RAF THUNDERBOLT OPERATIONS ON THE ARAKAN AND MANDALAY FRONTS [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: RAF THUNDERBOLT OPERATIONS ON THE ARAKAN AND MANDALAY FRONTS [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: ABY 62
  • Other titles: ROYAL AIR FORCE OPERATIONS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR [Allocated Series Title]
  • Summary: Air Marshal Coryton, Air Officer Commanding RAF Third Tactical Air Force and US General Stratemeyer, head of Eastern Air Command, visit British and American airmen at a forward airfield.
  • Description: Air Marshal Coryton and General Stratemeyer talking in front of bamboo building. Talking with British and American airmen with cups of tea or coffee. A line-up of RAF Thunderbolt fighter-bombers in brown and green camouflage. A second squadron of 'razor-back' Thunderbolt I's, in natural metal finish, taxiing with Hawker Hurricanes in background. Thunderbolts on runway ready for take off. Air Marshal Coryton and Air Commodore the Earl of Bandon talking. Thunderbolts taxiing. A Thunderbolt named 'Mongoose II' taxis past camera carrying an inscribed drop tank with the message 'Tojo's a yellow rat from Carl and Fred'. Air-to-air footage of bubble-canopy Thunderbolt II FJ:A of RAF 261 Squadron. Squadron of twelve Thunderbolts dramatically pass camera aircraft at speed in loose, but dense, formation. Same Thunderbolt squadron flying over flat plain with mountain range in background. Ground-to-air footage of Thunderbolts flying into the distance. Twelve Thunderbolts directly overhead in three-abreast line astern. Aerial footage showing a river with roads, fields and trees. Two Thunderbolts in line astern seen from chase plane. Second aerial shot of previous location but from reverse angle. Ground-to-air shot of line of Thunderbolts peeling off with a vulture wheeling over the camera. Return to previous chase plane shot of Thunderbolts in line astern.
  • Alternative Title: ROYAL AIR FORCE OPERATIONS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR [Allocated Series Title]
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: ABY 62
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1945-02-09
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Air Ministry, Directorate of Public Relations (Production sponsor) Royal Air Force Film Production Unit (Production company) Woodcock, Sidney Leslie1945-05-02Flight Lieutenant Sidney Leslie Woodcock, service number 175562, cameraman with No.3 Royal Air Force Film Production Unit. Killed in action 2 May 1945 while filming from a Mosquito of 110 Squadron RAF over Rangoon, Burma. Buried in Rangoon War Cemetery alongside his pilot, Flight Lieutenant John George Buchanan (415744) see [http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2261432 accessed 24 February 2011] (Production individual) Towler, D (Pilot Officer) (Production individual) Layzell, R G (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Coryton, Alec (person) Bernard, Percy (person) Stratemeyer, George (person) Royal Air Force, 261 Squadron (regiment/service) Air Command South East Asia, Eastern Air Command (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: Fighter operations, Air operations over Burma, Burma 1942-1945, Second World War (event) Royal Air Force 1939-1945 (theme) Far East 1939-1945 (theme) India 1939-1945 (theme) United States Air Forces 1939-1945 (theme)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 235 ft; Running time: 3 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    ABY 62

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