Summary: "The Jailbreakers." Newsreel item on the Mosquito raid on Amiens Prison in 1944.
Description: Eighteen Mosquitos (including planes of 464 RAAF Squadron and 21 Squadron) under the command of Group Captain Pickard (seen adjusting his parachute harness) prepare for the raid on Amiens prison on 18 February 1944. Map traces the approach route and a model of the prison shows walls which must be breached to enable French Resistance workers under sentence of death to escape. Typhoons join the Mosquitos crossing the Channel in a snowstorm. Camera plane films the prison after it has been bombed while smoke is still pouring out. Arrows over slow-motion film reveal damaged prison outlined against the surrounding snow-covered fields. A high percentage of the prisoners are reported to have escaped with the loss of only two Typhoons and two Mosquitos. Pickard however was killed and film shows his grave with a wreath upon it. Release of film was delayed for security reasons.
Alternative Title:
Colour:B&W
Digitised:No
Object_Number:RMY 64
Sound:Sound
Access Conditions:NON-IWM
Featured Period:1939-1945
Production Date:1944-11-02
Production Country: GB
Production Details: Pathe (Production company)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Pickard, Percy Charles (person)
Royal Air Force, Sqdn, 21 (regiment/service)
Royal Australian Air Force, 464 Squadron (regiment/service)
Keywords: aircraft, British - combat: De Havilland Mosquito (object name)
aircraft, British - combat: Hawker Typhoon (object name)
casualties, British dead - graves, formal (object name)
combat, British - air raid (object name)
destruction, French military - aimed: bomb (object name)
operations, British air - preparation (object name)
17/5(144).7 [1944.2.18 Amiens] (event)
Amiens, Somme, France (geography)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: English
Subtitle language: None
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Footage: 421 ft; Running time: 5 mins
