of Honour, despatches, OBE); Permanent Commission, Royal Air Force, 1919; served in Iraq in Command of 70 Squadron, RAF, 1926–28 (CBE); Deputy Director of Personal Services Air Ministry, 1929–30; Deputy Director of Manning, 1931–32; comdg RAF Base, Calshot, 1932–33, No. 23 Group, Grantham, 1933–34; Air Commodore, 1933; Commanded Central Area, RAF 1934–35; Member of Air Board of Royal Australian Air Force, 1935–37; Air Officer Commanding Royal Air Force, Middle East, 1938; Air Officer in Charge of Administration Fighter Command, 1939–42; retired, 1942; Controller of RAF Benevolent Fund, 1944–47 (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:
  • Keywords:
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W (part Colour [Kodachrome]) Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: None Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 9.5mm; 16mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 5 17 Footage: ft; Running time: 25 mins (16 fps) ca; Running time: 240 mins (16 fps) ca
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    MGH 5078

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    Documents.21698 (Air Vice Marshal Sir Hazelton Robson Nicholl KBE CB)
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