MEMBERS OF ENSA PERFORM FOR RAF AIRMEN ON TABINGAUNG AIRSTRIP, BURMA [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: MEMBERS OF ENSA PERFORM FOR RAF AIRMEN ON TABINGAUNG AIRSTRIP, BURMA [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: ABY 71
  • Other titles: ROYAL AIR FORCE OPERATIONS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR [Allocated Series Title]
  • Summary: Men and women of the Entertainments National Service Association, or ENSA, entertain RAF personnel on a forward airstrip at Tabingaung, Burma.
  • Description: Medium-distant shot of Carolyn Wright and Roberta Robertson tap-dancing on a section of dismantled workbench. Fred Everard playing piano accordion. Men crowd around to watch and others sit on two Spitfire Mk VIII's parked at dispersal. Airmen applauding. Closer shot of the above. A Spitfire's propellor blades frame a shot of Tex Shamva playing his ukulele. Men clapping. Jean Neville singing with accordion accompaniment. Peggy Shamva doing rope-tricks. Tex knocks a cigarette out of Peggy's mouth with a whip. Close-up on accordion player. The women of the company pose with some of the airmen. Ossie Ray doing card tricks amongst the crowd. Finale with all seven members of the cast and enthusiastic applause.
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1945-02-22
  • 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)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Royal Air Force (regiment/service) Entertainments National Service Association (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: Tabingaung, Burma (geography) Welfare and recreational activities and services, Burma 1942-1945, Second World War (event) Royal Air Force 1939-1945 (theme) Far East 1939-1945 (theme) Burma 1942-1945 (theme)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 209 ft; Running time: 3 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Notes: Date from dopesheet. One slate seen but date illegible beyond '2/1945'. Squadron seen possibly RAF 607 Squadron, RAF 155 Squadron, or RAF 17 Squadron. See photograph reference below. The cameraman of this piece, Flight Lieutenant Sidney Woodcock, was killed in action. He and his pilot, Flight Lieutenant J G Buchanan of RAF 110 Squadron, failed to return after a Mosquito sortie over Rangoon on 2 May 1945. They are buried in adjacent plots in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Rangoon War Cemetery.
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    ABY 71

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    ABY 85 (PATRICIA BURKE ENTERTAINS AN RAF SPITFIRE SQUADRON AT SADAUNG [Allocated Title]) ABY 89 (GEORGE FORMBY'S ENSA PARTY, CEYLON 1945 [Allocated Title]) JFU 45 (PATRICIA BURKE PERFORMS FOR BRITISH TROOPS AT AKYAB [Allocated Title]) ABY 84 (PATRICIA BURKE ENTERTAINS AN RAF THUNDERBOLT SQUADRON [Allocated Title]) CI 1053 (LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR)
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