RAF SCENES IN ENGLAND AND EGYPT BETWEEN 1931 AND 1940 [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: RAF SCENES IN ENGLAND AND EGYPT BETWEEN 1931 AND 1940 [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: MGH 6767
  • Other titles: AMATEUR FILM BY AIR CHIEF MARSHAL SIR HARRY BROADHURST [Alternative Title]
  • Summary: Amateur film shot by Air Chief Marshal Sir Harry Broadhurst, between 1931 and 1940, featuring RAF scenes in England and Egypt during this period.
  • Description: Reel one: B&W – SYNCHRONISED AEROBATICS: Aerial display at Hendon (?) TWO AVRO LYNX CRAZY FLYING: Low level display by Lynx J9431. FORMATION BROLLY HOPS: Parachute jumps. FORMATION WITH SMOKE. Aircraft displaying with coloured smoke trails. 12 SQUADRON DRILL: Display by Fairey Foxes of 12 Squadron. BOOTHMAN WINNING THE SCHNEIDER CUP SEPT ’31: John Boothman wins the Schneider Cup at Calshot, Hampshire. 41 AT THE AOC’S INSPECTION NOV 1931: Inspection at RAF Northolt. Rows of Bulldogs on airfield. THE FLYPAST: Aerial views of formation. THE CO DOING HIS STUFF: Squadron Leader Stanley Vincent (later Air Vice Marshal) in Bulldog K2183. WINDSOR CASTLE: Aerial views of castle. THE SPORTS – OFFICERS VERSUS SERGEANTS TUG-OF-WAR: Sporting activities at Northolt. THE END OF THE OBSTACLE RACE: Sack racing and apple bobbing. Formation of Bulldogs in the air. Crashed Bulldog on airfield. Pilots standing in front of line of Bulldogs, including K2180. Bonfire Night. Reel two: B&W – Holiday in Cornwall. Views from lighthouse. Plinth. Diving into the sea. Various seaplanes including Short Saro Cloud K2895 being flown at Calshot, Hampshire. Views from rear of boat at sea. Supermarine Southampton K2965 lands on the water. Broadhurst’s daughter with toy car. Family visit to Whipsnade Zoo, Bedfordshire. Three Bristol Bulldogs of 19 Squadron put on an aerobatic display at RAF Duxford. Views from the air of aerobatic display. Close up shots of Bulldog K2485. Brief shot of local hunt on airfield. Interior of house (presumably the Broadhurst residence near Duxford). Fuelling Bulldogs at Duxford, Bulldog K2164 in the foreground. Station Sports Day (presumably at Duxford). Bulldogs in formation with coloured smoke trails. Further scenes at Whipsnade Zoo. Reel three: B&W – Playing games onboard ship, on route to Egypt. Entering Port Fouad, Ismailia. Statue of French engineer, Ferdinand de Lesseps on the waterfront. Local scenery, waterskiing. Passenger ship. Biplane in distance over airfield. Visiting the pyramids. Row of camels. Travelling by train. Street scenes. Views from the air. D class destroyers HMS Duchess (H64) and HMS Dainty (H53) at sea. Armstrong Whitworth Atlas JR966. Vickers Virginia K2323 lands on airfield. Passengers in RAF uniform carry their belongings to the waiting aircraft. Travelling by train. Ships in harbour. Street scenes. Departing by boat. Reel four: B&W – Ismailia, Egypt. Street scenes. RAF parade and inspection at No 4 Flying Training School (No 4 FTS), Abu Sueir. Donkey racing. Playing tennis. Broadhurst’s daughter Diana with toy car. Wooden hut with “Holly’s” sign, selling refreshments. Various sporting activities including hurdling, high jumping, and tug-of-war. Boat trip. RAF parade. Brief aerial display (featuring Hawker Audaxes?) Parachute jump. Formation flying. Passenger ship departing from port. Family scenes. Formation flying. Reel five: B&W – Ismailia, Egypt. Scenes at No4 Flying Training School (No 4 FTS), Abu Sueir. RAF parade. Flypast of Hawker Audaxes. Aerobatic displays featuring Audaxes K7505 and K7513. Children swimming. Boat trip. Various views of unidentified Japanese aircraft carrier. Family scenes. British merchant ship the Armamistan in port. Colour – sunset onboard ship. B&W – further scenes in port. Reel six: B&W – Family scenes. Naval scenes filmed somewhere on the south coast of England (possibly Hampshire). HMS Antelope (H.36) at sea. Fairey Swordfish dropping torpedoes. Games of tennis and cricket. Swordfish landing on deck of aircraft carrier (appears to be HMS Courageous). Views of Swordfish L2732. Colour – family scenes. B&W – Family holiday. Naval scenes featuring HMS Escort (H66), HMS Electra (H27), HMS Greyhound (H5) and HMS Escapade (H17). Hockey game. Group of men assembling for a photograph. One is dressed as an Orthodox Jew, another appears dressed in clothes similar to those worn by the Schutzstaffel (SS), complete with swastika armbands [event presumed to be a fancy dress party of some description from the light hearted jollity seen here]. Reel seven: B&W – Caravan holiday, caravan overlooking beach. Local anti-aircraft crew setting up gun and practicing, using a large piece of fabric towed in the air as a target. Broadhurst in canoe. Colour and B&W – Family scenes on holiday. Colour – spectacular sunset shots, with Hurricanes silhouetted (presumably filmed at Northolt). Children on see-saw. B&W – Hurricane makes a wheels-up landing. An Avro York arrives and taxis in. Hurricanes JU-A and JU-B of 111 Squadron at Northolt. Hurricanes in hangars. Reel eight: B&W – Girls playing in garden (presumably the Broadhurst family’s residence while Broadhurst was at Northolt). Riding bicycles. Colour – Bed of roses. Tending to flower borders. Broadhurst in RAF uniform amongst roses. Man in RAF uniform (Leigh-Mallory?). Children in garden. Child in canoe. B&W – Sports Day at Northolt (underexposed) . Radar towers in background. Prize-giving ceremony. Colour – child in river (child not wearing clothing in some scenes). Man in RAF uniform presenting floral display to Mrs Broadhurst in the grounds of the Broadhurst residence (man appears to be Northolt’s Station Commander, Augustus Orlebar). Family scenes. Northolt airfield. Crew in front of small bomber (possibly an Armstrong Whitworth Albermarle). Rugby match. Point-to-point horse racing. Pilot strides across airfield apron in full flying gear and climbs into Hurricane. Colour – Dogs playing in garden. Visitors in RAF uniform.
  • Alternative Title: AMATEUR FILM BY AIR CHIEF MARSHAL SIR HARRY BROADHURST [Alternative Title]
  • Colour: Colour
  • Digitised: No
  • Object_Number: MGH 6767
  • Sound: B&W
  • Access Conditions: IWM
  • Featured Period:
  • Production Date: 1931
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Broadhurst, Harry1905-10-281995-08-29British Air Chief Marshal: British informant in the "Air Operations: Duxford" interview project (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:
  • Keywords:
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour Sound format: B&W Soundtrack language: Silent
  • Technical Details: Number of items/reels/tapes: 8 Footage: 3095ft (ca); Running time: 126 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    MGH 6767

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    MGH 3574 (BROADHURST PRIVATE COLLECTION [Allocated Title])
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